How many bantam chickens

In fact, you can keep up to three bantam chickens in the same space it would take to keep just one standard size chicken. Their petite size is the perfect solution for small backyards.

The history of the bantam chicken goes back to Bantan, Indonesia , which is one of the major ports in the country. Sailors from Europe stopped at the nearby port in Bantan to gather the necessities for their travels food and water. While in port, they noticed that the chickens roaming the area were much smaller than the ones they were familiar within their home country. After being intrigued by these small little birds, the sailors asked the locals about them and managed to arrange for some to travel back home with them.

The name of the town that the chickens were first discovered in traveled with the breed to Europe and other countries, which is how this specific breed of chicken got its name. However, in the English language, the name was corrupted to a different spelling and pronunciation. There are three types of bantam chickens, but over varieties, according to the American Bantam Association.

These types are true bantams, miniaturized bantams, and developed bantams. The appearance of bantam chickens all depends on the breed and variety. The standard appearance that most of the chickens share is a short round body with a slight tilt in their walk.

Bantam roosters often throw their head back and drop their wings towards the ground when they strut across the yard to show dominance.

Bantams often never weigh more than a pound in weight as an adult, which is about one-fourth the size of a standard chicken. The color of bantam chickens varies depending on the type. For instance, the Pekin chicken sports a mix of beautiful colors including black, buff, lavender, white, and red.

This prevents the feathers from getting extremely dirty and also crusty, which can provide the perfect host environment for scaly leg mites. When it comes to how noisy bantam chickens are, they are actually rather quiet. In fact, roosters are quieter than the average standard rooster, as they reach only 60 decibels when they crow; the standard rooster reached 90 decibels.

The lifespan of a bantam chicken is average when compared to standard chickens. This breed can live a long time — for a chicken, that is. In fact, the average lifespan is between five 5 to seven 7 years — but some can even live as long as 15 years.

Bantam chickens are feisty in nature. The strong personality that comes with bantams is one reason why they make great mother hens.

This breed is known to have no patience when it comes to intruders. If they feel threatened, they rarely flee. They will attack and fight to protect their environment, pen mates, eggs and chicks.

Last year we had a very bad winter and had frozen conditions and deep snow for months and that effect egg production quite badly.

Like my content? Sign up to be on our email list. When I first started keeping chickens I ended up not getting enough hens. How many chickens do I need? Below: a selection of eggs from my egg flock.

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By Christine Heinrichs, California — Bantam chickens are the introduction to chickens for a lot of people. They are just like full-size chickens but only one-fifth to one-quarter, 20 to 25 percent, the size.

Both large fowl and bantam chickens have standards to meet. The Silkie chicken has hair-like feathers and black skin.

They are shown in seven color varieties, with beards and without. Exhibiting bantams at shows is part of the fun of owning them. Many bantam breeders are dedicated to preserving pure breeds.

A breed is distinguished from other chickens by readily recognized by traits that can be described. Breeds breed true — their offspring resemble their parents in predictable ways.

A breed has unique appearance, productivity, and behavior. Varieties have differences within the breed, such as feather color or pattern, comb type or beards and muffs, the feathers around the head. Judges are schooled in the different breeds, serving apprenticeships to acquire the skills to judge body conformation and plumage, as well as the objective aspects such as size.

Bantam chickens are prized for their small size, so limited weight ranges are part of the Standards. The smallest, the American Serama, must not be larger than 16 ounces for a rooster, 14 ounces for a hen. Joining one or both organizations keeps you connected to serious poultry keepers.

The American Bantam Association helps connect prospective bantam keepers with breeders. Its annual Yearbook is chock full of breed information, photos, listings of judges and winners and advertisements for all kinds of bantam chickens.

He usually refers them to the appropriate breed club, but information about all breeds is available in the Yearbook. Bantam chickens are great chickens for kids and can be a good way for kids to get involved in poultry. Their small size makes them easy for small hands to manage. Most are gentler than large fowl birds. With some supervision, kids can take responsibility for care and husbandry. They are easier for children — and adults — to shampoo for a show.

Poultry can be a lifetime enjoyable hobby or it can lead to a satisfying profession, but having facts on the number of breeds and varieties shown helps ABA leaders know what birds are being raised. Old English Games remain far and away the most popular bantam, and Silkies have a strong following. Lhamon raises Modern Games and is a member of that breed club. Bantam chickens that have been on the Inactive list are occasionally shown, and the breed brought back to Active status.

Cornish bantams have declined in popularity, but the Ko-Shamo, newly recognized in , has attracted a flurry of new breeders. Their unusual erect stance, split wing, and sparse feathering mark them as distinctly different from their conventional image of a chicken.

Many bantam chickens are excellent layers, although their eggs are, predictably, small. One friend prefers her bantam eggs to large fowl eggs.