The bantam chicken is a popular breed of chicken known for its relatively small size. While some chickens are naturally giant, these chickens are considerably smaller. Despite their small size, there is much to love about these chickens, including their temperament and ability to lay dozens of eggs in a year.
If you’re thinking about getting chickens to raise on your land, it’s good to know more about this type of chicken to decide if it is the right breed for you.
Egg Production in Bantam Chickens
Although these chickens are smaller than other breeds, they still have much to offer. Some of them can lay up to 200 eggs per year. So if you have multiple bantam chickens living on your land, you’ll have hundreds of eggs available to you at any moment.
It’s important to know that there are different breeds of bantam chickens, some of which will lay more eggs than the others. While some lay as little as 50 eggs per year, these animals are still great to have living on your land.
The eggs produced by these chickens often have a slight cream-colored tint to them. Every once in a while, however, you may notice eggs with beautiful colors on them. Although it doesn’t happen too often, it’s such an exciting thing to see because the eggs look stunning and come in assorted colors when you least expect it to happen.
Bantam hen eggs will be smaller in size to the average laying hen’s eggs.
The Temperament of Bantam Chickens
When you’re looking for friendly chickens to bring over to your land, bantam chickens are an excellent choice. You may already know that some of these animals don’t have the best temperaments and are often difficult to handle, but that isn’t the case with this wonderful breed. Rather than being aggressive and causing you more work, these animals have a friendly demeanor.
The reason behind their good behavior is that they’ve been bred as companion chickens for decades. People love having this breed on their land because the animals enjoy handling and aren’t aggressive, making them an excellent choice for children. If you have children that will care for these animals with you, selecting the right breed is a must. You don’t want to choose a breed that will be too aggressive and rough towards the children because that could result in injury.
The Appearance of the Bantam Chickens
While males and females don’t look too different, the male bantam chickens are always a bit larger than the females. It’s easy to tell them apart because of their size, along with the long tail feather that the roosters have.
These tail feathers look beautiful and are easy to spot from a mile away. So, if you’re trying to determine which ones are female and which ones are males, look at the size and the feathers attached to the chickens to figure it out within seconds.
The female bantam chickens don’t have such long feathers. Instead, their feathers are shorter and aren’t nearly as noticeable. Because of the recognizable differences, you won’t have to worry about any confusion when separating hens from roosters if you need to do so.
Breeds of Bantam Chickens
There are over 400 variety of birds that are considered bantams. Here are few of the most popular bantam chicken breeds:
What to Feed These Chickens When They’re Living on Your Land
Knowing what to feed these chickens is essential. First, you want to make sure they’re well-fed and taken care of while you’re handling them. Although pellets are a good source of feed for these animals, you have plenty of other options when feeding them. These are a few of the best foods to feed your chickens:
- Spinach. Chickens enjoy the taste of spinach. You can buy bags of spinach and offer it as a treat for good behavior.
- Kale. Providing these animals with kale is an excellent way to give them a treat while making sure they’re getting enough calcium to stay strong and healthy.
- Watermelon. Hens and roosters enjoy the refreshing taste of fresh watermelon. You can buy it in bulk, slice it down, and serve it to these incredible creatures.
- Broccoli. If you have some leftover broccoli that you’re not eating, give it to your chickens. They’ll enjoy the fresh vegetables. Most importantly, it contains vitamins and nutrients that are good for these animals.
While these are a few of the top foods to provide your bantam chickens with when feeding them on your land, several other options are ideal, including blueberries, lettuce, beets, and squash. Of course, when offering these kinds of treats, make sure to do so in moderation. While the hens and roosters love them, you don’t want them to become overweight from overeating the food you provide.
Creating the Perfect Chicken Coop for the Animals
If you’re going to bring bantam chickens to your land and provide them with the care they need, be sure to create a coop that offers enough space to keep them comfortable. The goal is to give each chicken plenty of room to move around and explore outside without living in cramped, uncomfortable quarters. When living in cramped quarters, it’s easy for chickens to become stressed, which could negatively impact their egg production.
In addition to providing enough space for the hens and roosters to live comfortably and roam around freely to stay busy, be sure to choose the right bedding. You can pick from several types of bedding, such as straw, sand, and even recycled paper. Choose what you believe will work best for your chickens without causing you to go over your budget. You might also want to experiment with different materials to see which ones are best for your chicken coop.
Bring Bantam Chickens to Live on Your Land
Whether you’ve had chickens before or are new to owning them, bantam breeds are an excellent choice for several reasons. First, these friendly, small animals are easier to handle and are kid-friendly.
In addition, their kind temperament and small size make them a superb selection for anyone with a bit of land looking to raise these fantastic creatures while providing them with the best care possible. You won’t regret the decision to get bantam chickens.
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