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Should I get bantams or standard hens?

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What a dilemma :-) We have a small urban garden and as I like my bushes and veg patch, I was thinking of letting girls go out of the run only under supervision. That means that they are going to be in their run most of the time.

 

Now, the question is what breed is the best for that. I am getting chickens since I really want to get some eggs from them. I wanted 3 standard hens (ISA Brown, Bovan Nera and White star) but now I read another topic and realized that the eglu might be a bit tight for that. Also, I don't know how small are the bantam's eggs in comparison to standard ones?

 

What would you suggest? Two (three) hens or 4-5 bantams? Please, help, I am torn to pieces by the decision. :D

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If you mainly want them for eggs then I would think the 3 normal sized hens would be your best bet. I think the 3 you listed (espec white star) would be fine in an Eglu with the odd bit of free ranging.

 

Bantams will do less damage but you'll get less eggs and the eggs will be half the size I'd imagine compared to the other hens you mentioned.

 

Good luck choosing!! I say go with bantams but then I'm not so bothered about the egg side of it all :lol:

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Bantams' eggs are about 2/3 size of a medium hen's egg (mine average roughly 40g), and since most bantams are pure breeds they usually only lay every other day at best - and that's when they're not being broody!

 

So, 4-5 bantams will give you maybe 480-600g (12-15 x 40g) of eggs a week, whereas 3 hybrids will produce approx 1200g (20 x 60g) of eggs a week consistently, year round (except when moulting).

 

Having bantams is working out OK for me because my DH isn't that keen on eggs, so we get enough for my breakfasts and the occasionally spaghetti alla carbonara :)

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I have 10 bantam girls, they stopped laying to moult at the end of September and started again at the beginning of January. Their eggs weigh between 38 and 51g, some of them are more reliable layers than others and a couple are oldsters and don't lay much at all. My RIR bantam and the barnevelder are very reliable layers and so are the wyandottes to a lesser extent.

 

In the summer, I have more than enough eggs and Rosie sells them to family, friends and neighbours with the proceeds going to the BHWT. In the winter, I buy eggs from Lesley and Carl for a couple or three months.

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Well, 20 a week assumes they are all laying regularly - some hybrids rarely miss a day, others lay about 9 days out of 10 or thereabouts. On the other hand you do get the odd poor layer - it particularly seems to happen to the blue/green-egg-laying hybrids (and of course many pure breeds), judging by comments on here.

 

You could always get a mix - two hybrids and a purebreed, for example, or substitute a coloured-egg-layer such as a Columbine or Skyline for one of your brown-egg-laying hybrids (that way you will always know exactly who your eggs are coming from!). The only problem with having just two hens is that, if by some unhappy chance one of them dies, the other will be very lonely until you can get her a new friend :(

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The bantams, being pure breeds are quite likely to stop laying for two or three months at a stretch, and they go broody at the drop of a hat......however, they are less likely to trash your garden.

 

:D

 

That's so true; some of mine go broody as soon as they see an egg, others have never been broody at all. My garden seems in pretty good condition considering that it has 10 hens running around it during daylight hours.

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We had three hybrids in our Eglu and in theory they would have been perfectly happy with that much space.

However, we let ours free range a lot of the time and yours will make you feel guilty if you don't let them out.

I've never kept bantams but I'd imagine they'd do the same!

 

I'd go for the hybrids or maybe two hybrids and one bantam, but try and let them out when you can, at weekends etc.

 

/\dam

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All done! Eglu just ordered and hens (three hybrids) reserved!! I am soo excited. Hubby still thinks I lost one marble but he should get used to it now :-)

I know how pets can make you feel guilty, I have two cats and they mastered that skill by now :lol: Girls will be walking at the garden as much as possible, since I love spending time there too :wink:

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Could I suggest a run convertor? (i'm not on commission :wink:)

 

I have 2 hens in the standard run and 3 hens in the other run + convertor. It gives an extra metre of length and width and really is worthwhile if they are spending a lot of time in the run.

 

Mine free range all day when I am home, but when away with work they are confined to barracks.

 

Congratulations on getting chickens (3 is the perfect number.....to start with :wink:)

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