Hi! And some newbie questions...

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Hiya, just joined the board because the missus and I have decided to get a couple of bantams. So now the questions start occurring to us...

...firstly the birds themselves: We know bantams will be good with our children (8, 4, 3), friendly and easy to pet (although I have heard it suggested they're not the brightest birds but that was from a chicken fan!) but there's a lot of different types. We want regular layers who aren't disease prone and won't break the (tiny) bank.

We think just 2-3 would be best for us, the birds and the garden! An ark looks like a good idea but is it best? I wouldn't mind free ranging them but would my veggies be safe or would I have to fence that bit of the garden off?

Is there anywhere I can get ark plans? All the two bird arks I've seen online seem to cost £140 and look as if they'd be a lot cheaper to build (and cost is, as ever, a factor here).

Would they be okay in winter? Any special requirements?

What obvious considerations might we be overlooking? Any and all advice much appreciated! :)

(Oh! And if anyone frequents a certain other poultry forum then I apologise for cutting and pasting my own post, I am as uninformed about poultry forums as I am about bantams so thought i'd try my luck on two)
 
After a bit of reading it looks like Australorp bantams or Dutch bantams seem like good bets...
 
Have a look at faverolles bantams too! Mine lay a decent sized egg for a banty and are so docile. Other good bantams to consider are bantam sussex,welsumer and leghorn. :-)17
 
Hi there, I keep 6 Wyandotte bantams on the allotment. They are a delight to own.
I have Hattie (white), Violet (buff) Maggie (columbian), Maisie (buff laced), Biddy (black) and Connie (lemon partridge)
I would suggest you buy at least three then if you lose one there will not be one left on their own. Wyandottes are quite hardy and can stand the cold well and are easy to look after. They need to be able to roost in a draught free environement. Most of the time they lay well but being pure breed they can be broody at times in the summer!
You will need to protect your veggies as they love lettuce, cabbages etc.
After reading a book on poultry building construction I made my own coop and run from recycled timber etc.
They are not normally afraid of cats. Our cat comes to the allotment and they just walk towards him until he slinks off! Foxes however are a different matter and I have to ensure they are secure in their run before coming home. I do hope you go ahead with your plans, you will not regret it. If I can be of any further help please let me know. Brian
 
hi,

theres not really any major differences for the winter other than the water will freeze and extra bedding would be good plus poultry spice in their feed. you will need to de-ice water containers twice a day and give ad lib feed.

they should be fed layers pellets which are easy to find at most feed merchants. the price of this is going up so that is a consideration aswell.

with regard to what breed you basically get the pretty looking hens who tend to go broody often and stop laying and the far less fancy girls who lay all year round and wont spend weeks fluffed up broody and refusing to budge. you also get hybred birds and pure bred. hybreds are the big layers and pure breds can be broody type or laying type but will never match the number of eggs laid to hybreds.

two or three birds will give you plenty of eggs for one family as long as you dont go for a broody type. you also need to be aware that hens get lice and mites. they should be clean when you get them but at some point they will pick them up so routine checks and dusting is a good idea to avoid infestations!

somebody will also need to put the birds to bed each night and let them out in the morning. you will also need to keep an eye out to make sure you dont get any rats as food outside will attract them.

at the bare minimum u will need a bucket, feeder, water bowl, dustbin, scoop, feed, scissors, louse powder, mite powder, shovel, broom, straw or shavings, coop, poultry spice for winter, grit, disinfectant, a muck heap or bin to put waste in, purple spray for cuts etc and may need rat poison, cat box or cardbord box, antibiotics if they get ill, leg bands if you cant tell who is who, and wormer is also needed.

if you google images for chicken ark you may find some templates for a ark to build or make your own design. it doesnt have to be stunnning just safe and secure and dry! also if they are staying in a run full time it will need moving to fresh grass quite often. they could go free range in your garden but yes they will love to eat all your veg!
 
Fantastic help, thank you. I've found some decent bits of wood around the garage/shed so can start thinking about plans - will look for templates on google images. It sounds as if three is the number to go for but so much food for thought regarding breed! Still, it'll probably be at least a month until I finish the coop/run so plentgy of time. It might just be a question of what local breeders there are and what they have
 
iv a dutch and shes a madam. she flys over the fence and eats all my neighbours flowers as they start to bloom iv never know another breed to fly so well.
im a fan of the orington i think they are great kids pets. iv never had one in bantam only in large and they are big bit dat but even the tots cold run up t my rooster and pick him up so friendly.
if your free range ing you cant have a veg patch they eat every thing you should see th size of the chickens onmy nans alotment lol
 
Hi there, with regards to what breed to get, Hgeorgina is right in saying some of the more fancy banties go broody alot. I have both Pekins and Wyandottes and they spent alot of last summer broody. They are laying great now though and also quite well in the winter. Maybe get 3 different types then you can decide what suits you best. Funny, a year and a half ago I was wanting only 2 or 3 hens but they are addictive and I now have 10 hens and one cock. :lol:
 
Heh. That's what I fear and I'm starting to consider a slightly bigger than planned coop! I've also been recommended Light Sussex Bantams and I'm quite taken by them but, as I said, I'll have to see what unfolds :-)
 
