Looking for low egg production pet bantam breeds for my kids :)

[hudsonmama]

We have egg laying chickens and do NOT need more eggs! ;-) I am already overrun with eggs. I may even sell some of my layers. However, what my kids really want is pets. ;-) We are looking for pretty, friendly, hardy birds who do not lay much. ;-) I really don't know anything about bantam breeds and there are SO many out there that it is overwhelming. We want birds who can mostly forage and not require much additional feed, except in winter.

Any suggestions? Pictures would be fabulous, too, if you also have those.

You guys are great!

Thanks!
Jodi

 

[hudsonmama]

Oh, I should also mention we only want a few and want to raise chicks if possible. Any recommendations on where to get just a few bantam chicks with the criteria I mentioned? I know it is asking a lot!

 

[juliechick]

One thing you have to consider is that bantams are very small and so are easy prey for hawks. I had to stop letting mine free range because they were being picked off one by one.

That being said, Modern Game Bantams are great little pets that surely don't lay too much! They will go broody and raise chicks, too. Any variety of game bantams are great foragers, pretty and good little pets.

 

[gabrielle1976]

Besides haveing chicks from time to time I have never had full grown birds , but from the chick temperment and from everything I have read and heard on this site and from others , Silkie are awsome pets they are smaller birds they have wonderfull temperments they dont lay heavely but lay enough to hatch some of there eggs if you have a roo and I hear they like to go broody if you want to use them for that. The only thing I have heard downside wise is that there feet can be difficult to keep clean if your area is muddy alot , but Im shure thats with any feather footed chicken.

 

[hudsonmama]

Yay! I just found a local breeder/petting zoo keeper who has bantam cochin, silkie and mille fleur chicks! Hooray for craigslist. ;-) And I did some research and will probably go with silkies and mille fleurs. Apparently even My Pet Chicken will only go as low as 9 banty chicks for shipment to my area. So finding a local breeder is key for me and I will probably just get 4. Plus, my husband doesn't want a rooster and she will take back any unwanted roosters from us. Although I'm hoping if we get one, hubby will be charmed and change his mind. It's been known to happen! ;-)