What is your favorite bantam breed and why?

[austin.ray22]

I am thinking about moving away from LF and into Bantams. Please make some suggestions on what I need to research. I am not into showing, just like having chickens in the barn.

 

[chicken burger]

well! I have dutch bantams, oeg corss dutch and cochin cross silky bantams. I found the little dutch bantams to be SUPER cute. They love to socialize with me. the rooster and the hens all come and sit on the chair next to me and are very easily tamed. The also so sweet when the little rooster goes into a tiff. He's so SERIOUS, but it's hard to take such a small rooster seriously.

The silky cross cochins are aslo heaps of fun. Very vocal and full of issues. they are by far the most enteraining. They have personality like I've never seen on a chicken before.

The OEG cross dutch are very pretty, but they lack in the personality department. the are rather boring, but nice to look at....

 

[Teach97]

I likes all of them bunches!

I have had or still have...RIR, dutch, OEG, silkie, japs, brahma, cochin, wyndotte, aseel, malay, shamo, american game, seabright, d'uccle, cornish...heck I know I have had more...I like all of them...now i am just down to mainly game ones witht he exception of my yard birds which are just mutts

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I really enjoyed my EE bantams - they laid well and were chatty.

Have you seen this chart?
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Also if you click on "breeds" above you can go to the main breeds chicken chart. I would make sure they lay lots of eggs.

Gentle ones are cochins (but I sold mine before they started laying), d'Uccles, and silkies. Also check for how often they go broody, since you won't be getting eggs at that time.

I have bantam salmon faverolles that are only about 6 weeks old and I adore them. I really love my d'Uccles and silkies too.

The EEs laid better than my d'Uccles are laying though.

 

[abluechipstock]

cochins are my absolute favorite, they are easily tamed, my hens can be picked right up, those feathered feet make good conversation pieces, they make excellent broodies, i've hatched pheasants, ducks and guineas under them, they come in about every color there is, enough reasons !

 

[Pyncheon guy]

I love the Pyncheon Bantams.....They are recognized in my favorite color (Mille Fleur) and have a literary history being mentioned in Nathaniel Hawthorne's..."The House of Seven Gabels".....I've had the breed for about 15 years....so I'm keeping a part of history going.....great little layers and wonderful moms.....and they don't mind the Northern Michigan weather.

 

[LeBlackbird]

I love anything that is a mini of a classic breed

Particularly Plymouth rocks, New hampshire, Delaware, Buckeye, and RIR Bantams. They have such interesting Personalities! Although I have to second the Pyncheon Bantam. They are just sooo adorable! Hopefully I'll be getting some of those this spring...

 

[gumbii]

OEGB for me... i kind of wouldn't want an egg laying bantam... sure they're gonna lay colored eggs, but they're gonna be so tiny... hahahaha... i might invest in some bantam shamo eggs if i ever see them on sale though...

miniature velociraptors...

 

[austin.ray22]

As of right now the list includes:

Lavender Ameraucana
BBS Ameraucana
Orpingtons
Welsummer
RIR
Old English-Red Pyle, Blue Wheaten
Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock
Wyandotte

The problem is that these are not that easy to find down here in Alabama.

 

[Smokey the Chicken]

I love the Milles! They make great pets and love to travel.