Need to decide on some banty breeds!

[RedIII]

Hey all! So I'm doing a bit of fun homework here. We recently acquired a new rooster, who I believe is a Sultan bantam. Not only is he small and very easy to handle, but I think he has a tendency to let himself be hen pecked. I would very much love to find him a couple of girls who would be gentle and not aggressive, since it looks like he's been picked on before.

Here's the catch: I would like to get some hens that are colorful, but I know that some of the splashy breeds can be flighty or aggressive. Egg laying doesn't matter as much, and this flock will be given a mixture of confinement and free ranging time. I'd love to find some crazy-colored girls for little Jerry, but when it comes down to it, I really, really want hens that won't beat the tar out of him.

So, in a nutshell:

-Looking for something colorful
-Would prefer tame/friendly over any other traits

I'd love to hear any suggestions, preferences, or experience you might have. Thanks!

 

[Mahonri]

Silkies, Cochins and Brahmas....

 

[ThePigeonKid]

Silkies!

 

[Melinda35]

A Partridge Cochin Bantam is my absolute favorite. I have two that I got out of the assorted bantam bin at TSC last spring. They are beautiful and so sweet. They love to sit on eggs no matter who they belong to. They will not put a hole in your hand if you take the eggs out from under them. Here they are at about two months old. You can see the pretty coloring starting to come out.

This is the only other picture I have. She is standing behind my rooster. You can see the grey coloring that she has.

 

[RedIII]

Wow! Cute! Truth be told, Cochins are one of the two or three breeds that I am strongly favoring, so this is cool to hear.

By the by, thank you everyone who's helped so far!

 

[elmo]

How about Belgian d'Uccles? They are sweet and silly and goofy. Ours always make us laugh.

Old English game bantams are another possibility, but ours do tend to be more aggressive than the d'Uccles with respect to other chickens. With us, they are very sweet. They are easy to find, and come in an amazing variety of colors. We went to a chicken show last week, and I was drooling over the Crele and Quail colors.

It would also be good to consider your climate. Our d'Uccles do OK here in North Texas heat, although the Old English bantams we have manage much better. The d'Uccles start panting at around 85 degrees, while the OEGB barely notice heat up into the 90's.

 

[gryeyes]

What Mahonri said.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Don't forget the bantam Wyandottes!

 

[berniezahm]

I don't know about the Brahmas, but the Silkies and Cochins are certainly good choices. It's a toss up which one is the friendliest though. They are both great litle chickens. Silkies are great little broodies also, in case you want more chickens. Love that Cicken Math.

 

[BlueCamas]

I have a d'Uccle pullet who is the sweetest thing (and gorgeous)! The only problem with them is that they aren't the best layers and my little pullet tends to get bullied.