Bantams are a breed of dwarf-type chickens. They are very popular due to the fact that the productivity indicators are very high, and the decorative qualities are excellent. In addition, poultry houses appreciate bentamok for not capriciousness, ease of care, maintenance, strong immunity. They get along well in the poultry yards of private farms.
History of origin
Bantamka got its distribution, being bred, according to various sources – in Japan or India. These chickens are first mentioned in documents from the middle of the XNUMXth century, but how and who bred them is unknown. The official version is that bantams were bred artificially due to complex selection of different types of chickens. Perhaps they originated from wild hens, thanks to which the immunity of birds is very good, they rarely get sick, and the brooding instinct is quite well developed.
Breed description
The dwarf gene, called Bentham, provides a small size and, accordingly, the same weight of birds. Chickens weigh from 450 g to 1 kg, depending on gender. Roosters tend to weigh more. Their feathers are extremely rich, showy, set low. Some varieties are distinguished by pubescence of the limbs. As for the standard characteristics, the following stand out:
- small head, rose- or leaf-shaped comb;
- limbs of a shortened type, and in hens they are shorter when compared with a rooster;
- wings of a wide type, elongated, hanging down to the ground;
- the body is of an elegant, neat type, slightly raised;
- the color is varied, there are variegated breeds, for example, Altai;
- the plumage is extremely rich;
- low-set body type.
In an ideal exterior, the following defects are unacceptable:
- growth above the norm;
- feathers of a loose, sparse look;
- tapered tail with little or no fluff;
- there is no crest.
Varieties
The main classification of bantams is carried out on the basis of color. Depending on it, several varieties of birds are distinguished. As for other parameters, they have similar external data. The most popular types and subspecies of bantams are as follows:
- feather-footed – has snow-white feathers that cover not only the body, but also the limbs;
- Nanjing – the most ancient variety, plumage has a shade of orange-yellow type, males have a chest with a black spot, limbs are bare;
- Beijing – it happens in different shades from speckled and multi-colored to snow-white and resinous, paws with pubescence and shaggy;
- Paduan – very much appreciated by specialists, spectacular decorative qualities make it very popular, the color casts in silver and gold;
- dutch – a two-color bird with a snow-white crest and head, as well as a black body;
- Hamburg – it can be white and black or one-color black, the crest is juicy scarlet;
- seabright – a very beautiful subspecies, the main plumage is snow-white with a golden tint or grayish, the feathers have a spectacular marginal border;
- night – an exclusively decorative subspecies, the tiniest of all bantams; plumage can be black, white, shades of silver, gold, yellow, blue, stripes, speckled, wheaten and porcelain, two- and three-color;
- barnaul – one of the subspecies of the Altai species, a stronger and unpretentious subspecies in the climate; scallop like a rose, has elongated earrings;
- Altai – has a calico-type plumage, the color is variegated-mixed, brown-beige;
- Danish – the richest variety in colors; the appearance is very magnificent and luxurious, the tail is high, the wings are elongated;
- calico – it is distinguished by bare legs, beautiful plumage of the breast and tail of black-green color, all plumage is speckled;
- malaysian serama – differs in the smallest size, weight does not exceed 700 grams;
- fighting – have a variegated color; this subspecies is larger than the others, it also differs in a fan-type tail;
- nutty – the color differs depending on the sex: males have red plumage with a black breast and tail, females are pearl-brown individuals with a fawn-colored breast.
Performance indicators
As for egg production, this indicator differs for each subspecies. If we take the average parameters, then the weight of eggs ranges from 40 to 45 grams, the number of pieces is from 90 to 130 annually. In terms of taste, they are much better than standard chicken eggs, they are considered one of the most delicious among birds. The qualitative characteristics of the eggs of this breed are as follows:
- dense protein;
- the yolk in the egg is fixed, does not move;
- very low cholesterol.
Egg productivity can be increased in many ways.
- The quality of lighting in the room. The intensity should correspond to such indicators – for every 6 square meters. m – a lamp of 60 watts. For optimal artificial lighting, it is better to use orange fluorescent lamps.
- The amount of lighting. In winter, the period of application of artificial lighting should be large in order to increase daylight hours to 14 hours. Based on these parameters, it is necessary to control the on and off.
The meat direction is not so promising, although the meat is distinguished by its dietary properties and excellent taste. The only negative is the small size and weight of the carcasses, which does not allow them to become a real meat breed. But as a spectacular decoration in the household, they are used successfully, as they are very beautiful.
