The beauty of the bantam chicken: 6 reasons why you should own them

Bantam chickens in your backyard; A concept in which is gaining rapid popularity.

And what’s not to love when they make incredible pets in which deliver delicious eggs fresh at your back door everyday in addition to excellent garden manure?

What makes the humble bantam apart is their compact sizing making them ideal for the average backyard. Some advantages include;

Require less space
Eat less food
Easier to handle

And this is really just the tip of the iceberg! There are hundreds of bantam breeds to choose from, meaning that there’s a bantam breed for everyone to fall in love with!

If I haven’t already convinced you to start your bantam journey, here’s 6 reasons that will.

What is a bantam chicken?

Bantams are simply a smaller variety of chicken in comparison to the ordinary chicken. Depending on the breed, you can expect bantam chickens to be anywhere from 25-50% smaller in size than your typical chook. There are various breeds within the bantam family, some of my favouite breeds being pekin, silkie, Belgian, Whyandotte, chochin and Polish bantams.

1. Amazing quality eggs

Although the bantam egg is half the size of a regular chook egg, they have just as many benefits – if not more! Bantam eggs may contain smaller egg whites, however this is upstaged with a larger yolk which has a greater nutrient dense ratio compared to their larger cousins. Their small size also makes a perfect snack due to being quicker to cook.

Other than being jam packed full of sustenance, the bantam egg comes in a variety of wonderful textures and colours, ranging from white, to brown, to blue and even green!

2. Perfect for small backyards

Bantams are perfect for those who live on small acreage or in an urban setting for a number of reasons. The most obvious being their compact size. You can keep 10 bantam hens in the same area as two regular chicken breeds. Additionally, bantams can’t fly as well as a larger breed, meaning you don’t have to worry about your feathered friends absconding from the backyard into danger.

Although a backyard itself should be plentiful for bantams to roam in, be mindful that chickens have many predators such as cats, foxes, hawks, owls and dogs. If you can’t guarantee shelter or safety, investing in a secured coop should be taken seriously. Regardless of safety, your bantams should be provided with a locked up ‘home’ location such as a shed or pen as chickens will naturally gravitate toward a safe haven for them to lay eggs, nest and sleep in.

3. They make great pets

Bantams are known for their calmer and friendlier dispositions compared to regular chook breeds. All chickens have their own personalities, however many bantam breeds tend to be docile, sweet and loving making them perfect pets for adults and kids alike. Of course they won’t naturally be your best friend, so you’ll need to spend time respectfully handling them or allowing them to eat from your hands before you get to see their real personalities shine through.

4. Entertaining personalities

Although bantams are small, they have BIG personalities! Bantams have over 30 different tones and clucks which they use as a communication method. These clucks can range from alerting a threat, finding food, teaching young chicks new skills and even arguing amongst one another. You can also expect your bantams to communicate with you by nagging for food or asking for affection.

Bantam chickens have the ability to have friendships with their other bantam comrads, recognise faces (of other chickens and various other animals including humans), have good memories, can empathise with peers and use past experiences to make future decisions!

There’s no doubt that watching your bantam friends navigate the backyard and interact with each other can provide you with hours of amusement!

It is important to note that chickens do have a natural pecking order which is usually determined by the size of your chicken. If you have bantams it is a good idea to only stick with bantams at a similar size to prevent conflict and fighting.

5. They make great mothers

Bantam breeds are known for being some of the best mothers in the poultry world. Bantams are naturally protective and dedicated to hatching their own and other eggs. There have been instances where bantams have hatched eggs belonging to a different species all together such as ducks and quails.

Once bantam hens have hatched their young, they put their heart and soul into protecting their chicks to ensure their survival. It is common for other bantam hens who aren’t broody to help other mother hens raise their chicks by showing them new skills, aiding with protection and even sitting on chicks to keep them warm.

6. They are cheap to keep

My bantams spend most of the day foraging around the backyard eating grubs, worms, insects and scraps making them reasonably self sufficient and great for the garden. However, they still require grains such as oats to ensure optimal health. Due to the bantams compact size, a little bit goes a long way and therefore is more affordable than feeding larger chicken breeds.