Dual-Purpose...Banties

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

So the talk about eating Banties forces me to take a closer look.

I had to sell off my flock of Dels and Orloffs when I made a sudden move to downtown Anchorage. I have been working out the logistics of keeping a VERY few LF birds, but I wonder if banties might kind of be better, since I could have more of them? Also, the roos would be easier to keep inside until later in the day.

Are the certain breeds of bantam that have better meat qualities? When I take a closer look, you really can see that some seem to have impressive breast development. Can they also lay?

What about miniaturized DP breeds like Dels, BR and Dominiques? I'm especially intrigued by the Dominique bantams with those rose combs.

 

[edgarmongold]

Here are pictures of my New Hampshire bantams.
I just skin the breast and flay like you would a fish.
What you end up with are two small pieces of meat to flavor a dish for a meal.
For me the rest of the carcass isn’t enough to warrant skinning.
As far as egg production not all hens are created equal.
I pair mate so I know which hens are laying regularly and which aren’t.
Out of 5 females one or two years old 2 were pulled out of breeding program.
Other three have been laying 3 or 4 eggs per week since October under lights.
I don’t keep track of pullet egg production as almost all pullets lay decent.
Wether one would call them a utility bantam I don’t know.
For me just an exhibition strain bred as livestock.
Neither the size of the eggs or the amount of meat is going to compare with large fowl.
For me the price of feed and less space makes it the choice for me.

 

[Ahab]

My grandmother always kept banties as broodies for her eating and laying chickens, but when she got really creaky she got rid of her large fowl and just kept banties. I don't remember much about it, being then at the age where significant things aren't as significant as they ought to be, but I seem to remember her saying she liked banties because, with just her and my grandfather to feed, they warn't no leftovers, and they took keer of themselves.

Now that my wife and I have arrived at that age, I'm beginning to think my grandmother was onto something. She usually was.

Do Cornish banties perk up the eyebrows of other elderly empty-nesters, I wonder?

 

[madamwlf]

I do know there is a white Cornish bantam that is supposedly good for meat birds as well.

 

[bantyhen'sfriend]

I would also vote for the cornish bantams. They are meaty little monsters, and are supposed to weigh about 2-3lbs! (Correct me if I'm wrong on the wights of the cornish). But most scaled-down DP bantam breeds are big enough to eat (especially if you don't have many people in your house). I have white Plymouth Rock bantams, and the cock is certainly chunky! The hens also lay very well, and the eggs are about 1/2-2/3 the size of a normal egg. The yolks seem to be almost the same size as a big egg, but there is less white.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Bantam Cochins are quite tasty!!

 

[Captain Carrot]

I have a book of chicken and bantam breeds. There is a quick guide to each breed for their egg and meat qualities, according to this book "Hühner und Zwerghühner" the follwing bantams are both good for egg and meat, the ones marked with * are excellent for eggs and meat:

Australorps
Bielefelder Kennhühn (probs can't get those)
Creve Coeur
Croad Langshan
Cornish *
Houdan
Mechelner *
Niederrheiner *
Sussex *

Other breeds with good egg laying, but "normal meat" (meaning ok for the family table) include:

Araucana
Brahma
breda
Cochin
Hamburg
Polish
Marans
Welsummer
Wyandottes

The Australorps and Welsummers lay some of the biggest eggs for bantams 45 and 50 grams respectively.

Obviously the bigger the bantam the more meat on them. I'm planning on using my Welsummer bantams to fill my freezer as well as my standard sized breeds.

hope the list helps

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Well I figure since it's just my husband and I, they actually might work out well. We don't eat a ton of eggs, and we don't need a whole LF chicken for a meal, either. I'm thinking with a bunch of veggies and side dishes, even one Cornish banty might be good enough for the two of us.

I'm surprised to see Crevvies and Houdans on the list. They are breeds I was looking into as LF. I will have to go find Boggy Bottoms now...

Can you guys share pictures of the banty Rocks and Welsummers? Did any of you start with hatchery stock? Hatchery would be so much easier for me to experiment with. I swore I would never have another single combed breed, but honestly the roo will possibly spend a good deal of time as a house pet due to concern for the neighbors so...

Do Cornish bantams lay better than LF ones?

 

[ChickyLaura]

We have a pretty Wyandotte roo that - gulp - may be spending some time on my stove. I may butcher him on Friday... If I do it, I can get before and after pictures and weights if you'd like.

He will be my first, if you know what I mean... But I am getting meat bird chicks next week, so... I need to practice, plus I can't have this little roo running around. I kind of want to do it alone, without my DH helping.

 

[ChickyLaura]

We have a pretty Wyandotte roo that - gulp - may be spending some time on my stove. I may butcher him on Friday... If I do it, I can get before and after pictures and weights if you'd like.

He will be my first, if you know what I mean... But I am getting meat bird chicks next week, so... I need to practice, plus I can't have this little roo running around. I kind of want to do it alone, without my DH helping.