Topic: recomend some bantams/hens?

[sunloving]

Dear All
I've been converting one of my sheds into a chicken coop and I'm now nearly ready to take the plunge but I have no idea really about which bantams chickens to buy.

I love bantam eggs and they are such gorgeous little things, but I also would like to maximise the number of eggs.

I was wondering Can you keep bantams and full sized hens together? Do the hens bully the bantams? I am thinking about 4 bantams and 2 hens kind of numbers ( i had a big run and when im home a big garden to let them out into)

If you could recomend a good laying bantam which one would it be and please could you tell me if youve kept the two together.

any help would be really great!
x sunloving

[grannyjanny]

Hi Sunloving. We have 4 Plymouth Rock bantams which are very pretty birds. Ours are Mother & her 3 daughters. Not the best of layers but that could be my fault as I didn't realise there was a red mite problem. We have had 4 eggs on only 2 occasions since we got them in March, we don't expect a lot from Mother as she is 3+. I would like to get a couple more full size hens & was advised to get 18 week old ones as they would be about the same size as the bantams & I would presume not feel as threatened as by bigger birds. I use hemcore (hemp) for nest box & coop as it rots down quickly in the composter. The breeder you get them from will advise you I am sure.
We love having them, they are great fun to watch.

[grannyjanny]

Someone must have told them what I was saying. We had 4 eggs today ;D ::).

[sunloving]

Thats great!, so from your four on average how many eggs a day have you had? I understand that bantams can be very broody and have a longer non laying period, have you experienced this?

x sunloving

[grannyjanny]

We got Plymouth Rocks as I read they were less likely to go broody. We had a period of 4 weeks of broodiness, June/July with 2 of them. I got fed up after a while & I dunked Mother up to her neck in cold water for a few minutes, should have done it sooner as the broodiness stopped a few days later.
It sounds silly but it's to soon to say about eggs because of broodiness, mites & feeding issues. If we do (if I can persuade OH) get more I think I will go for Speckeldy as they seem to be excellent layers & quite a pretty bird too.
I read about all the different breeds on the eglu site.
OH didn't want them but he looked after them while I was away for a week & they are now referred to as OUR chickens.

[sunloving]

 :)  They are such interesting little things.

A cold bath ! how odd maybe a shock snaps them out of it?

I'm trying to keep my excitement down until ive finished the coop and run.
Thats really useful to know about plymouth rocks and speckledlys, you just cant beat passed on wisdom from folks that are already doing it.

Good luck with yours
x sunloving

[grannyjanny]

Cold baths cool them down.  They pluck their chest feathers out so they can get skin to egg contact & they become very warm. While they were broody we were getting 1 egg a day. Suddenly there would be some screeching from the pen. OH wondered what was going. Murder sprang to mind but no, the one that had layed the egg was objecting to one of the broodies sitting on her egg. How very dare they. As soon as I removed the egg from under whoever she would shut up.
PM me if you want to. No problem.

[sunloving]

Thanks granny janny sounds like lots goes on!
I've been building the nest box today and looking around at where to buy hens, it would be lovely to pm you for a bit of advice once i get started. I cant wait!

best wishes
sunloving

[grannyjanny]

I've PM you ;).