Feathered Friends

(Page 2 of 2)

January/February 1987
By Dan Barker 
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Hatching is fun to watch. The chick pecks neatly down the center of the egg until the shell breaks right in two. The chick then sticks its head out and starts peeping. It doesn't stop this sound for one month—the constant peeping helps keep the mother from pecking the baby. Be sure to take out the shell so the mother does not eat it, or she may start to peck the unhitched eggshells.

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Chick Care

After the chicks have hatched, move the water and feed (use chick feed, available from a feed mill) close to them. The mother will teach them how to eat and drink. Some chicks don't eat for three days. That's OK.

Feeding

I feed my bantams poultry mash—ground-up corn, minerals, and supplement from the local feed mill. I mix hot water with this ration and feed them twice daily, as much feed as they want. I also give them chopped-up grass and a handful of grit (a digestive aid) every day. And I make sure the adults' feeders and waterers are not under their roosts. Otherwise, the chickens' manure will foul them.

If you have lots of land for your bantams, cut down on their feed in the summer and let them roam for worms and other things they find. This is called ranging and is very good for your flock. [EDITOR'S NOTE: See John Vivian's "Racing Free-Range Chickens" in MOTHER NO. 88 for more information.]

Other Concerns

Some bantam breeds are very wild, but I try to buy or make mine as tame as possible. I sit with my chickens about a half-hour every day so they get very used to me. I play with the little chicks and let them perch on my arms, shoulders, and legs.

You can band your bantams' legs to identify them, but I just give mine identifying names like "Longtail," "Pigeon" (she looks like one), "Sunset" (a bright orange hen), and "Torch" (one with fluorescent red feathers).

A dog can be a big help. I have a chocolate Lab, a soft-mouthed dog. One time one of my bantams flew very far away and landed in a field of long grass. My Lab followed it and found where it landed. Then he grabbed its neck and waited until I picked it up. The bird wasn't hurt at all!

I can tell you for sure that I've really liked raising bantams. If you try it, you'll find out that a bird can be just as nice to hold and get to know as a kitten or a rabbit.

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