What type of chicken to get?

[Desp]

Not sure where else to post this. But I'm wanting 2 or 3 bantam hens for my backyard, it's a pretty small backyard but I want some fresh eggs, and really want some natural bug control. I live in a neighborhood but it's kind of out in the country so we have a ton of bugs. Will bantams have trouble eating huge grasshoppers? Also I need advice on what breed to find that can't fly over my 6' fence.

 

[liz9910]

from California! Silkies can't fly but not sure if they would be able to eat a huge grasshopper.

 

[fried green eggs]

Sorry I can't answer your questions. You can pick whichever forum and subject on this site and type in a question in the Nav Search and it will bring up past threads of related info for you. Hours of reading and learning. Good Luck.

 

[Desp]

from California! Silkies can't fly but not sure if they would be able to eat a huge grasshopper.

Well, maybe if I get rid of the big ones and have some Silkies around they can eat the little grasshoppers while they're still young!

 

[RoosterAddict99]

There are two breeds I can recommend. Sebrights are really small, they are great egglayers (the eggs are small bantam eggs but, they lay almost everyday), they are super friendly and great bug control (they can definately eat huge grasshopperst) unfortunately, they are also great flyers. Cochins are large, heavy and can't fly over your fence. They are good egg layers but, they often become broody. They are also super friendly and are very happy, healthy chickens. Silkies might also work, but I don't have hens (only silkie cross roosters) so I'm not an expert on the breed. I've heard they are poor layers and often go broody but, they are small, poor flyers and are great bug control. Good luck!!!

 

[Desp]

What do you mean by "broody"? I've only just recently started researching chickens.

Where would one find 2 or 3 chicks for sale? I live in North Texas.

 

[Lilbrownie]

Totally agree Cochin Bantams are wonderful! They are great buggers and they do lay very well! Broody means they want to hatch their eggs and my get a little upset hen you take the eggs!! But otherwise they are very sweet and have great personalities!

 

[redsoxs]

Broody just means they want to set on their eggs for the purpose of hatching out baby chicks. Non-broody variates just lay the egg and go about their business.
Regarding bantams, I have no experience - but I know my young chickens are bantam sized and if they have an insect that is larger than they can handle, they just just peck it into more bite sized pieces and swallow them down. Lots of big cicadas in my area right now - on cool mornings the cicadas don't fly well and the chickens gorge themselves - often having to dismantle the big bugs in order to make them more manageable. Good luck to you!!

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Plymouth Barred Rocks come in standard as well as bantam size and are great at foraging and eating bugs and worms. This might be a breed to look into.

 

[Desp]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It looks like Cochins are some of the more popular ones in my area, and there is someone selling a few not to far from me.

Since they will be living in my backyard which is entirely fenced in, do I even really need a coup for them - can they just get by with a few nesting boxes in the yard and come and go as they please? As you can see I don't really know what I'm doing yet.