Bantam Breeds How Are These Flocks Different From Regular Breeds

Why do we love chickens and eggs?Some of us enjoy eating chicken and some of us prefer eggs. But there are some of us who love to make them pets.Having chickens as pets is a really good idea. We get eggs from the hen and good manure for the plants in our backyard. But some find it hard to grow big chickens in the small spaces that they have. This is exactly where bantam chickens come into the picture. They are chickens obviously and give eggs too. What is the catch? The catch is that they are small and adorable little ones. They take up little space which makes them a favorite pet. What are some other features of this chicken breed? Do hens of this breed lay an egg that is small in size too? Let us dive into the world of bantam chickens and hens, thereafter get to know more about chicken facts and Baltimore oriole migration.How many breeds of bantam chicken are there?The chickens in our backyard are not just normal chickens. They can be of various breeds. They are also named differently. It might be possible that the chickens in your backyard are bantam breeds. Bantam breeds are one of the popular chicken pets. They look similar to normal chickens but have a slightly smaller size. Small or big, these bantams make really good pets. If you want a chicken flock that is cute and at the same time farm-friendly, bantam breeds are a good choice. Now that we know of bantam breeds, how many bantam breeds chickens are there? Let us know the varieties of bantam breeds out there.To know about every bantam breed chicken would not be an easy task. Want to know why? Because there are around 400 varieties of bantam chickens out there. It is kind of hard to list all 400 varieties of bantam breeds here. But, don’t worry, we can make it easy. Based on some characteristics bantam chickens are classified into three categories. The three classified categories are; true bantams, miniaturized bantams, and developed bantams. All 400 varieties of bantam chickens are included in these three categories.True bantams are said not to have a larger fowl counterpart. They are known to have only one size, which is a small size. There is also no human interference in these bantam chicken breeds. An example of true bantams is Japanese bantams. This is an ornamental breed said to be from Europe. It is a unique breed with straight tails and short legs. This ornamental breed has friendly hens and aggressive roosters. They lay very few eggs though, one egg per week mostly. True bantams are seen in the wild but miniaturized bantams, just like the name implies, are formed through selective breeding. Either small chickens or a standard breed is used to breed these bantam chickens. Cochin bantams are examples of this category. Cochin bantams are docile chickens that are grown through selective breeding. The developed bantams are made through some genetic modifications using human techniques. This is a small bantam breed. The origin of this breed can be a little confusing because certain breeds can be both true bantams and developed bantams. For example, Barbu D’Uccle is a Belgian chicken with no fowl counterparts, which makes it a true bantam. But, this bantam chicken is originally made through cross-breeding two bantam chickens, which makes it a developed bantam also.In order to breed young bantams, you must wait for at least six months for them to be ready. Then place the bantams in a new coop but keep the roosters and hens separate for some days. Make sure you have placed adequate water and fresh food to make them comfortable, afterwards, you shall allow the roosters and hens to mate as per the normal process.What is a bantam chicken breed?What is a bantam chicken breed? Chickens are classified mainly into two categories, the standard breed which is larger in size and weight. They are standard-sized chicken breeds. Then we have bantam chickens. Bantam chicken is known for its small size. They can also fly very well. So it is better to keep the chicken coop closed on top. This small chicken is perfect for your backyard compared to regular-sized chicken. Most people prefer to have a bantam chicken as a pet. If your backyard is small, it is easy to fit two small size bantams compared to a standard-sized chicken. Bantam chickens must be given a feed of whole grains, greens, layers pellets along with protein supplements. The average lifespan of bantam chickens is five to seven years but some specimens have been known to live for up to 15 years.Bantam chickens are smaller-sized versions of regular chickens. Since the size of bantams is small, the eggs produced by them are also obviously small. These small eggs are half the size of standard-sized eggs. When considering the egg-laying of bantam chickens, it is said that bantams are not at the top of the list but they produce fine tasty eggs. Some of the best egg-laying bantams are easter eggers, Brahma, Sussex, and plymouth rocks. Although the eggs are small in size, they produce a great number of eggs. They produce around three to four eggs per week. Female bantams are said to be great mothers. The hatch eggs are taken care of very well by this bird. They are very reliable in that aspect. These bantam chicken breeds are also very docile making these birds great pets. All of the bantams are very friendly birds. Their small size is also a big advantage when it comes to the food to feed. Bantam chickens are cheaper to feed compared to regular chickens. Many of