Background: We were given a bantam hen(Gertrude). A year later (2 1/4 years ago) we got baby buff orpingtons, 30+. Some of the roosters mated with the bantam (she is dead now, our dog got her, grrrr) but her daughters are still raising babies. We like the babies around and we don't mind losing the egg production while they are hatching them, but they will not set in the chicken coop. They find odd and dangerous places to do this(that's how Gertie meet her end.) Anybody know how we can make the coop more friendly for the bantam crosses or is that just the way it is. Question #2: We will need to buy more chickens in the spring. Should we get bantams or your "regular chicken? We do sell a couple of dozen eggs a week. Does anyone know where we can get bantam hens instead of straight run? Do you think we could sell the bantam roosters; how about eat them? I really do like the banties but they are pricy and I can't have them nesting everywhere. We would really like to get away from buying chickens from the hatchery every year or two, but if you all don't think the banties will reproduce themselves enough, do you have another kind of chicken you like. They must be gentle, we have children. If we go to bantams, any extra fencing requirements? Any opinions? We'll take them all. Wax eloquent please!! Thanks in advance.

-- Jane in Wisconsin (autumnwindfarm@yahoo.com), January 07, 2002

Answers

I personally use a small piece of woven wire fence to protect my setting hens ( I have banty crosses). Whenever my hens set, I swap the eggs around so that my better hens get their eggs hatched. I never tried to sell my banty eggs, but used them for my own household. One very good source of buying or selling poultry is the local feed store: they have a bulletin board. It's very good business for them to have animal owners in their store frequently! My biggest drawback for banties is that they fly like robins. I DID cut the feathers on one wing, to no avail-they then flew like HEAVY robins! I DO love the banties, I've had some good, some bad-my best layer was a banty-but I've ALWAYS enjoyed them!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), January 07, 2002.

Jane...in order to keep your bantys laying in your coop you'll have to keep them in there! If bantams can find a "better" place to lay (in they're opinion) they will lay everywhere but where you want them to :-)!! My bantams will lay under my nestboxes which are about 6 or 8 inches above the level of the shavings. They love to squeeze in the smallest spots!! Give them some places to "hide" their eggs. Most feed store will sell pure bantam chicks. Bantam roosters probably will not produce much in the way of meat, but you'll just need to butcher more of them! Bantams will fly over fencing if there is no cover, but I've clipped both wings and successfully grounded them! If you want full size chickens, I'd recommend buff orpingtons...very calm AND a good meat bird! Good Luck!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), January 07, 2002.

Sounds like your major ordeal here is having the chickens lay eggs everywhere but where you want them to. I think any chicken, banty or other large breeds will do as your banties and lay where ever they so desire. To solve this "problem" you could keep them penned for the better part of the day, letting them out only in the afternoons. They would be forced to lay in their coop then. However, if you go back to letting them freerange all day it's likely they go back to old habits.

It's not easy to buy just banty hens and if you go st run there's always the job of getting rid of excess roos. I prefer banties, too, but since you're selling eggs and you definately want hens, i would suggest getting the large breed chickens. You'll have large eggs which people prefer to buy and you won't have to worry with excess banty cockerels.

Another thought....maybe you could advertise at the local feed store that you're wanting fertile banty eggs. When any of your hens goes broody, buy or trade for banty eggs. This way you'll have the small clutch number of banties (rather than a large order of st run from a hatchery) to deal with & hopefully you'll get some hens to keep for yourself.

-- buk buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), January 07, 2002.

Speaking of banties, I was thinking of putting a couple of banty hens with a rooster in a chicken ark that would move around the garden. The rooster would be for protection for the hens. Do you think this would work. I have LARGE HENS and think they would be too big for a chicken ark.

I do like the last answer about getting eggs when your hens go broody.

Last question: Wouldn't a banty rooster be about the size of a cornish game hen when dressed? I wouldn't know since I haven't butchered any (yet!)

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 07, 2002.

Just my opinion and experience.

We have Araucana chickens. They are cutest things on feathered feet! Not big & heavy, just mid-size. All different colors - like having 10 breeds in one hen. They free-range during the day but lay their eggs in the nests and go into the coop at night.

AND they lay COLORED eggs all year round! Your kids can pick a favorite color for breakfast! Each hen is so different that the grandkids can tell them apart and when she lays they pick "their" egg.

Even our rooster - Hallelujah's his name - is tame. He's absolutely georgeous!! And protective of his ladies by predators, but follows the grandkids around like a dog.

All this said, a lot of work went into producing this attitude by our flock. When we originally bought Hallelujah and first hens (they were delicious) we handpicked them from the feed store to get the color-combos we wanted. Then MOST IMPORTANT we HANDLED the chicks every single day of their lives. We trained them like kids and dogs to behave, to go into the coop at night, and nest where they were supposed to.

This was accomplished by initially fencing 360degrees around their coop including overhead netting(what's that degree?:?), clipping their wings (both) when they started trying to fly into the overhead netting, and always feeding and watering them IN the coop. As they grew closer to laying age, we made sure that the roost was closed off and the nests were "fluffed" with good clean hay every morning.

It is true that a hen "will always return to roost"..she'll always return to a clean, dry nest where there is food to lay her eggs and .

I've rambled but I do love my Hallelujah and hens. Three years now and I find their society fascinating!

-- Michaela (flhomestead@hotmail.com), January 08, 2002.

Ann, i think the chicken ark idea is a good one for banties. It's a good way to let the chickens enjoy picking at grass & bugs while being protected from predators. Just make sure the ark is sturdy, good heavy gauge wire that no dog could eventually bust through. And wire that's narrow enough so a cat or other predator can't get his paw through to snatch a chicken & eat it through the wire. Have fun!

-- buk buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), January 08, 2002.