Bantams - Raising Poultry - page 146

Bantam Breeds
The mild-mannered disposition of Cochins makes them the ideal bantam breed for the
first-time chicken raiser. They come in a number of color varieties: Red, White, Buff,
Barred, Black, Blue, Golden Laced, Partridge, Silver Laced, Birchen, Mottled, and oth-
ers, with frizzled versions of most color types. Cochins are low to the ground in body
style and have feathers on their legs all the way down to their toes. They are high-qual-
ity layers of small, tinted eggs. Most all of the hens desire motherhood and will even-
tually go broody and want to set. This is a great opportunity for the smalltime raiser to
increase the flock without much effort. Cochin bantams make excellent setters, and once
the chicks hatch, the hens make excellent mothers.
The Old English and Dutch bantam breeds are beautiful, spunky, and a delight to
have in the farmyard. The hens of these breeds are extremely friendly and will willingly
sit on your hand or shoulder. They come to you when they see you and are easy to main-
tain. The roosters of these two breeds, however, are quite spirited and enjoy fighting.
Yes, they'll follow you around—to spur you! While it can be cute to see these feisty
little roosters in action, they also can be dangerous to young people who get their faces
too close. More than one of my farm helpers has been spurred by these lively fellows,
who left gaping scratches on the helpers' faces and tears in their young eyes. While I
dearly enjoy these breeds, they are not necessarily the best choice for first-time chicken
raisers.
Bantam Rocks and Wyandottes are similar versions of their larger counterparts.
They both come in Black, Blue, White, Golden Laced, Silver Laced, Partridge, Blue
Laced, Red, and an assortment of other colors, such as the Chocolate and Barred seen in
full-size birds. There are more color varieties of Wyandottes than Rocks.
CREATING BANTAMS
Once a breeder has a genetic mutation that creates a miniature, he or she can continue
to breed the smallest specimens of the offspring to further establish the breed. Ban-
tams should be one-fourth to one-fifth the size of the full-size version. When select-
ing for bantams, and those that are diminutive versions of the larger fowl in particu-
lar, it's important to choose properly sized birds and to cull those that are too large.
Sebrights are a breed for which constant selection is needed to sustain the smaller
size. Rarely will you get birds that are too small.