Nankin Bantams

[cobra3073]

Over the past couple of weeks I have been scoring the “net” trying to obtain a good source to obtain some Nankin bantams this Spring. I have sent emails to several alleged breeders but received no response.

I understand Purely Poultry will have them and I called their Customer Service department and was informed they could not tell me from whom or where they sourced their chicks. I am thinking it might be Ideal hatchery and have seen a thread on here that alludes to Ideal Nankins not being pure bred.

I am looking at acquiring approximately a dozen show quality chicks, if possible.

Would really appreciate any leads.

Thanks!

~BT

 

[cobra3073]

Update

Got a very quick response from Lund Hatchery advising they have cut back on their breeding due to weather but suggesting I contact them later as it gets closer to April. They are not sure they will be able to supply a full dozen chicks so I am still looking...just in case.

~BT

 

[cobra3073]

As noted above, I am still looking for show quality Nankins in the event Lund won’t be able to satisfy my April delivery date.

Also, I have come to understand that the Nankin Club of America has a Facebook site but I’m not on (and do not want to establish an account) Facebook.

Surely, there is someone else on here who has and will be able to supply me with some Nankins. I am trying to start a flock at the same age.

Also, would like to know if anyone who has had RECENT experiences with Ideal’s Nankins is willing to share their experiences. It is GREAT that they are apparently carrying many of the allegedly rare breeds.

Thanks!

~BT

 

[Danielle27]

Ideal claims that their birds (nankin) are purebred but that they don't guarantee show quality. I know others say that their birds are mixed but that doesn't make sense to me. Why would a well established hatchery risk everything by faulse advertising about rare breeds. And why would they want to mix rare breeds to begin with when they have purebreds to breed? It just doesn't make sense to me.

I hope others with more experience can reply here to answer your questions.

 

[MROO]

Show quality Nankins are tough to find! There are so few of the breed, anyway - less than 1,000 breeding aged birds, globally, according to the Livestock Conservancy - that most backyard breeders keep their better youngsters to improve their own flocks. That doesn't have to be a deal-breaker, though. Nankin hens are really good mothers and they tend to go broody often. As long as you have good genetics to start with, you'll likely end up with some show quality birds.
The hardest part of getting show-quality, at least for us, is getting the deep plumage coloring. Our main issue at the moment is "blue" tail feathers - they're supposed to be green/black - but not all of them mature to the deep chestnut and green. I don't like to cull for something that simple, especially when the rest of the conformation looks pretty good, so I try to place those birds in pet homes. If nothing else, I'm scared to death that the fox who lives in our woods will someday be successful, and I'll need to recover a rooster from somewhere.
The roos get along, so I'll try to place them in pairs, for company. I have one paler cockerel who looks like a throwback to the original "Yellow Bantam." he has a gorgeous rose comb, and he's a real sweetheart! He'd make a great rooster for a mixed bantam flock. All of our bantams, including the roos, are really docile - so much so that we even leash train them. It's pretty cool to take a chicken for a walk!
So be patient and keep working on your Nankins. They're definitely worth the effort!

 

[jeffsmith13]

MO - Nankin Single Comb & Rose Comb Hatching Eggs
by Connie Abeln
(MO)

Mom Nankin with duckling and Delaware chick


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Looking to share our good show-quality rose comb and single comb Nankins with breeders who will appreciate and use them. Right now we have hatching eggs available, and a limited number of adults, pullets, and cockerels.

Nankins are bantams, so, for their safety, you will not want to mix them into a large-bird flock. They are outdoor birds, hardy in cold and heat, good and reliable layers if you pick up eggs daily, great setters, parents and surrogate parents, even for larger chickens and ducks. Our flock is NPIP certified and AI-free.

We show our Nankins regularly at state fairs and poultry shows, to make sure our stock stays consistent with the American Poultry Association and the American Bantam Association standards. Our most recent show was the Heartland Classic Poultry Show in Anna, Illinois, on March 10, 2018, where our single comb and rose comb Nankins earned blue ribbons.

Our prices for Nankins are:
If shown and won, $30/bird
If show quality but not yet shown, $25/bird
If not show quality but almost perfect, $20/bird
If a good Nankin type, $15/bird

Hatching eggs are $30/dozen. We will need to know if you want rose combs or single combs, or a mix. We cannot guarantee what happens to eggs after they leave our control.

