banties versus chooks?

[sheridand]

I am planning to keep either chickens or banties. I want to let them roam free as much as I can. I have 250 ft and will have, soon 4 raised veg beds. I was thinking that banties might be a better bet, as they may be less destructive of flowers/ veg? If I let them roam? I also have 2 kids under 3, and someone said that banties were less friendly? I would be interested in hearing opinions, I will have a 6 chicken coop and run, but would like to let them roam post laying morning and in the afternoons. Anyone have an opinion either way?

[Thomzo]

Hi
I've had both. I had some black pekin bantams and they were fine as pets. I had a cockerel who got a bit uppity when he was picked up but they're too small to do any damage if they peck. The girl was a little darling though. I suspect it's more the breed than the size. My ex-bats were fine with people but my Rhode Island Red crosses are a bit fierce (and very big birds).

The banties definitely did less damage to the garden than the big girls. Just remember that they're eggs are a lot smaller. You will have to weigh them out to get the equivalent amount of egg for baking. I used to sell my spares and I found the bantam eggs were more difficult to sell.

Zoe

[boboff]

I find Banties more destructive and more aggressive than chooks, their only saving grace is they are survivors, so roaming without locking up, Banties are your best best. For your situation I would recommend Warren / normal batterry breed.
Keep a dust bath near the run ( earth with something to keep it dry) if you don't want pits in your raised beds, and I would recommend covering your seed bed in the spring. Straw in the run and nesting boxes will be a great addition to the compost heap as well when soiled. I like to keep cockerals with my girls, but they are noisey. You should get 5 years plus out of your chucks, good luck, its great fun.

[bonniethomas06]

I agree with Boboff, Banties are AGRESSIVE. Perhaps I am unlucky, but we have two white sussex bantams and they are like particularly badly behaved jack russells. They will rip your hand, nay, arm off if you disturb them when they are broody, and if they escape...well, lets just say when one got out of the box at the garden centre where we bought them, we still hadn't caught it half an hour, one destroyed fence and a flattened privet bush later!

[Thomzo]

Good point about the light sussexs, my neighbour had one and it took off into the air like a dove. It was eventually caught about ten doors down. The black pekins can barely jump over a matchstick so much easier to keep under control.

Zoe

[sheridand]

This has been helpful, thanks! A pub nearby has a load of Black Pekin banties and they are wandering the gardens and lovely. Maybe I need to think about breed a lot more with 2 wee ones. I am also veering towards ex-batteries too, it would be great for the kids to see them repair and a good learning experience for them (and me!). Can you keep banties and hens together? Maybe 2 ex batts and 2 or 3 banties in a 6 chicken coop? I'm planning on having a large and high run, but letting them out at times. No cockerels, a lady 3 doors down has one and we all wish she did not!

[Gem]

I have a silkie and polish bantam and they are both lovely friendly things.. They are more pets than livestock tbh!

Neither of them can fly because they have the weird feathers so that is handy. I find them fantastic pets but have not had full sized chickens so can't give a comparison..

[Thomzo]

Can you keep banties and hens together?

If you do then chose a small breed of hen. If the size difference is too great then the hens will terrorise the bantams. My neighbour keeps a light sussex bantam in with hens and it works reasonably well.

Cockerels don't need to be a menace. I used to have two and my neighbour still does. They are kept indoors in complete darkness until a reasonable hour in the morning. Although they crow during the day (they crow less as they get older) they don't wake us up at the crack of dawn.

Zoe

[happyhippy]

Hi,I've kept chooks for 20 odd years(on and off depending where we lived)and I've just reverted back to chooks after having bantams.We moved house last December and one of the first things we did was to section off some garden for chooks.My sister in law runs a community farm so we decided to lend some bantams off her to see how we'd get on.These were point of lay,so we assumed they would be easy to tame up.They were also hybrid so I'm not sure whether that would make any difference to their personalities.Well after 7 mths of trying everything in our power,they still would'nt come near us.Every time we went into their chook run,they quickly ran away from us.We decided to hand them back and buy some hybrid chooks.We just got them last weekend(3)and they are point of lay and they already come up to me without fear.I can go into the chook run and literally just walk up to them and pick them up!Totally different from the bantams.It was our first experience with bantams,so can't say all bantams would be the same.We keep chooks for eggs but they are also our pets,so I wanted our chooks to be friendly.Besides when it comes to say clipping the wings you need them to be fairly easy to catch.Hope this is of some help.

[sheridand]

I think it will be basic hybrids from a fella down our road to start off with, we need hardy = docile for the kids. And then I have my eye on some mental looking banties once i've got the knack, just for me!