4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Omletina Kyckling]

If I can convince Mr Omletina (big stumbling block at the moment!!) that we should have some banties and a new Eglu Classic in our lives (he thinks 11 full sized chickens, an Eglu and a Cube are more than enough for him!) I'm after some advice please....

 

Soooo, how many banties in an Eglu?

 

What bantams do people recommend? I'm thinking about pekin bantams but am open to suggestions.....

 

I'm initially thinking of keeping them separate from the big girlies, and perhaps giving them the rest of the garden i.e. not the fenced off bit the big girls have as I gather they don't scratch and dig up the borders so much, is this right? In time, I may integrate all of them and see what happens...

 

Any suggestions as to where I should get them? I'm going to the National Poultry Show at Stoneleigh at the end of November, so could look there perhaps?

 

So many questions....I'm open to any suggestions please or comments!!

[The Dogmother]

You need to come and see my girls Omletina!

 

At one stage, i had 10 wee banties in an eglu, with a couple of extensions on the run and almost permanent free-ranging. They love the cube though.

 

I haev all sorts, but I'd advise you to looka around and see which breeds you prefer - the National Poultry show at Stoneleigh in November will be good for that. I always have a couple of pekins for the entertainment value, but they go broody at the drop of a hat. Wyandottes are the hardiest, as are araucanas. Both are healthy sorts and lay well.

 

Teeny tiny true bantams like Dutch and Japanese are lovely, but very fragile and delicate. Perhaps not the best for novices.

[Falkor]

I have had eight bantams in a classic with room to spare but as ever it is the run size that you have to consider.

 

I kept six in an extended classic run for a month...but they were all bossom buddies and although they seemed quite happy in there I have ended up with a cube and run for them.

 

My little ladies def scratch and dig a lot less than the my LF girls (my hybrids are trying to get to Australia it would seem!) but they still fling the soil form the borders about a bit and I may as well have not bothered with winter pansies in pots The grass in the bantam garden looks much better than that in the big girls garden.

 

There are SO many bantams to choose from. I have a mixture of pekins, crosses, silkies and Japanese and they all have their own little personalities. The only issues I have is with the pekins feathered feet - scaley leg and mud issues. And the silkies don`t like to be wet.

 

When you go to the National you will be truly amazed at the number of breeds and colours of bantams available! I went to a local show (northants actually) on Sunday and came away with a massive wish list!

 

AND....can you ever really have too many chickens (**as prudence sits in a corner, gagged with an old tea towel)

[Redwing]

Hows that tea towel holding up Em?

 

I have six bantams in an Eglu with a converter on, they seem happy with that, they have a tyre to jump on and some branches

[Mayo]

.

Hi guys.

 

Just a general opinion - that the Eglu / Go / Cube Houses can hold astonishingly large amounts of birds, BUT what's Really important is the available space in the run. Almost always that's the thing that is hopelessly underestimated.

 

M.

 

.

[ClaireG]

You will have to come over and see my new bantam girls

[Jools]

Mayo is right of course, it's never about how many you can fit in, more how much room you can give them.

 

What you go for very much depends on what you want from them .... eggs, broodies, eye candy?

 

For eggs, go for utility strains of breeds like Rhode Island Red, Light/Buff/Silver Sussex, Marans or the like. They are the most resiliant and reliable of all and I wouldn't be without any of them.

 

For broodies, then Silkies, Silkie crosses, Pekins, Wyandottes are the breeds to go for.

 

For eye candy, well there are so many to choose from, but Sebrights are absolutely stunningly beautiful!

 

And whatever you do, don't forget about Bitsas

Edited October 30, 2009 by Guest

[Dappy Chick]

Mayo is right of course, it's never about how many you can fit in, more how much room you can give them.

 

What you go for very much depends on what you want from them .... eggs, broodies, eye candy?

 

For eggs, go for utility strains of breeds like Rhode Island Red, Light/Buff/Silver Sussex, Marans or the like. They are the most resiliant and reliable of all and I wouldn't be without any of them.

 

For broodies, then Silkies, Silkie crosses, Pekins, Wyandottes are the breeds to go for.

 

For eye candy, well there are so many to choose from, but Seabrights are absolutely stunningly beautiful!

 

And whatever you do, don't forget about Bitsas

 

 

Didn't know you can get Rhode Island Red bantams - are they as good egg layers and L/F?

 

I love the Bitsas - each one totally unique

[Jools]

Well my RIR bantam isn't as prolific as my two RIR bigguns, but she is more than passable. Actually, I prefer to her to my big girls, but sssssssssssssssshhhhhh don't tell!!