Conserving a small flock of three or 4 bantam hens splendidly will increase self-sufficiency for anybody engaged in small-time poultry-keeping. Bantam hens, infamous for setting and brooding, make wonderful surrogate moms for a lot of species of home poultry, together with chickens, geese, pheasants and turkeys.
They make good birds for these dwelling on the grid, in addition to anybody eager to stay off the grid. They’re nature’s good incubator, egg turner and chick brooder, all constructed into one handy, reliable unit. Better of all, they require no utilities or energy to function. They’re probably the most handy and trouble-free methods for a homesteader to extend their small manufacturing or laying flocks. Fertile eggs, from the best-producing birds in one other flock, will be set beneath bantam broodies as a low-cost and extremely profitable option to enhance the flock.
These little marvels of nature make succesful, splendid moms and can be utilized to hatch and incubate eggs from different forms of poultry. They even deal with the infants after they hatch. Bantam hens are infamous for going broody, generally two or thrice in a yr.
Select virtually any well-known breed of standard-sized hen and likelihood is you’ll discover a bantam model that has been developed as its counterpart. Bantam hens are small, often lower than half the dimensions of their full-sized cousins. As miniature variations of a lot larger fowl, you’ll be able to maintain them in a smaller coop or run.
As a result of they’ve typically been raised as pets, many bantams keep a generational predisposition for friendliness and curiosity round people. As such, they’re usually simple to keep up.
Due to their a lot smaller measurement, feed consumption can be a lot decrease than with standard-size fowl. Some breeds, similar to Silkies or Cochin bantams, are well-known for eager to set on eggs and hatch out a household. Different breeds—Outdated English Recreation, Japanese and Belgian bantams—typically exhibit excessive tendencies for broodiness and wonderful mothering abilities as nicely.
To provide an concept of the distinction between standard-sized hen breeds and bantams, look no additional than the instance present in Cochins. In line with the American Poultry Affiliation’s Customary of Perfection, totally mature, standard-size Cochin hens ought to weigh 8 1⁄2 kilos when totally mature, and a rooster ought to weigh 11 kilos. On the flip aspect, a Cochin bantam hen ought to weigh 26 ounces and a rooster ought to weigh 30 ounces. Some breeds will likely be a number of ounces heavier or lighter. Even so, most bantam hens can efficiently incubate 4 to 6 bigger eggs whereas setting.
Apart from being curious, personable pets and fantastic moms, many bantam hens make respectable little layers. Whereas possibly not the egg producers {that a} Leghorn or Australorp is perhaps, many breeds of bantams will lay three or extra eggs per week throughout the spring and summer time months. Some birds will even maintain laying into the winter (however usually, that is an exception and never the rule.)
Hens & Roosters
Most breeds, as soon as they begin laying, will lay small eggs with excessive inside high quality and powerful shells. These eggs are fantastic for house use or promoting. Even with their small measurement, many purchasers discover these eggs to be of fascinating high quality and can purchase them on a repeat foundation, you probably have them out there.
Bantam roosters are sometimes identified for his or her endearing and oftentimes inflated egos and attitudes. What they lack in measurement, they make up for in persona. Bantam roosters will attempt to defend their perceived territory towards a lot bigger males, with out hesitation. They like to crow and strut round, letting the world know that they’re in cost. In the event you maintain a bantam rooster along with your hens, you’ll be able to elevate a number of new “banties” yearly and enhance your brooder flock as nicely.
Bantam hens are typically clutch layers, that means that they lay a clutch of eggs, typically 18 to twenty, after which go right into a broody state and set on the clutch to incubate and hatch the eggs. If an individual retains the eggs gathered and eliminated day by day, this can sluggish the tendency to set however not for lengthy.
After laying her eggs, often over a six- or seven-week interval, nature will take over and the bantam hen will go broody. She’ll flatten herself so far as she will and unfold her little physique out as she sits within the nest, assuming a place to permit her to cowl as many eggs as attainable and maintain them heat. This flattened place additionally makes her much less seen to predators if within the wild—nature’s manner of constructing positive she and her infants are secure.
She’s going to lay declare to any eggs laid in the identical nest by different hens and shortly roll them beneath her, together with her beak. As soon as broody, the bantam go away the nest for under a only a few occasions every day to eat and drink after which return to her duties of protecting the eggs heat. She might turn into very protecting, make tender gurgling warnings or squawks, and peck any particular person who ought to have the audacity to stay their hand into her nest to attempt to steal her eggs.
Regardless of all of the theories and folks knowledge about breaking a broody hen from her need to set, it may be almost not possible to discourage a bantam hen from going by the whole brooding and setting cycle, even when all eggs are eliminated day by day. The method is hardwired into their brains at a mobile and molecular stage. In case you are protecting these hens as broodies or surrogates to hatch and lift the eggs of your different poultry breeds, that is precisely what you need and want.
