Why Bantams? I don't get it....

[TownhouseSeramas]

I personally went for the Bantam because I have a very small yard and didn't want to have a giant chicken coop. I got Seramas (I only eat Deviled Eggs and "Eggie in a Basket") and my newly laying Pullet lays about an egg a day. Not so good for deviled eggs, but since I'm not a huge egg fan they work perfectly for "Eggie in a Basket" Aside from that though, they are extremely friendly and very funny to watch. They are beautiful birds and fun to breed. I can have ten in a coop you'd use for 5 standards.

 

[BWchicken]

Quote:
You should get you a little flock of bantams and see for yourself, they really are a hoot!






edited for typo

 

[Pele]

I think the main attraction is the cute-ness, the broodiness, and that they are ideal for small settings.

I personally can see that perhaps more women like them than men, but I don't think it's a 'woman thing'. I am a woman, and I love love love my big standard sized girls. They look like a fleet of old Spanish merchant ships at full sale across my lawn. Plus they lay massive eggs, which fuels my baking habit

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[RHRanch]

I don't think gender really plays into it as much as you would think. All of the men in my family prefer the bantams. Why? Because the bantams are personable and come to visit any person they see. They let themselves be picked up and eat out of your hand. Thats just appealing to anyone, male or female, young or old. I think keeping bantams just depends on your space, income, preferences. They are just as useful as the LF, consider this, they may have a smaller carcass than a lf hen, but it costs less to grow that little guy, so in terms of cost to produce an eating bird, they are probably the same or just as thrifty as some of those slow growing LF eating machines. My d'uccles are fabulous layers. I had one hen produce an egg every day from early January through the end of october! I know some have a perception of bantams as "strictly ornamental" but that is just not the case at all!

Space: I can house 2 dozen bantams in a small space hardly big enough for a half dozen LF.
Cost: When I am low on cash, I never have to sell my bantams, I can always scrounge up the money to feed them.
Production: Good layers, good demand for hatching eggs, chicks and show birds. Great Broodies.
Temperament & Ornamentation: Friendly, easy to handle, transport. Look great. I have MF, Lavender and Gold necks. So pretty!

 

[clairabean]

I have bantams because I enjoy having small blue eggs. My egg customers prefer my small blue eggs and will pay $4 a dozen for them- mixed with my cream coloured eggs. Take all the lovely egg tastes and condense it into a smaller egg.

Honestly I don't get why have just standards?

I think the same question can be raised with standards. Why would you prefer standards to bantams? Or even dogs- why have a small dog when you can have a big one? It is personal preference, thank you very much.

Most of us here at BYC have chickens because we LIKE haveing chickens. We enjoy their personalities, their different breeds, and the eggs. Not many are strictly for eggs, or meat only- don't talk to the chickens, as they are just food, or food sources.

ETA- We butchered a dozen of our bantams a few weeks ago. They were absolutely delish. Of course smaller than the standards, but equally as tasty. We did the 'grouse' method with them.

 

[anderson8505]

I'm with you idispatch4911, give me a flock or three of standards! I think it is the cuteness, and a space issue. However, I have 2 Seramas that are so cute! Yeah, so cute, the hen has laid exactly 5 eggs since early September when I got them.

Actually began thinking about rehoming them just yesterday. Silkies are very very popular it seems, but to me their coloring is usually very dull compared to many other breeds, and the nicely colored ones are hard to find!

However, I have to give my little "Ken" (of Ken and Barbie) some credit; he runs off the big rooster every chance he can! It's like watching a Chihuahua chase a Doberman.

 

[foxypoproxy]

I like bantams because,
for 1. i don't care about egg production (I have chickens as pets, i could care less if they lay or not).
2. I have a chronic illness, so having something small to pick up is alot easier for me then trying to pick up a bigger/heavier chicken.
3. Bantams have such funny personality XD (but i guess you could say that about any chicken :3).

All in all, for ME, i find them easier to care for.
They are like my therapy animals.

I have had standard and bantams before.
Personality wise they are both sweet :].

 

[gryeyes]

Idispatch911, I used to have only LF breeds because I really like watching them. Eggs were not the reason I stated with chickens, just a great bonus to the bug reduction and the free fertilizer. Who wanted midget chickens, eh?

I also used to dispatch 9-1-1, for about 27 years. So, things change

One day I saw an ad on Craigslist for Cochins, and I wanted some. Ooooh, big fluffy ladies - even more so than my BO! So, off to the farm I went. Dang - I had TOTALLY missed the word "bantam" in that ad!

But dad-gum-it, those were gorgeous birds! So I bought my first midget chickens. Then I found out there were bantam EEs. Ooh, little bitty green eggs? You betcha!

Now I have several other bantam breed in my very mixed flock. I like both LF and bantam breeds and want to add some more Jersey Giants to the flock because THOSE are CHICKENS! Also because the JGs need some ladies their own size...

 

[blkpoodles]

i have both bantams and large fowl, i like the bantams cause they're cute and turned out to be the breed for me(silkies) i thought i'd like polishes but nope, so for LF i got easter eggers and a leg horn and a little sexlink or production red not sure which. but i sure love my silkies

 

[AlienChick]

I think once you get bantams, you just naturally fall in love.

I have both LF and bantams. I started off with the LF and they were fine.
I use them for egg laying and meat.

Then I got bantams and OMG I was in cuteness heaven!
I love how friendly they are and they're so easy to carry around.
I like their size, too, cuz I can have more of 'em and build lots of *small* coops that can be stacked on top of each other to save floor space.

I will always have LG for egg sales and consumption and I will always have bantams for egg consumption and companionship.