what is the best bantam chicken to have for a pet

Bantam Chickens

Bantam chickens in your backyard; it's an idea that'south rapidly gaining in popularity.

And what'due south non to love when they make wonderful pets and deliver eggs fresh to your door every twenty-four hour period likewise as provide excellent free garden manure?

Bantams are small chickens. Some varieties have been bred to produce miniature versions but other bantam breeds only exist in the small size.

Their pocket-size size makes bantams a great choice for the average backyard. The advantages of bantams over their larger counterparts include:

• Require less space
• Consume less nutrient
• Easier to handle

There are 100'southward of bantam chicken breeds bachelor and it's of import to cull the right brood for your needs and situation. If you are time poor the first department provides some handy hen-peck sized answers.

Simply if you want more detail then the rest of the article provides more in-depth cognition most choosing a bantam, where to buy and how to look after them.

What Is a Bantam Chicken?

A bantam chicken is only a small chicken. In virtually cases bantam chickens are smaller versions of a larger multifariousness.

They tin exist 50 to 75% of the size of the larger brood. Many of the nigh popular breeds accept bantam versions as well.

 What Is The Smallest Brood Of Bantam Chickens?

The smallest bantam multifariousness is probably the Dutch weighing in at effectually 500 grams on average.

The Belgian D'Anver is some other featherweight striking the scales at around 600 grams. Other popular tiny bantams include the Belgian D'Uccle, Seabright, and Serama bantams.

Are Bantam Chickens Good Egg Layers?

Although most bantams can't compete with the top laying bigger breeds for the sheer number of eggs most bantams still produce good numbers of rich, fine-tasting eggs.

A very general guide is if the larger version is a skillful layer then the bantam version probably is too.

Which Bantam Chickens Are The Best Layers?

Easter Eggers, Brahma, Plymouth Rocks, and Sussex are some of the best egg laying bantams.

They might produce slightly smaller eggs than their larger counterparts only they consistently produce proficient numbers of eggs.

These breeds as well happen to be hardy and boast heaps of personality and so brand great pets also.

What Is A True Bantam?

Truthful bantams are chicken varieties that only occur in the pocket-size size.

True bantams are naturally modest as opposed to the bantam breeds that have been deliberately bred from larger varieties.

Truthful bantam breeds include the Booted bantam, Nankin, Pekin, and Seabright.

Runted Chicken Breeds

Just equally with regular sized chickens y'all demand to recall nearly your requirements before you choose your bantams.

Is a regular egg supply important or are they only for show? Are y'all looking for like shooting fish in a barrel-care pets that will beloved being handled by your children?

Bantam varieties lay claim to some of the nearly spectacular plumages and appearances in the chicken earth.

The gorgeous colourings and spectacular body shapes of some of the true bantams in particular make them a great choice as show birds.

If y'all are interested in showing your birds you lot might desire to consider varieties such as the Serama, Seabright, Rosecomb, or the Bearded Belgian runted varieties.

You'll also want to consider your local climate equally some breeds don't tolerate cold atmospheric condition well.

Some bantams wing actually well also, despite their size, and this may be an important consideration if you lot live in a decorated suburban area.

Bantam Eggs

As a general rule, bantam versions of larger consistent egg laying varieties will produce more eggs than true bantam versions. High yielding bantam varieties include:

• Ameraucana (4 eggs per week)
• Brahma (3 eggs per calendar week)
• Sussex (4 or five eggs per week)
• Plymouth Rock (3 or 4 eggs per calendar week)
• Australorp (4 to five eggs per week)

Most runted eggs are on the smaller side (maybe a 3^rd to ½ the size of the total-sized versions).

But again bantam versions of larger breeds will tend to be closer in size to the eggs from their larger cousins.

Despite their size, bantam eggs are still simply every bit nutritious as the larger eggs. In fact, the egg yolk to egg white ratio is ordinarily higher in bantam eggs.

Size Comparison

Equally a rule, most bantams counterbalance between 400 grams and 1100 grams. Runted versions ordinarily weigh around 70% to 75% less than their larger cousins.

The table beneath gives a weight comparison between some popular large breeds and their bantam versions.

Brood	Total sized erect	Total sized hen	Bantam cock	Bantam hen
Leghorn	three.4kg	ii.5kg	1kg	900g
Brahma	4.5 – 5.5 kg	three.2 -iv.1 kg	1kg	900g
Sussex	4kg	3.2kg	i.2kg	800g
Plymouth Rock	3.4kg	2.9kg	1.3kg	1.1kg
Barnevelder	3.6kg	3.2kg	900g	740g
Dorking	5-6kg	3.half-dozen-5kg	1100g	910g
Orpington	5kg	3.6kg	2kg	1.6kg
Wyandotte	4.1kg	iii.2kg	1.7kg	1.3kg

Naturally, the smaller size means bantams accept up less space in your lawn,  that'southward just another great reason to expect at getting bantam chickens.