One of the crucial fascinating phenomena of broodiness is how infectious it’s in a flock. It doesn’t take lengthy after one bantam hen begins brooding and setting earlier than one other hen additionally turns into broody and joins her, typically in the identical nest field. This makes for an excellent scenario when the hens are being saved for the aim of brooding new inventory, as this implies extra eggs will be set and hatched.
As soon as the eggs hatch, hardly ever any squabbling or preventing over the infants happens. The 2 hens will work collectively and use their pure mothering tendencies to nurture and lift the infants as a staff.
Why Use Bantams?
Some breeds of bigger fowl even have tendencies towards broodiness. Customary Cochins are probably the most dependable. A bigger hen can be in a position to incubate a bigger variety of eggs than a bantam. Nonetheless, for reliability and repeat broodiness, bantam breeds similar to Silkies, Cochins, Outdated English Recreation and Japanese are onerous to beat.
From the Nineteen Twenties into the mid Nineteen Fifties, government-funded poultry-improvement applications advisable that poultry farmers cull hens with had an inclination to go broody and set, in an effort to extend egg manufacturing. A broody hen doesn’t lay eggs as soon as she totally enters her brooding cycle. Consequently, such hens have been typically eliminated and met their destiny within the stew pot.
Over the a long time, the genetically inherited trait of broodiness was bred out of many normal breeds. As a result of bantams have historically been saved as pets as a substitute of for business manufacturing, many breeds of bantams by no means misplaced this helpful trait.
Small Housing
Bantams don’t require a lot room. A small flock of three to 6 bantams can stay very comfortably in a coop with flooring dimensions no larger than 4-by-4 toes, and a pen or yard no larger than 4-by-8 toes in measurement.
Waterers and feeders needs to be of a design that the infants can have easy accessibility however not fall into water too deep for them and drown. One or two nest packing containers simply above flooring stage are splendid. Placement close to the ground will be certain that child chicks can get again in beneath mama hen to maintain heat.
Ensure the nest field is vast sufficient for 2 hens to unfold out comfortably. In scorching climate, extra body-heat buildup from two hens sharing a really small nest field may cause warmth stroke in a single or each hens.
In case you are protecting a small bantam flock for elevating child chicks, wire mesh securely mounted round and over the run is finest. You don’t desire a scenario the place small chicks can escape by bigger holes in hen wire and be misplaced to the weather or predators.
Guarantee that your pen may be very sturdy and the wire is securely hooked up so marauding neighbor canine or wild animals similar to raccoons can’t break in. Small holes no larger than the diameter of 1 / 4 will enable rats and weasels to enter. Each can and can kill child chicks, in addition to grownup bantams. Earlier than constructing the coop and run, pour a slab of concrete 3 to 4 inches deep to forestall these animals from burrowing in by the soil.
Okayeeping bantam chickens is usually a welcome addition to any yard. They require much less house and feed than massive fowl breeds and are identified for his or her pleasant personalities. Bantam hens are infamous for going broody, too, which suggests they make wonderful surrogate moms for different forms of poultry. They’re nature’s good incubators, egg turners and chick brooders.
General, protecting bantam chickens is usually a enjoyable and rewarding expertise for anyone concerned with small-scale poultry-keeping.
Extra Data
Finest Broody Bantam Hens
Most bantam breeds will exhibit broodiness in some unspecified time in the future. Nonetheless, a number of breeds are virtually positive bets for going broody. Some hens might not exhibit this need till their second laying season. That is frequent. As hens turn into older, their setting and brooding wishes are inclined to turn into stronger. Older hens typically make one of the best moms. Listed below are a number of breeds to think about.
Silkie
These fluffy little chickens, with their tender downy feathering and loving, calm inclinations, are available in a number of colours, together with white, black, blue, grey, paint (mottled or speckled) and others. The quintessential instance of a broody hen, they’re most likely probably the most dependable setters. They make fantastic moms, have calm inclinations and are good for households with babies.
Cochin
The bantam model of this breed is each bit as dependable for functions of brooding and setting as Silkies. They’ve calm inclinations and are inveterate setters and brooders. They’re a positive guess to be used as surrogate moms for different fowl. These little fluff balls, with their feather shanks and thick feather coats, are available in a number of colours, are calm and delicate, and are additionally good for households with youngsters.
Outdated English Recreation
These small, alert little birds, with normal feathering and noticeably bigger tails and drooping wings, are available in a number of colours and patterns and are a showy chook that you can be proud to personal. Not fairly as docile as a Silkie or Cochin, they’re very reliable setters and make wonderful moms. As a result of they could be a bit flighty and roosters a bit aggressive at occasions, they is probably not appropriate for younger youngsters.
Japanese
With massive tails, shorter shanks and wings that additionally seem to droop, these birds make wonderful moms, and the hens get alongside nicely with different breeds. They arrive in a number of colours and are lovely dialog items that you can be proud to indicate to your pals.
Belgian d’Uccle
Apart from being dwelling present items, this personable, light, feather-legged breed makes for fantastic setters and moms. Remember that many house owners of the birds say they generally tend to not go broody till their second laying yr, nevertheless.
This text initially appeared within the September/October 2023 situation of Chickens journal.
