Peloquin Homestead

Biologists have found out that Bantams originated from a wild ancestor on the island of Java in Indonesia. They inherited their size from it. It is known that they were originally bred at temples and even used for sacrifices.

What makes bantams interesting for household use?

Bantams are good at brooding and raising chicks. They are often used to hatch the rarest species of pheasants and rare breeds of chickens. It is recommended to leave no more than 5-7 eggs under a brood hen.

They have good health and are resistant to infectious diseases. They eat forage well – all kinds of worms, grass seeds, etc. At the same time, they are unpretentious in food, they are picky eaters.

Bantams lay tasty eggs with low cholesterol content. Thus, they are suitable for feeding with diabetes, atherosclerosis, etc. By the way, bantam eggs are not that small, 3 bantam eggs are approximately equal to 2 eggs of a regular chicken. And the meat of these breeds is tasty, reminiscent of game. A small carcass can be beautifully served for one serving.

Features of keeping bantams

Keeping dwarf chickens is no different from keeping regular chickens. But you should consider the following factors:

• The perches should be located lower.
• The chicken coop should be free of drafts, the walls should be insulated for the winter. At air temperatures below zero, the chickens stop laying eggs. You can use an infrared lamp for heating. Some poultry farmers use heaters based on quartz sand.
• It is better to cover the walking yard with a net from above to protect against birds of prey. It is also necessary to take into account that bantams fly and can easily fly over a high fence.
• Among bantams there are real long-livers, they live up to 15 years, and the average life expectancy is about 7 years.
• For 2-3 bantam chickens, you need the same amount of chicken coop area as for one regular chicken.