We will also ship when the weather permits, spring and fall mostly.
* For live birds, shipping costs range from $80-100, depending on your location and the weight of the birds, and include the Horizon N.E.S.T. USPS-approved shipping box and USPS overnight shipping, if available. We can ship up to four Nankins in a N.E.S.T. We will ship only through U.S. Postal Service, weather permitting.
* Hatching eggs are shipped express mail, fragile, and in a large padded box. Shipping costs range from $30-70, depending on distance and number of eggs shipped.
* All shipments are insured, and the buyer is responsible for filing any insurance claims with the US Postal Service if the eggs arrive late or broken. The buyer pays for all shipping costs.

We will probably not be shipping eggs until mid-April this year, due to the difficulty of finding good weather for safe shipping. (April 15th is the last average frost date in our area.) Contact me at [email protected] and we will coordinate a good time and place to meet for delivering hatching eggs or birds, for comments, too.

We like to sell locally, within about 50 miles radius of Six Flags Saint Louis. However, we do attend swaps and shows further away, so we may be able to work something out.

We will be showing at the Missouri Poultry Association Show in Sedalia, Missouri, on April 21, 2018, and at the Dayton Fancy Feather Club show at the Darke County, Ohio, Fairgrounds on the weekend of April 28th-29th, 2018. We will also be at the Clearview Feed Small Animal Swap in Union, Missouri on the first Saturday of the month, now through October, 2018. Contact us if you would like to purchase and pick up eggs there. We may also have a limited number of chicks available for the April 21st and April 28th-29th shows.

Note: We do ship adult chickens, weather permitting, but we do not ship chicks.

 

[MROO]

Ideal claims that their birds (nankin) are purebred but that they don't guarantee show quality. I know others say that their birds are mixed but that doesn't make sense to me. Why would a well established hatchery risk everything by faulse advertising about rare breeds. And why would they want to mix rare breeds to begin with when they have purebreds to breed? It just doesn't make sense to me.

It's like puppy mills and some pet stores do it. They breed a heavily-faulted, pet-quality purebred to another pet-quality purebred and get a "purebred" puppy, but not necessarily a sound one. Most people don't see past the AKC certificate. The same goes for chickens, I guess. If you want show quality or good breed representation, go to someone who shows - or sells for shows. If you don't need a purebred ... adopt!

 

[MROO]

Forgot to ask - did you find your peeps, yet?

 

[cobra3073]

No Dawn, I am still searching.

I recently spoke telephically with Richard (the guy you got yours from) who advised he didn’t ship but might be able to assist me in or around June if I came there to pick them up. He is REALLY a nice guy who I enjoyed speaking with. He noted he primarily deals with the Rose combs Nankins but due to some predation had acquired some additional single comb hens from Elaine Shirley (nice to live in VA, huh) recently.

I have also emailed Connie Abeln as they are relatively close and the First Lady and I could make a drive up to the St Louis area and pick them up. I am waiting for a response.

I did speak with Carol Thomson (who acquired her line from Lund’s). She advised she has (or will have) eggs for shipping. She would be a GREAT option for you, in my opinion, once your hens start to go broody as her eggs are from several different lines and your hen(s) could handle the hatching chores...just a thought.

Also, I haven’t given up on the Lund’s possibility and will give them a follow-up call in a couple of weeks.

Another option I am entertaining is simply finding a couple of Nankin hens and acquiring eggs from different sources as the hen(s) go broody.

If all else fails, I will do the Ideal/Purely Poultry thing. Carol Thomson is the only person I have spoken with who claims to have seen the Ideal Nankins first hand and this was several years ago. She noted or inferred they were true to type but looked a bit raggedy (or something to that effect).

At any rate, I haven’t given up yet. I will give you a call in a couple of days to catch up.

~BT

 

[cobra3073]

UPDATE

After a number of unsuccessful attempts to procure Nankins from several breeders, I finally found a lady in New Jersey who had hatched twelve (12) Nankins on March 23, 2018.

Of that number, two had not survived but she had 3 surviving cockerels and 7 surviving pullets. Of that number, she kept a pair but sold me the remaining eight (8)!

A picture of the babies are in my avatar.

On yesterday, I received the nucleus of my Nankin flock and they are settling into their new home.

...the journey begins!

BT