Frustrated with Bantams

[kelbyeureka]

We are total newbies to chickens and are wondering if we might have made a poor choice to meet our needs. We have a large organic garden and mini orchard. Last year, our area experienced a severe drought and grasshoppers were driven out of the dry pastures into our lush green garden. We were very suddenly infested with grasshoppers and they wiped out everything! In comparing experiences with others in our area, those with chickens had zero damage from grasshoppers. So we set about researching what breed would best fit out needs. Bantams seemed perfect. Small, quiet and low maintenance. So we built a beautiful coop for them and bought 10 Bantams that were 8 week old. After several days in the coop, we opened the door for them to free range. They wouldn't budge. After a couple days of allowing them to make the decision to leave the coop, we finally caught them one by one and put them out. They stayed huddled together right against the coop. After several says of this, we tried herding them further out in to the garden. But they kept going back to the coop. So one by one we picked them up and carried them out into the yard. They immediately huddled together and hunkered down in tall grass. Since then, they have begun coming out on their own but still stay within a few feet of the coop. And now when carried to the yard, they move as a group to the woods and huddle in the shade where they stay until around dusk and head back to the coop. They seem to dislike the sun and hate being separated. Needless to say, this isn't going the way we had hoped. Our tick population is horrible this year and we'd love some chicken help in keeping them under control, but they just aren't as active as we'd hoped.

Are we doing something wrong? Did we make a poor choice in going with Bantams? Do we need some older hens to show the young one the ropes? Would a few guineas help?

 

[countrygoddess]

So how old are they now? And what kind are they? Younger birds aren't going to feel as comfortable wandering around as mature ones will, so I'd give them more time. We have full-sized chickens as well as bantams and without any fencing, our bantams will wander all over our property. Mostly in the manicured areas, though. The wooded, leafy, brambly parts are too difficult for our d'Uccle cock to navigate with his feathered feet, so they pretty much stay in the areas where he can walk without getting tangled. =)

 

[ChickensRDinos]

So how old are they now? And what kind are they? Younger birds aren't going to feel as comfortable wandering around as mature ones will, so I'd give them more time. We have full-sized chickens as well as bantams and without any fencing, our bantams will wander all over our property. Mostly in the manicured areas, though. The wooded, leafy, brambly parts are too difficult for our d'Uccle cock to navigate with his feathered feet, so they pretty much stay in the areas where he can walk without getting tangled. =)

x2 I had the same two questions. What breed and what is their current age?

Anything new is scary and stressful to chickens and they always need an adjustment period. Their behavior and temperrment also tend to change quite a bit when the reach laying age so it may just be needing time to adjust and time to mature.

I have a bantam cochin who is quite adventurous and loves to eat bugs. I have also seen her help the bigger girls eat a mouse and sparrow.

They will likely always travel together but they should travel further and further from the coop over time.

If you do decide to mix up your flock my very best pest catcher ever has been my Delaware. But, bantams are not necessarily a bad bet depending on the breed.

 

[kelbyeureka]

They are 11 weeks old and I believe they are mostly Cochins. But I'm really not sure. I think they are mixed as some of them have a different body type than others but most have feathered feet. See.....total newbies. The lady we got them from said they were Heritage breed Bantams. So we aren't being patient enough? I can deal with that.

 

[countrygoddess]

Oh, gosh, 11 weeks. They're still babies. Definitely give them more time. I would say that by the time they are 6 months old they ought to feel comfortable roaming more.

I love bantams and have 15 in the brooder right now (Blue Cochin, Mille Fleur d'Uccle, and Porcelain d'Uccle), but one thing to keep in the back of your mind is that their smaller size makes them easy targets for predators, even if they are within an electric fence, as we found out. Airborne predators like their small size. That's why I have chicks in the brooder. All but two of our bantams have been picked off one by one over the 2 or 3 years since we got them.

 

[Alaskan]

You have absolutely gorgeous babies!

Yes, they will eat lots of bugs, but let them get a bit older before you expect much from them.

And, like country goddess said, all sorts of things will want to eat such adorable creatures!

Good luck!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

They really are beautiful. Agree. 11 weeks is very young. They are barely starting to be teens. They will be braver over time.

 

[Moonkit]

Yeah.. they're just too young. But they're definitely of the right age to be socialized. These are babies with no protective mama and no rooster guarding. To them.. everything outside the coop that's always protected them is a chicken eating monster. I would do things like introduce them to treats in the coop.. and then the next week, put the treats outside the coop.. then further from the coop. Eventually, they'll start exploring and being brave (it only takes one to be brave before the others will follow).

Things that can help are things like: you and your husband sitting out there with them and talking to to them, offering treats from the hand (mealworms, BOSS, bits of fruit or bread), talking to eachother. They'll come to see you as the 'lead hen and rooster', so to speak. If they see you being calm and not panicking over every bush and tree, they'll eventually understand that they don't need to either. Get them used to coming to some sort of call. Like I'll use "Chick chick chick chick CHICKEEE!". Mine hear that, they come running, especially if I look like I'm holding something.

I got my first ones as day old chicks and was very hands on with them. We took them for their first outing at 1 week old and they were willing to follow us around the yard, pecking at ants and grass and dirt. No sign of fear at all. They sun bathed, tried dust bathing (one insisted on dust bathing on the grass instead of dirt). We took them back inside when they started showing signs of getting a chill (It was February). Once they feathered and moved outside.. we continued exposing them to lots of things.. shaking big black trashbags nearby, using table saws (we were building a deck at the time), dropping lumber nearby, hammering, using power drills, waving shovels, etc.. By being nearby and never being hurt by the things and watching us, they learned not to fear any of it. I can carry black trashbags right into the coop without causing a panic. We can use the tablesaw on the porch for things while they're out without having chickens scatter in a panic. Its all about desensitizing them to what you don't want them to panic over.

 

[donrae]

Your birds are showing very good sense! At this age, they're still at the bottom of the local food chain and they know it. Their survival instinct tells them to stay close to shelter, not to range too far and to stay in a group. They'll get bolder as they age, but give them a few months. Just keep leaving the door open during the day. Chickens are pretty curious animals and will start exploring when they feel safe.

 

[kelbyeureka]

Thank you all so much. We were really getting discouraged. Homesteading is full of trials, errors and semi-educated guesses. We were afraid we had made a poor choice with these babies. They are beautiful and we are really enjoying them. Hubby has been mimicking their coos every time he is around them and they seem curious and less stressed when he does that. And yesterday we did an experiment and pulled one from the flock to hang out with us while we were in the garden. We kept pitching her worms and she seemed very content exploring the area. It went so well I decided to go get two more and the three of them instantly huddled together in the grass. It was interesting how independent the first one was in the beginning. But bringing in a couple more caused her to hunker down.
In hindsight, we probably should have also got a couple adult hens to show the babies the ropes. But we will definitely be more patient now that we know this is normal.
Thanks again everyone!