Tell me about Bantam egg laying, please

[antiquebuff]

Wow, I am a bantam owner and I don't feel worthless at all!!!
Thats a strong statement! to make of bantam owners!

Not everyone is in this to make money...........
I love my bantams! I get 5 to 6 eggs a week and they are such good mild eggs.

 

[flip9109]

well said antiquebuff. Some of us just have them as pets and the eggs are just a bonus. personally I get so many eggs from my girls that I can't give them away fast enuf. and I only have 9 laying right now.

my cochens and millies have the largest eggs

 

[al6517]

Sorry all :
never intended to offend, it's just that bantams are not my cup of tea is all. once again sorry!!!
AL

 

[Momma_Cluck]

Quote:
Any why do think you are "The word" on someone being "Worthless" for raising Bantams??

My Daughter is not "Worthless"-- she is a kid just getting started in 4-h and raising chickens, and Bantams are easier to handle for 1st timers-- and yes, are for pets....


SO-- Parrots, parakeets etc.. should all supply us with eggs and meat too I suppose?
Why else raise any bird as a pet (according to your statement)

 

[Momma_Cluck]

I'm sorry too-- I was busy explaining why I was writing an angry post to my daughter and didn't see your apolog..

Not being "Your cup of tea" I understand 100%---
but not the statement that people are worthless for having them.

 

[antiquebuff]

Thanks for the apology Al. Sometimes things just don't come out the we we intend for them to!

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
We must get our pound of flesh......so your punishment will be ????

--hug a bantam.........

 

[The Monkey Mama]

We have some sort of little bantam Game hen mix [a mutt basically] and she lays almost every day and her eggs are impressively large for the size she is - they are 2/3 the size of the large eggs my heavy breed hens lay and she is about 1/4 their size!

She's been a good little layer. I never would have picked her myself, but my son picked her out at the farm we bought our first chickens from and he fell in love with her. We let him get her as a pet, and she IS spoiled rotten, but she lays VERY well IMO - I was impressed with her. She's more consistent than most of my other hens [all the others are standard size].

So, I think they can be pretty cool, hard working little birds myself!

Kelly

 

[JennsPeeps]

I just acquired a 2-month old banty. My others are 5-week old standards. The banty does a nice job of teaching the "little" girls (who are now bigger) about what to eat, keeps an eye out for them, and is a sweet little bird. She's also better about staying closer to the house than are the standards.

I have no idea what the laying will be like from the banty but she's really a true pet. Of course the 3 standards are pretty spoiled, too. I do like that she watches out after the younger birds, and I suspect that she'll become head chicken. If she lays regularly, that's great. She was free (twisted beak = breeder reject). If not, I've got 3 standards who will.

My standard RIR is quite skittish & aloof. Best bird of the 4 by FAR is the black sex-linked. She's a total sweetie, though it's scary how food-driven she is! She'll run from across the yard just to see if I have gotten food for her in the previous 5 minutes.

One person with banties did say to measure a standard egg then see how many banty eggs it takes to equal that big egg. If you cook with the eggs you do get, you'll need that info.

 

[country freedom]

These are the exact reasons why I want banties - smaller eggs and good eating! OEG, Dutch, and Modern.

But, my DF wants larger chickens (I myself have wanted Speckled Sussex, Orpingtons....etc.), but this year, my third child will be moving out, and the youngest 3, DF nor I don't really eat eggs every morn, so I've wanted to scale down - plus smaller hens means more room for them inside henhouse/henrun for future chicks hatched.

As prices are going up, we have been buying family pack of chicken and everyone gets 1-2 peices of meat, the extra peices go for stew/soup.

These smaller hens/roos of banties will be enough for our family I think, so, DF and I will be trying to keep 2 sized flocks of hens in 2 henhouses to see which ones we really need.