Agree with the addiction part - we only wanted 3-4, ended up with 8, then 10, then when our numbers dropped (over time not all at once) down to 4 we bought 6 more (5 hens, 1 cockerel) & re-homed another cockerel, so we're currently at 11. My eldest daughter's caught the bug too & once we get her hen house in place & finish off the run 3-4 bantams will be joining us. Am also planning on converting a bog-standard 6x4 shed into a big hen house. Our present hen house will then become a quarantine-type thing for new hens & we'll be adding some more ex-batts at some point (hopefully this year).... Also have an old plastic wendy house thing coming & am planning on converting that too (either for hens or geese), but exactly when that'll get done depends on time (not to mention finances as i have to get our fruit bushes properly fenced off before we get geese...).
 
also a major factor of what breed you get will be what is available near you. i have wanted several breeds in the past and been totally unable to get them other than hatching eggs that once threw the post are highly un reliable at the best of times and not always cheap either. looking in pet shop and feed merchant notice boards may help!
 
i started just hatching a couple for my sister she now has 8 i have 21 and my step dad has 15. iv 10 bantams 11 large and 7 ducks was given one yesterday ment to be a girl but its a boy so got to go back :(
 
All very wise words of warning! I think there's a poultry dealer nearby with Light Sussex Bantams (£14ea - does that sound reasonable?) so I should be okay on that score but...I'm beginning to take the hint that I should plan for more than I, er, planned for! (Although I'm not about to sacrifice my shed just yet...)
 
Keeping chickens is an addictive bug, light sussex bantams are lovely birds, lay a decent sized egg but do tend to go broody easily. Winter time is a difficult time keeping drinkers free from ice, cold dark days (is it me or does winter already seem along time ago?)
Do keep us all posted on what breed you end up getting and more importantly how many !!
 
Hi there & welcome to the most addictive hobby ever :)

There are quite a few books available now with really good plans to build your own coop. I've got a couple that are good but can't remember the titles off top of my head (am at work :-)01 - but 'I do work for myself so its not as bad as it sounds skiving in the middle of the day reading the posts!!) I'll have a look when I get home & post, worth considering.

I (hmm.. well not me personally) built our coop from a small shed (the type to keep a lawnmover in) that we had & never used. Within a very short time it needed an 'extension' but has served its purpose well. I put green onduline on the roof instead of the felt supplied (which encourages redmite the curse of the chicken keeper :roll: ) Also made long 'legs' as supports so that it raised the coop off the ground which serves as shade in summer, shelter from rain/snow in winter & less likely that anything nasty can hide underneath.

If you've got the time & skill I would definately build your own, much cheaper & can then be exactly what you want in size. Remeber not too big (although its not a bad idea to plan ahead, if its too big for the number of chooks, they don't get comfy & cozy snuggled up to keep warm)
 
heathenwoods said:
I'm beginning to take the hint that I should plan for more than I, er, planned for! (Although I'm not about to sacrifice my shed just yet...)
Click to expand...

Hi,

Havn't been on for a few days as we are re-modelling the entire garden to accommodate our 7 banties. My suffering OH has now sacrified both his sheds. The 6x4 is currently being converted for the girls summer residence with built in compartments because they squabble over the nest box. The 7x5 metal shed is for all the paraphenalia that goes with this addiction, and of course my comfy chair for cuddles with the girls. So Mike now has a splendid new 12 x 8 shed base, no shed yet, but he swears it will be padlocked!!!

Oh and the girls house now sits on a rather posh sunken patio, which we have enlarged for them complete with a watering hole.......logs and rocks. (picccies to follow).

I am sure you will have endless satisfaction from your chickens, plans and capers.
 
Fab! (Well, apart from the shedacrilige!) Again, more useful ideas.

I've now accumulated enough wood (thanks to good old Freecycle and my mother-in-law) and have started construction. Exciting times!

One question my eldest raised was: is it best if all the birds are the same breed?
 
Wrt them all being the same breed I don't think it matters (unless you intend to breed/show them). We have a good mix - our ex-batts/barns are Warrens & Goldline hybrids (so we've been told), we have 2 Leghorns, 2 Sussexes (1 light, 1 speckled) & an Orpington all running with our 2 cockerels (a Maran & a Pekin cross). They all seem to get on well (after the initial scrapping while they established pecking order) though they do tend to divide up into 2 seperate "mini flocks". The ex-batts/barns & Leghorns all hang out together, usually with the Pekin cross & the Sussexes & Orpington tend to form their own little group. The Maran cockerel kind of wanders between the 2 groups (he spends more time with the Sussexes & Orp) but then when they're fossicking in the woods they all band together & they also do their preening & dustbathing all together in 1 big group. When it's wet or chilly they all loiter in my hubby's tractor/lorry shed & get up to no good (trying to steal his biscuits, bullying the cat & preparing to surprise the postie).
 
A mix is fine! Mine consist of LS, silver & red sussex bantams, welsummer, pekin, maran amongst others.
 
i have 6 hybreeds some orpingtons silkies polish pekins all diffrent sizes shapes and they get on pretty well
 
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