Small Farm & Garden forum: Bantams in the Burbs
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| Two years ago I bought a wee chick at the feed store... I didn't even know what kind of chicken it was at first, however we soon realized as the long silky feathers began to grow out..... What a stroke of luck! We had Bantams before, but not like this! We are in a suburban neighborhood, so we're having to keep only a few for now. This breed is amazingly docile and the pullets are known for being excellent brooders. Now its hard to imagine my back garden without them. Meet "Tango" our Bearded Silky Bantam Pullet.. and my DD
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We also got a Magpie Duck and we lost him in September 2008 (that's another story), so I set out to find Tango a buddy to go through winter with. There was a huge Poultry meet in Shawnee Oklahoma that December so youngest son went along with me on a road trip. We found a lovely "buff" pullet and couldn't resist her. (Not telling what we paid for her.)  Goldi had a new home! And Tango had a friend...
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| The cool thing about having 2 pullets with a strong maternal disposition is that they covet the clutch of eggs between them. It was hilarious watching one get up off the eggs, and the other one moving them all into her own spot. We let them do this even though the eggs were not fertile, we would leave a few for them to do this and eat the rest. Nothing like fresh organic eggs. Sure they are small, but you can really tell the difference from store bought eggs! And if we were ever going to get fertile eggs, we'd have to get a roo.. I found a local breeder and bought 5 chicks in April 2009. I kept the largest one feeling pretty sure he was the 'one'. 
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| Sure enough! This is Newton in his teenagery stage last June...
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| In the fall last year something swooped in and took Goldi right out of the yard... not sure if it was a cat or a large hawk, but she disappeared! We miss her a lot, she was so very friendly and gentle.
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| We were left with the pair of pure white Bearded Silkies, and now we had the perfect breeding pair. Newton at 6 1/2 months old...
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| We did what we could to spare having any chicks through the winter, however Tango had other plans. She found a nice bucket to nest in and hid an egg from us. She was always in that bucket, but that wasn't unusual for her to hide away from that frisky rooster Newton. Yeah, you guessed it, she hatched her very first baby chick! And she was in heaven... More interested in the baby than sitting on her eggs, though that should change soon. Tango and Coda Jan 21, 2010
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People often ask me if we eat the chickens..... and while bantams are a delicacy in Asia (where they originated), the usual reply is, "we never eat anything we've given a name to."  Family Portrait... Tango, Newton, & Coda
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That is just too cute Deb, what a nice family!!!  Wildflowers are the Smiles of Nature. Gardening with Texas Native Plants and Wildflowers. |
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| Thanks Josephine, I hope to have some more chicks in the next couple months. Hopefully, as Coda gets bigger, she will be brooding on her eggs more.  :-D |
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