Advantages and disadvantages
The miniature size is both an advantage and a disadvantage of the bantam at the same time. It gives them decorativeness and originality in combination with beautiful plumage, but does not allow the development of the meat direction in breeding. Attractive appearance and size immediately distinguishes them from the crowd of birds. Perhaps this is the only minus of the breed. Among the advantages are the following:
- excellent immunity, rare among decorative breeds, allowing you to resist infections and parasites;
- the percentage of surviving and well developed chicks is very high;
- roosters are excellent protectors of the chicken coop, their miniature size does not bother them;
- the male has incredible courage, can protect chickens and chickens even from a fox or kite;
- females are distinguished by a well-developed incubation instinct, which is also rare in decorative chickens;
- care, if the chickens are deprived of their hen, the other will take care of their fate.
Conditions for keeping
This breed does not require too much effort in maintenance and care. They are bred and kept in chicken coops or poultry houses, which need to be well insulated. A layer of straw, shavings or sawdust is laid out on the floor; in the northern regions it is necessary to heat the room. You need to equip the poultry house in this way:
- build single-tier perches, placing them lower than for ordinary breeds;
- put a container with ash and sand in which the chickens will “bath” and cleanse themselves of parasites.
It is necessary to maintain order, cleanliness of the room, otherwise the chickens will very quickly lose their decorative and attractive appearance and become groomed. The house must be dry. In summer, it is better for chickens to be in an aviary no lower than 2,5 meters, which is divided into two parts. In one of them you need to plant cereals, in the other just sprinkle with sand. Of course, perches and nests under the roof are needed.
You can’t make an aviary below the specified norm and with an area less than 3 by 2 meters, since birds need to fly. It is allowed to keep free range in a fenced area, while the amount of feed is reduced, since the birds will have access to pasture. The disadvantage of this content is that chickens can lay eggs, hiding and then it is difficult to find them. This problem can be solved by spending a few days watching the mother hen to find out where she lays her eggs.
Feeding and care
You can organize meals for bantams both two and three times a day. In summer, the first feeding is carried out as soon as the sun appears, and in winter – before 9 am. Bantams eat very little, which makes keeping them very profitable. The feed practically does not differ from chickens of other breeds of a larger size. The main part of the menu is grain. Oats, millet, wheat are used. In addition to the grain, the following components are introduced into the diet:
- wheat bran;
- sunflower cake;
- section of barley, buckwheat.
In order for the birds to develop normally and be healthy, it is also necessary to feed them with foods such as:
- seasonal vegetables;
- a piece of chalk;
- flour of fish and bone type;
- flour worms.
In addition, the use of mineral and vitamin complexes, fodder sulfur is mandatory. On the run, they will replenish their diet with pasture.
If the nutrition is balanced, then the chickens will not have health and decorative problems. Be sure to wash and dry vegetables and plants before offering them to birds. The grass should be dry, the vegetables cut and washed. Fresh, clean water should be available all the time, it needs to be changed 2 times a day.
Subtleties of breeding
The reproductive period of bantams begins after six months, then they can already produce chickens. A well-developed incubation instinct makes this process invisible to the owner, since the hen will in no case leave the eggs unhatched. The chickens are hatched, after which the chicken takes good care of the babies. All this makes breeding bantams a very simple matter.
Since the size of the hen is small, she is not able to hatch more than 7 chicks at one time. Therefore, more eggs should be removed from under the hen. During the summer, each female can produce and raise about 20 babies. Babies hatch from the egg three weeks after laying. In the first days, it is necessary to feed the chickens at least 6 times a day with crushed eggs with cottage cheese. Starting from the fourth day, you can give millet in a steamed form and reduce meals to 4 per day.
After 14 days, the mother hen will take the chicks out of the house and start looking for food for them. Despite this, for some time it is necessary to feed the baby, but the number of feedings is reduced to two. The survival rate of hatched bantam chicks is very high – about 90%. If two hens began to hatch chickens at once, one of them will take on the work of breeding and raising them, the second will again begin to rush and give eggs.
One male is enough for 7 females, he is selected according to the following parameters for breeding a breeding species:
- scallop of even type;
- the plumage is thick, dense;
- yellow legs.
As for investments in breeding, it should be borne in mind that the cost of a young female is about 2000 rubles, an adult – about 7000 rubles. You can buy chickens in pairs, you can breed them yourself from eggs. You should apply for bantams in trusted nurseries or private breeders, but in the latter case, the choice should be more thorough and careful. A high price on birds can lead to the fact that you will come across a scammer who sold an ordinary bird instead of a decorative bantam. Experts recommend contacting the following nurseries:
- “Orlovsky courtyard”;
- Ru’s Zoo;
- “Bird Village”
How to keep a bantam is described in the video below.
