[tanya]

Hello to you all.
 
Ok my husband and I would like to have some chickens and I have the following questions and would be very grateful if anyone could give us some advise.

1 Bantams - I know they have small eggs, how suitable are they for cooking

2 Can you Mix together a few Bantams and a couple of chickens, will they share a coup?

3 Which if the Chicken breeds, not bantams, are the smallest and easy to tame.

4 We would like the chickens to be in a static area as opposed to a moveable arc. Both areas that we are considering would be fenced off sides and top, some of the area would be grass the rest would contain established shrubs etc. Is this ok I would like to let them "free Roam" occasionally probably in the evening before dusk.

5 Finally and thanks for reading, there is just the two of us. I do alot of baking/ cooking I was hoping that 2 chickens and 2 bantams would be sufficient. ? what is the expert advice here.

Once again thanks for your time
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[Porffor]

Hi and Welcome!
I'm new too.. got my first hens yesterday.

We have a static run too, and have covered it with netting - not fox secure netting but to stop the girls escaping (unless we let them out) and to stop wild birds entering the run.
We have grit to add so that they don't run out of grit and have some plants in there.
But.. I do understand the plants won't last that long.. someone described them as 'JCB's that never run out of fuel' so remember to protect your veggie patch if you have one.

I'll leave all the rest to the others as i'm not knowledeable enough to know the deifnate answers.

Look forward to seeing pictures of your hens and run when you get them.

[richyrich7]

Hi and welcome,  
as far as I know you can mix banties and large fowl succesfully

Hybrid warrens are smallish birds developed for laying only but are very friendly and easy to keep, we all have our favourites so you'll get loads of answers.

Any run that hens are in will be eventually stripped bare unless  it's a huge run, mine live in a run and are let out for an hour or so most days depending on what I'm doing. I dig the run over every few weeks and replace some of the soil at least twice a year.

[Vember]

Hello and welcome

I find I get an egg a day, 6 out off 7 days a week an my little belgian banty is giving me 1 every other day, but she doesn't lay at all over winter. I had 7 hens various sizes over last winter and I only got 2 a day if that somedays.
Basically what will be fine for you now for baking might not be for Christmas

Does that make sence?? Oh I do Waffle on  
Loads of peops here with loads of advice, some one who can explain betta will be along soon  

Welcome again

[babe]

1 Bantams - I know they have small eggs, how suitable are they for cooking

i think its 2 banty eggs to 1 hen egg, but as i dont eat eggs, im not sure.

2 Can you Mix together a few Bantams and a couple of chickens, will they share a coup?

yup, mix em all up. ive got alsorts running around together

3 Which if the Chicken breeds, not bantams, are the smallest and easy to tame.

like richy said, warrens are super tame and nice regular layers..... very nosey chooks too. my warrens have me in stitches

[kenny d]

I have bantams and hens together and all get on fine , the bantams are great for rearing young and seem not to bother to much whoses eggs they are hatching

[Daisycow]

I baked a chocolate and raspberry cake yesterday using my pekin bantam eggs...the recipe says 3, so I used 5. I havent eaten it yet, I baked it for my cousins' birthday, but I have baked it before and it was fine!

[Porffor]

Sounds lovely!

[tanya]

Thank you all for your replies it has been very helpful