How Much Will 15 Bantams Eat?

[DogAndCat36]

I might have to foster 15 bantams soon. Stupid impulsive buyers.

How many pounds of feed do 15 bantams eat per month?

Also a quick question. If I do take them do I have to quarantine them?

 

[M-H-Fielding]

Quarentine them for a few weeks to see if they have any diseases they can pass along to your flock.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

I'd say three bantams eat almost as much as one full sized chicken. I don't know the exact weigh of how much feed they eat.

 

[DogAndCat36]

Quarentine them for a few weeks to see if they have any diseases they can pass along to your flock.

Thanks, but also how do I quartine them if I only have one coop?

 

[M-H-Fielding]

Thanks, but also how do I quartine them if I only have one coop?

Hmmmmmm, thats a hard one. Do you have a cage or something?
You can put them right in with the flock, but it's taking a risk.
Maybe put them in a small cage inside your coop if that's possible?

 

[CluckerFamily]

I always quarantine new members in a dog crate. I have standard goldendoodles that outgrew the Giant Dog Crates so I use those. I have also put two of them together before by removing a side door to make one huge crate.
We have local farm stores (not Tractor Supply) that has crates on sale all the time.
If price is an issue, you could look on Facebook or Craigslist, or if you have a family member or friend that isn't using a crate, maybe they would lend it to you as long as you clean it well before returning it.
Another option would be to make a "crate" out of a wood frame and chicken wire and keep it in the garage or basement/house for now. (this may be the cheapest option)

 

[Trisseh]

No point in containing them for bio security purposes within the existing coop. Their dander and exhaled droplets will be in the same space as the existing birds. If you’re going to truly keep them separate from the flock and you only have the one coop, a cage/dog crate/puppy playpen in the house/garage/a shed far enough away from the coop would work for sure.
If you’re unable to separate them enough so they don’t have that potential contact, then crating them inside your coop and hoping for the best is about all you can do...

 

[PioneerChicks]

I have heard that large fowl chickens eat 1/3 cup per day and bantams eat 1/4 cup per day. But bantam sizes tend to vary more than large fowl, so it depends a lot on the breed.

To lower the amount of feed they eat, you could try fermenting your feed. My method: Fermenting Chicken Feed: A Straightforward Method

Good luck!

 

[DogAndCat36]

Hmmmmmm, thats a hard one. Do you have a cage or something?
You can put them right in with the flock, but it's taking a risk.
Maybe put them in a small cage inside your coop if that's possible?

It's 15 bantams. Wouldn't they get scared and hurt each other in the crate? I mean weeks is a long time. But the past owner was an impulsive buyer so I don't think that they will have good health...
Do you think that I should first look at their eyes, poop, ears, underwings, troats, and etc. for parasites or sickness and then decide, and if they look fine I should just put them in? Is it too risky?
Of course, I do still need to lock them inside of a crate for a week so that they see the coop as home but the poop will build up and if they are sick the crate would be a breeding ground for parasites in the coop because I don't a garage or other places to put the crate in.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I depends what you think is too risking.
If you only have one place to put them and that is in a crate in the coop it sounds like that may be your only choice.
For me, it is too risky, you can't see everything that they may have and transfer to my flock.
I wish you luck!!