Japanese Bantam Thread!

[stoopid]

George, I have my guys mixed up, and size doesn't seem to matter. Until she got hit by a car, I had a guinea hen that was one of my japs best friends.

 

[gfletch]

Roberta ... That is great to know. (But so sad about your guinea hen

) Thanks.

 

[stoopid]

Kind of a blessing, those birds are CRAZY!!! They all still miss her.

 

[Jloeffler]

My JB has gone broody. She is a first timer and is currently sitting on one of her own eggs. Are JBs known for being good mothers? My last broody hatch was not wonderful so I would love any advice that can help prepare me!

GFletch, my bantams were with my LFs for awhile and the LFs were actually afraid of the bantams! Pretty funny for me to watch, poor things!

 

[jenjscott]

As soon as the hen is setting good, move her and her eggs to a separate pen to finish out. Saves a ton of headaches and loose fewer babies. Mine have always been good mommas. Usually once one goes broody, if you leave her in the pen, two or three more will follow suit.

 

[rhino533]

Some pictures and some Q's about Japanese Bantam chicks. My JB hens eggs just hatched today.

I posted this Topic and had some Q's, no answer yet so if someone could have a look that would be great. There are some pics of the chicks too. Thanks!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7504297#p7504297

 

[Jloeffler]

Rhino, those are great pics and your chicks are very cute! I'd love to get one or two like that!! I wish I could answer your questions, but I got my birds at 6 mos of age and this is my first brood. But I bet there are some very knowledgable experts here who can help. Good luck with your fluffies!!

 

[meepitqueenie]

Quote:
jap bantams have a leathal gene- but from my understanding - and it even states it in the standard I believe- (though I am not looking directly at it right now)
1/4 will have the leathal gene and will die and not hatch, the others will be long legged and short legged chicks. but if all of your are short legged you might have a higher percentage that dont hatch because of this.

if one makes it out for some reason i would think it would not make it past a few days.

I got some shipped chicks and one had super short legs and died shortly after we got it- for no known reason - but im not sure it was because of this at all.

I raised some rabbits and they had a leathal gene as well. but the babies would be born alive and die within 3 days of birth.

-- congrats on the chicks- if there were some way of getting eggs from you we would love to hatch some of your eggs.

 

[LarissaCluck]

How early are you all able to determine gender? And how?

I am assuming that males have combs that turn red faster?

 

[meepitqueenie]

i can tell at 3-4 weeks old. the combs are larger and pinker than pullets then the waddle areas are a bright pink.
pullet have pale tiny combs with no waddle areas for a while.