'Perfect Bantam' Breeding Project!

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Mico really didn't want his picture taken, so I had to bribe him with mealworms

Penguin (she had food on her beak)

Eclipse

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Wondering, what are your breeding goals?
Do you want small size, eggs, and color? Or just size & color & personality?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Wondering, what are your breeding goals?
Do you want small size, eggs, and color? Or just size & color & personality?

I'm glad you asked
As you've probably noticed by now, production isn't really one of my goals XD. Part of the reason I've ended up with so many roos.
In this project, I mostly am curious about what I'll get crossing my four favorite breeds; since they all have different traits I like. Once I have more space for more chickens, I'm certainly going to be doing a lot more experimental crossing. I love the mixed up genetics of mutts and this way I'll be able to learn more about how to get certain colors, body shapes, and other traits. Ultimately, I'll probably breed towards small size, hardiness, good foraging skills, friendly personality towards people and other chickens, varied colors/patterns, and I'll probably focus a bit on hen-feathering as well.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Managed to get a couple nice pictures yesterday. If only they'd stay still, I could've gotten better ones.

About a month ago, Popcorn went through a short period where she would sometimes sit in her pen puffed up and looking unhappy. Over the course of a week, she layed a couple soft-shelled eggs (even though she was molting?) and hasn't shown any sign of illness since.
Picture from September 28th of one of the eggs:

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Penguin got spooked by either a cat or Bandit and flew on top of the chicken coop.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Yesterday, I was putting Popcorn back with the other bantams (she was with Cheeto in a separate pen) and it was already dark out. Popcorn started puffing herself up and pecking Olive (second in command hen) lightly on the head. Olive pecked her back, and they fell off the roost and were pecking each other, so I separated them. But, before I could, Popcorn put her head back and crowed! It was short and not as loud as the roosters, but it was definitely was crowing!

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Mico and Eclipse are missing and presumed dead after a devastating predator attack that killed 8 of my roosters. Cheeto is dying due to what I think is Marek's disease. This project is being put on hold until my current chickens die of old age or Marek's and I'm sure any new chickens I get won't get re-infected.

These are a couple of the last pictures I got of Mico and Eclipse. I'm so sorry my wonderful boys.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Popcorn is going through a double molt. She lost her tail at the end of September and grew it back by November. Now she's lost it again...

Popcorn on Monday.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Cheeto died. I'm planning to send him to a lab for necropsy. R.I.P. my beautiful boy.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Before Mico's death, I would hold him and Penguin on my lap and they would make contented chirps and preen their feathers. Now, when I hold sweet Penguin, she doesn't make any noise. I think Mico's death did affect her. She also gets bullied more because Mico isn't there to protect her from the older hens.