Langshan banty hens are fierce!

[chickenannie]

A hawk tried to divebomb my Langshan banty's chicks yesterday, and the 3 small black banty hens all ganged up and fought him off after several of his attempts. It was amazing to watch. They are great birds!

The banties are generally timid and mild-mannered but when the hawk came, they were screaming like I've never heard them and fierce with it -- I was so proud of them. The hawk eventually flew up -- got too scared of them. the little chickies were smart too-- ran and hid and didn't come out until mom was sure the danger had passed.

Then she took them into a safe spot inside the barns to forage the rest of the day.

 

[ibpboo]

Good brave hens!! Glad all is ok!

 

[Jenski]

Great story!

So . . . where did you get these fine, brave banties? Do you have a roo, and will you be selling eggs?

 

[chickenannie]

I bought them at auction, didn't know what they were but thought they were beautiful. I don't have a roo, unfortunately.

After the auction, they turned out to be egg-eaters and I was mad and almost sold them, but now I think it was a nutritional deficiency or boredom that caused it, because after a month or so of free-ranging they stopped. Now all they do is hatch and nest and go broody.

Next year i'm going to give them BO and turkey eggs to hatch.

 

[rebecca10782]

Aww! That is so cute. My mom was watching a program on PBS the other night called The History of the Chicken, I think. The very last few minutes was a story about a banty hen with a bunch of young babies who risked her life for them by tucking them all under her wings as he came at them. The owner thought she was killed, but luckily the hawk didn't get any deeper than her feathers. I love to hear stories like that. I also heard about a mama cat that ran into a burning building to save all her babies! I almost cried when I heard that

 

[Jenski]

Well chickenannie, sounds like you have given your banties a home where they are much happier than they were before! Why don't you post pics of them on the Me, my chickens . . . section if you get a chance? I have never seen bantam Langshans.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
these aren't good pics but here mine are: