What are bantys good for?

[snowydiamonds]

They have KING KONG sized personalities

You can get a mixed flock, purebreds all, and have a beautiful color mixture along w/what all has been so well said of our smaller feathered friends...

I inherited a wild flock of 11 hens and 1 roo (he's speckled and named Cockadoodle- he's so efficient in breeding his hens, never tears them up at all, defends them, keeps them in line, too when they get sassy w/my standard Gold Lace Wyandotte pullets in the next pen). Two hens (one a speckle w/a small Polish hairdo and the other a Brama) had a chick a piece they sneakily hatched. The CornishX chicks tamed them for me and now I stand in the pen w/them at me feet, talking to me. Beautiful birds, colors, like a pretty bouquet of flowers but feathers They'll tame down even more once they're in the coop for the winter

I've got another flock of tan, feet feathered and ear muffed cochins ? that are younger and tamer, real interactive w/people!

Another friend has a hen hatching and raising a clutch for me and I didn't want bantams to begin with!!! Now if it comes down to it, that's what will be my very last flock when I'm nearing a hundred years old...way sweet, very good egg production (just make sure you search real well as they hide them to hatch them out!), you can go w/one breed or mix flock of purebreds.

I've got a young roo Partridge Rock who I'd love to get a flock of pullets as his hen harem, his name is Cinnamon and the cochin roo is named Curry. One of Curry's pullets sits on shoulders like a parrot, she loves people. Her name is Silly Girl. Yeah, EAGLE sized personalities

 

[Mom 2em All]

Hey- I told my neighbor that my Show Girls were miniature ostriches...and the silkies were African Ground Parrots.

I love my banties. I didn't know I was getting banties- I had blue eggs. Hatched out a bunch of EE, and a handful of little ones. I have a little silver banty, a black banty, and two turkens, and a Polish. (Silkies, too from another clutch)

These are so much fun- and they take hunting seriously. You should see my banties steal a piece of tomato from one of the standard size. AND can they RUN! Around and around they go, a whole line of banties all wanting the tomato that the lead chicken has. Entertainment value= priceless. They fly also. This is a down side of them, they are so light, they can really cover the distance.

I had NINE chickens on me last night. I was a bird tree. I was sitting on the bench in their yard, waiting for my stubborn standard hen (Carmen) to go in the coop so I could close the pop hole. She hates to go in when I am watching. She will stay out in the dark rather than go in there if I am in the yard. Stubborn bird. Well, the banties decided that I looked like a good roost. So, one by one they all got on me- I had birds on my lap, my arms, my knee, my shoulder and one cuddled up right next to me. They all settled in for the night- ha ha ha.

smaller egg- small snack size, less cholesterol, right?

 

[spook]

Love your replies ! I have just obtained 3 bantam cochins and boy you were right on with attitude, foragers, don't forget clowns and sweet. I have a banty roo because I didn't like what my full sized roo was doing to the backs of my girls yet I wanted the warning sounds and protection that a roo can give.

 

[turtleblossom]

What are banties good for? How about bite sized deviled eggs, my fave!

 

[Lobzi]

A lot of personality in a small package.

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I just wanted to add that my banty roos are all good with their girls.

They are also easier to hold when you tell them how handsome they are and that they are doing a great job taking care of their girls. They love it!!

 

[al6517]

I will have to kick up some dust on this one!!!! Sorry.

Your DH is RIGHT they really are not good for much except all this lovey dovey stuff you pet owners/chicken kissers are saying. I agree with him I will not keep banties, they are pretty worthless as far as chickens go. my chickens need to make sense and pull their weight, I let my wife and daughter have the fun, but I draw the line on ( ohhh i want little cute one ). Now Don't get me wrong if your into it it's all good just not my cup of tea.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Quote:
It's nice that you let your wife and daughter have fun.
I let my husband have fun now and then with his antique tractor restoration and his boat and his piece of junk corvette in the garage that one day he is going to restore. I even let him have fun by going hunting for three weeks in November, when really he gets all the deer he can in a weekend.

I say, if I want it, and it isn't taking up much room, and I am the one that takes care of it, (and we have chickens anyway)- I am going to have it.

If my husband says NO, well...thats fine. I will abide. However, then I will get to pick something he doesnt need. Partnership, not ruler/slave, here.

*eyeing the stupid deer head hanging on the bedroom wall*

Chickenkisser- hahahahahahaha, well- I have kissed worse.

 

[suenrob]

Quote:
It's nice that you let your wife and daughter have fun.
I let my husband have fun now and then with his antique tractor restoration and his boat and his piece of junk corvette in the garage that one day he is going to restore. I even let him have fun by going hunting for three weeks in November, when really he gets all the deer he can in a weekend.

I say, if I want it, and it isn't taking up much room, and I am the one that takes care of it, (and we have chickens anyway)- I am going to have it.

If my husband says NO, well...thats fine. I will abide. However, then I will get to pick something he doesnt need. Partnership, not ruler/slave, here.

*eyeing the stupid deer head hanging on the bedroom wall*

Chickenkisser- hahahahahahaha, well- I have kissed worse.

AMEN, sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
Can we assume that you only have production layers and cornish cross for meat? If not, the typical standard chickens (by your definition) are lovey dovey stuff since they can't convert feed into eggs or meat as efficiently as animals bred for decades for that purpose only.

What do your standard chickens do that bantams don't as well? Lay a larger egg would be it. But feed per egg would be as efficient w/bantam as w/standard. In fact since you are supporting less body (over head in terms of eggs), the feed/egg might be more efficient w/bantams. Somebody do the study.........