Exercise Runted Chickens Brand Good Pets?

Many bantam varieties brand wonderful pets thanks to their docile, friendly natures.

Bantams are social creatures and will be quite happy for your children pick them up and handle them specially if you get the chickens used to it from a immature age.

These varieties will happily go on you company every bit you lot work in the garden likewise.

The post-obit varieties are particularly popular equally pets thank you to their friendly natures and gentle personalities:

• Seabright
• Brahma
• Japanese
• Pekin
• Dutch
• Australorp
• Frizzle

Climate

Some bantam breeds such as the Australorp and the Australian Langshan, having been bred in Australia, cope very well with everything the Aussie climate can throw at them.

Others like the Brahma may cope well with both extremes although you might have to take care to avoid fungal problems in wet atmospheric condition.

Most of the major bantam breeds are adequately hardy and will tolerate a range of climatic conditions but if yous alive in areas subject to more than extreme weather condition conditions you might want to consider these breeds.

Cold Climates

• Ameraucana: cope very well with cold conditions but may struggle in hot climates.
• Barnevelder: very cold tolerant.
• Wyandotte: thrive in cold, wet conditions.

Hot Climates

• Belgian Bearded d'Uccle: very hardy and oestrus tolerant only don't cope so well with the cold
• Frizzles: need warm climates and don't cope well in wet, common cold conditions
• Houdan: love the rut
• Japanese: happy in hot climates
• Serama: their low wings brand them unable to tolerate moisture, dirty conditions

What'due south It Toll to Feed Bantam Chickens?

It pays to think almost how much it will cost y'all to feed your chickens so yous know how much value y'all're getting out of your little egg-producing machines.

Bantam breeds, because of their pocket-size size tend to be much cheaper to feed than their bigger cousins anyhow.

Just the post-obit breeds are particularly economical to feed:

• Silkie
• Rosecomb
• Frizzle
• Japanese
• Belgian Bantams
• Sebright

Chicken Coops for Bantams

Bantam chickens will still crave the same housing and care that their larger cousins demand but on a smaller scale.

Remember that bantams are highly social creatures and will happily nestle upwards with each other in a nesting box. Bantams beloved to have perching posts at different levels.

Information technology'south important to choose a chicken coop that keeps your bantams safe from predators such as cats, dogs, foxes and snakes.

If your bantams are great flyers it may be worth considering i the Somerzby range that has additional run infinite such as the Homestead or Resort chicken coop and run.

The Mansion and Large chicken runs give additional space for your bantams to forage in prophylactic.

These tin can be standalone or be attached to coops such every bit the Homestead, Manor or Estate. The Tractor chicken coop means you tin easily motility your hens from area to area.

The Somerzby range of craven coops feature sturdy nesting boxes with easy admission for collecting eggs.

Cleaning is made easy thank you to the pull out galvanised steel tray. Weatherproof cobblestone roofing keeps your hens warm and dry and the tough galvanised netting allows good ventilation likewise as keeping the predators and pests out. The framing features rot-resistant fir timber that will concluding for years.

At that place is a Somerzby chicken coop ideally sized for your runted family. The table below is a useful guideline.

2 – 3 Chickens – Cottage, Palatial Cottage

three – four Chickens – Bungalow, Guild, Chalet

5 – 6 Chickens – Mansion, Deluxe Mansion

6 – 8 Chickens – Manor, Manor

9 – 12 Chickens – Homestead, Resort

Where to Purchase?

Ownership chickens is like anything else; you normally go what you pay for. Reputable breeders, farms, pet shops may all be sources of healthy chicks.

It'south worthwhile talking to members of your local poultry club too.

Brand sure y'all bank check for the required vaccinations and if you're interested in breeding or showing you'll want to verify the bloodlines of whatever chickens you purchase.

You can buy day-erstwhile chicks and raise them yourself. But be aware it isn't always possible to decide the sex of little chicks until after the offset month.

This is the cheapest way to purchase chickens.

A hen about to start laying will probably price you around $20 and pullets (hens under one twelvemonth erstwhile) that have proven their egg-laying ability will toll more.

Before you brand your purchases do check out your local council requirements on maximum numbers of poultry allowed in your area.

Expect afterwards your bantams and they volition requite you years of pleasure and plenty of eggs for your pancakes.

See Also

Keeping Chickens – The Ultimate Guide

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Source: https://www.somerzby.com.au/blog/bantam-chicken/

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