the bantams are feather-legged. So it is important to have the backyard free from mud to prevent these feathered legs from getting dirty. The foot feathers are also very sensitive and can break easily. So it is important to have a safe area for these bantams with foot feathers. Bantam breeds are definitely the number one choice for those who prefer small chickens in their backyard. But some bantam breeds are not great egg layers, for example, the Pekin bantam lays only around 85-95 eggs in a year that too smaller in size as compared to the normal eggs.When it comes to eggs, bantam chicken eggs are considered to be as nutritious as those laid by a normal chicken, making them a good choice for humans to eat.How to identify breeds of bantam chicks?Imagine you brought a flock of chicks. Now that the flock has arrived, how do you identify which is which from these chicks? Read ahead to find out.I mean, you have to know which one is standard chicks and which one is bantam chicken breeds. The chicks will be of two sizes; regular and small. The small chicks are obviously bantam chicken breeds. Size is the biggest giveaway of bantam chicken. This bird can be identified very easily from standard chickens due to its size. The feet are also another factor. Bantam chickens have feathers on their feet. So if your chickens have feathers in their feet, you can be sure it is a bantam.We know how to identify bantam chicken breeds from other chickens. But how do we identify different breeds of bantam chicks? There are a few types of bantam chickens. Some can be explained here. The Brahma bantam is a popular breed of bantam chicken breeds. Brahma bantams are quiet and gentle chicken breeds. Brahma bantam is known to have a vibrant and bright golden body; their tail feathers are black in color. Brahma bantam hens are excellent layers and make really good mothers. Cochin bantams are also a very calm breed. They are fluffy in appearance. Cochin bantam chickens are seen in a variety of colors ranging from red frizzle, buff, white, black, barred, golden laced, and so on. This bird is a good flock choice. Silkies are the most adorable breeds of bantam chickens. They are small and gentle. They are part of true bantam. A silkie can go broody when it hatches eggs. A unique characteristic of silkies is their ability to tolerate warm temperatures. The size and attitude of a silkie make them the perfect choice for all kinds of the flock. A silkie is suitable to be kept in both urban and suburban areas. The millie fleur d’uccle bantam is an attractive bantam chicken breed; they have bushy beards and heavily feathered legs. They are also true bantam.  Barred Plymouth rock bantam chickens are very friendly bantam chickens who can withstand cold climates very well. They are also well adapted and can either roam freely or stay confined.Can bantam chickens live with regular chickens?Now that we know bantam chicken breeds very well, the next thing that is normal to ask is their relationship with regular chicken. There is a high chance that your chicken coop will have both regular and bantam birds in it. Are they hostile with each other? Will they fight when grouped together? Are both the flock going to be okay when mixed together? Let us learn some facts about both these breeds being together. Let me start with a simple statement, be careful. Mixing two types of chickens is a task that needs to be evaluated very carefully. Your bantam chickens may be friendly, but your regular chickens may not be so.Bantam chickens are known to be very calm and docile birds. These chicken breeds are smaller in size when compared to regular chickens. The small size can make them easy targets too. The bigger chickens find it easy to pick on them. The hens of bantams are docile but the roosters can be aggressive during the mating period. If a fight breaks out, it might get nasty. But bantams are also very good flyers. So they can just fly away from being attacked. This strategy is possible in open spaces but in a chicken coop, flying away is not an option. A true bantam bird will not cause a fight but if the regular chicken birds of yours are aggressive, that can cause a problem. The bantam birds are full of feathers too. Imagine the chickens going on a fight and causing the coop to be a feather war zone. That being said, if the standard breeds are friendly, then there is no problem in having both these chickens together. They can live peacefully with each other. The social order and personality of the flock is the main factor to consider before mixing different breeds together. There are ways you can keep both these chickens together. Give them space in the coop so that they have no issues with lack of space. The feed and water should also be adequate for all of the chickens. It is also better if you buy the different chicks at the same time. There is a high chance for them to be more friendly with each other if raised together. There would be less conflict among these two chicken breeds. At other times, taking some precautions is good. It would be better if you can separate both the regular chickens and bantam chickens if their personalities are too contrasting.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Bantam breeds: Know how these flock are different from regular breeds! then why not take a look at Chimpanzee skull: fascinating ape bone facts that kids will love, or Are there male cows? No, here’s why! cool farm animal difference facts.

Why do we love chickens and eggs?