setting up for bantams

new_2_veg · « **on:** March 22, 2008, 20:04 »

hi all

ok im looking into getting 3 bantams for the garden at home but i have questions as normal!

so i guess in saying can somoene please help me?

what do i have to have in there house? like boxes for laying eggs in, and where do they sleep?

what kind of feeders and water thingys would i need for 3 bantams?

also can anyone recomend some smallish bantams that have a long life span and that are likely to be good layers?

i have seen some fluffy ones and some lilac ones i liked the look of but i know nothing about them

many thanks

nathan

poultrygeist · « **Reply #1 on:** March 22, 2008, 20:29 »

Hi Nathan,

Can't answer all the wuestions but I'll pick the easy ones :roll:

They lay their eggs in a dark, low lying, private place. So depending on what the house looks like, you'll want somewhere about 12-16" square and a roof effort about 12-14" above. It'll need to be lower than the roosting bars so they'll be less tempted to sleep in it. You can fill it with wood shavings, shredded paper or straw (or a mixture).
The roosting bar(s) should be a couple of inches across with a rounded top.
Feeders and drinkers depends a lot on budget.

Hope this makes some sense.

Rob

Foxy · « **Reply #2 on:** March 22, 2008, 20:41 »

PG answered most questions re: perch and nestbox. I tend to hang the feeder up inside much easier and stop thems pooing in it! :shock: 3 bantams a smallish feeder will be OK.
Next question what breed? are you lookng for primarily layers? In that case minaturised laying pure breeds would be best - ie bantam welsummers, sussex, faverolles(my favorite!)bantam rocks will all be good. Pekins are lovely but will go broody at the drop of a hat and also lay quite small eggs.
What will probably happen is you'll see some and think "I just HAVE to have them !"and well as we can all testify the rest is history!!!

new_2_veg · « **Reply #3 on:** March 22, 2008, 20:58 »

do they have to have bars to sleep on?

was just wondering why they cant sleep in the boxes?

its one of them things, i have ideas of what i would like to do but theres never anyone i can sit down with and chat over a coffie and a pencil and paper

Foxy · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2008, 21:14 »

It is natural for birds -and chickens to roost in trees - a perch or bar gives chickens a natural roosting area. Yes, sometimes they prefer to roost in their nestboxes and the problem can be that 50% of their pooing is done at night so well the nestboxes can get mucky quickly and will need cleaning quite often- if they are also laying it means forever removing chicken poo from their eggs!! :shock: I have a hen who does just that!!!!

NormandyMary · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2008, 21:21 »

In reply to your post Foxy, my girls sleep in the nesting boxes on the right hand side of the henhouse, but lay their eggs in the identical boxes on the left. Those that dont get the nesting boxes and dont want to perch, sleep underneath the boxes on straw, again on the right hand side only.
Weird!

new_2_veg · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2008, 21:52 »

i had thought of building one long box with sides but no deviders, putting the bedding in there.

i see your point about the cleaning etc but im willing to do the extra cleaning out etc it it would be ok for me to do it that way.

i dont want to reveal my plans yet but all will become clear

just need a bit of help along the way to get there lol

mdueal · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2008, 00:55 »

Our three bantams won't perch either but we still have one in there in the hope that one day they will cotton on.

The fluffy ones.... must be silkies! Here are our two gold silkies with our sultan who is comical but a nightmare to keep clean - especially her feet. The bonus of silkies is they are esay to catch and hand tame and they do not fly apart from hopping up on low things (she climbed up in this picture)

We went to a poultry rare breeds farm near us and just walked around her many pens looking at all the different types - hence ending up with the 'we've got to have it for comedy value' sultan called ethel who we love very dearly

mdueal · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2008, 01:00 »

oooooooooo - just thought you can get lilac ones that lay blue eggs which is a bonus - Lavender Araucanas. (Nothing to do with the three chicks i have in the brooder :roll: )

If you type in hatching eggs on ebay you get literally thousands of different ads all with pictures and breed names - then you can google them. It is great when work seems like less fun!

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setting up for bantams

poultrygeist

Foxy

Foxy