[Steph Hen]

Hello, after some opinions again please 

After losing the last of my birds to fox last summer I've not replaced them, but am missing them and eggs.
I have an old trampoline which I think will make a fine, movable run for 3 or 4 bantam sized birds. Never kept bantams and wondered which lay best?  Have any breeds been selected for size to detriment of egg laying?
I'm thinking of doing an incubator load to hatch mid June and sell surplus, but again never hatched bantams, are there any differences in conditions from full size chickens? Thank you!

[Eve]

What would be on on top of the trampoline? A fox will bite through the black mat.

Quite a few of the usual bantam breeds go broody very easily, silkies and pekins being a good example. Polands can be, too. Since you want good layers they'd be a no-no. I don't know of any bantam breed that lays particularly well the way large fowl can do and that is easily available, and posted hatching eggs often disappoint.

The biggest difference is how small the chicks are, so they can get through even smaller gaps. Other than that, they're pretty much the same as large fowl.

[cambee]

We got 4 Dutch bantams and a cockerel from a local livestock sale - 2 gold and 2 silver. We bought them mostly for looks as they are very cute and the cockerel very handsome but they've turned out to be great egg layers. For the last 2 months we have been getting at least 3 eggs a day. The eggs are tiny and white but taste delicious being mostly yoke. We haven't had one go broody yet.

[chrismahon]

Leghorn bantams lay well and don't go broody. They are very flighty though and can suffer in cold weather. Their combs shrivel up in Winter and need to be kept soft with vaseline.

[Steph Hen]

I was wondering about bantam leghorns, as I think they're the most proud ting breed of full size I've ever had, but it does get cold here so perhaps not. Thinking about it, I don't get too many they could live in the barn in the winter!? Heat lamp above the perch? Plenty natural light and air, but would need to make a big cage, although I've probably already got enough wire mesh and lengths of wood (excited!).

I'll take my chances with the black mat as a roof but will run wire mesh around where the springs are so it can't get purchase at the edge.

I've had mixed results from posted eggs, mostly do better picking them up myself, even took a load as hand luggage on a plane and they were ok, but I've had mixed results from market bought eggs too.  I've got a bit of travelling around Scotland to do in next few weeks so will try to get hold of some from elsewhere. I don't mind a bit of broodiness, will be fine to have some batches of chicks next spring. But the place feels empty and too quiet without any birds here and I resent paying for eggs.

When's the next Forfar or Aberdeen marts? Anyone have any Dutch or leghorns breeding? I'll do a bit of research into other bantam breeds first, but nothing like a new project to take up more time I don't have!

[Steph Hen]

Answered my own question:
 
Forfar mart 18th May 6pm.
Aberdeen mart Saturday 20th May.

[Possum]

Goldtops lay large white eggs. Some are as large as our Bluebelle eggs. However, they do go broody quite frequently. We had some golden Dutch bantams which are very attractive and only went broody about once a year. Their eggs are smaller though. However, if you remember that three of their eggs equals two medium eggs they are very useful for omlettes and cakes.

[Eve]

I'll take my chances with the black mat as a roof

The fox will be through it in no time.

[Dave C]

These are my Blue Laced Wyndotte Bantams.



















Mrs C always says my meat chickens are ugly  
So I got her some of these.
They lay 3 eggs a day from 4 hens.
White eggs, not a bad size for a bantam, but the yoke is the same size as a large chickens.
Had them since February and haven't gone broody yet.

I like them. 

[sarah angus]

 Hi steph, me n my neighbour love the pekin bantams.  Great little characters, stunning looking, lots of variety in colours, decent layers and v good broodies, fairly low maintenance.
Also the hatching eggs sale at thainstone is still on for the 6th May although the poultry and waterfowl cages postponed to the 20th.
There's a breeder of nice coloured Dutch bantams usually sells at the forfar auction too.

[roddycm]

By far the best I've had are the silver laced wyandotte and if you are in a dry area pekins are good too. But the SL wyandotte wins every time for me haha but any wyandotte will be excellent! They lay well and good sized eggs plus they are brilliant mothers! You can tell I am totally biased here 

[Steph Hen]

Dave C, beautiful birds! Thought they would have been more prone to broodiness than that so very interesting!

Thanks for that info Sarah Angus, this'll be too early for me then, but the catalogues have an address so I'll have a good look at who's breeding what.
I've always thought Pekins were more fancy than useful and a bit soft... don't think they're for me, though are pretty too    

[Blondie]

I use to have frizzled pekins and I loved them. They probably laid 4-5 eggs each a week.

An advantage would be that surplus should be easy to sell as they are "cute" and make good pets/back yard chickens. They also didn't scratch up the garden too much due to their feathery feet, although would always find areas of loose dry soil to scratch about it.

Disadvantages - not pure/ breed standard. Do go broody (mine once once or twice a year)

[nimbusllama]

The best Bantams I had were Australorps. Lovely neat shiny black birds that laid a good sized egg. They were easy to show too. 

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Silver kraienkoppe
A rare breed that lays lots of eggs and never gone broody
Good to put on shows
And support rare breeds