I know nothing about chickens!

[UncleAlvah]

To get right to the rat killing, my wife keeps some chickens around, they free range around the barn and such.
I want my own chickens though, Bantams, and I want them in a tractor I'm in the process of building.
Although I know the breed is not well known for laying, I want these especially for that purpose. Her chickens keep us in breakfast eggs, but I want the small eggs for pickling, the smaller the better. I used to pickle quail eggs but they are SO small they are a pain to process.
There is a chicken auction I am going to tomorrow, and I'm wondering if I should try to purchase a specific type of bantam or should I just go with whatever kind is available and see how they work out? I read one post where the person said the best laying Bantams they had were "mutt" bantams bought from Southern States.

I'm as new to all this as can be so your opinions and advice are especially appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[flgardengirl]

Some bantams are very good layers the problem is, that a lot of them seem to want to go broody and set on those eggs and hatch them. I have found in general, if you can keep the eggs picked up they are less apt to go broody but not totally foolproof. Are you wanting a more game like type of bantam or something like silkies?

 

[Mac14]

There are bantam Easter Eggers that are supposed to be good layers, but I don't have bantams. I do have an Ancona they are pretty small but aren't bantams, and mine gives eggs a little smaller that medium egg cartons. Before her molt she would lay about 5-7 eggs a week. But she is very flighty, so that is probably not what you are looking for. I am just now looking at a hatchery magazine and they say that Brahma bantams, Japanese bantams, Bantam Rocks, and Rhode Island Bantams are their better bantam layers. So I would say that you could get some mutts and/or get bantam versions of large breeds that lay well. Like I said earlier, I don't have bantams but I hope I have been of help.

Edit: Just read that Dutch are pretty good.

Another edit: Make sure to get some mite duster, and other vitamins they might need. Because you might be getting your chickens from different people, and even though the chickens might not show it, they could bring in some diseases or mites.

 

[jak2002003]

I have Japanese bantams and they are GREAT layers.

I have about 10 hens and I get eggs of all of them most days. My fridge is full and I have to keep giving eggs to my neighbors.

They slow down laying eggs if they are molting, or are broody - mine seem to only go broody at the beginning of the summer. I want them to be more broody and hatch out some of the eggs!

 

[UncleAlvah]

Quote: In all honesty, I have no idea.

 

[flgardengirl]

Silkies are great layers and lay a small white or off white egg. The only other small chickens I have are key west chickens which are pretty small but not quite bantams. The females are much smaller than the males seem to be. They lay a white to off white egg a little larger than the silkies. They are very prolific layers here. Look at this link that goes to the byc breeds page. There is a column at the left where you can choose what features you would like in a breed and it has photos and suggestions. https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds

 

[Mac14]

So how did things go? Did you get any? I hope everything is going well!