My father told me when he was young that his mother had banty hens and used them to hatch eggs as they made such good mothers. My dad would like to have some of them again and I thought they would make a good birthday gift. However I don't know what they are or where to get them. All I know about them is that they are small. Any help? My email is SpringSumm@aol.com Thanks:)

Banty hens were small, crossbred chickens that almost every farm and barnyard had in years past. The size of chickens can be greatly diminished by hatching them under less than ideal conditions particularly late in the season when natural food such as insects, etc. is scarce and they are subject to the cold and frost. They can probably still be found out in the country anywhere or at any trade fairs being held all over the country. Banty is short for bantam. They are not a distinct breed. They make excellent mothers as they will usually set on any kinds of eggs including huge goose eggs. They are very patient with their foster children. If you have no luck in finding a "banty" hen, you can buy him a purebred of the heavy breed of bantam and this may work as well. Good luck.....

Subj: banty hens
Date: 18/02/99 20:15:31 GMT Standard Time
From: DumpyClub
To: DumpyClub

Arguably, a Scottish word , meaning small, or wee. Bantams is a discription of all miniature breeds, Miniature, being the proper term for bird which has a large or nomal size counterpart, and most breeds have been miniaturised mainly as a hobby, to save on space and feeding , good strains can lay up to 200 eggs a season, and the heavier breeds lay eggs maybe one ane a half ounces. First show classes in UK around 1920. True bantams, are selectively breed birds which dont have a normal size relative and are cross bred fromm separate species, The Sebright , introduced in1800 crossing a "common" bantam and a polish and then a "hen tailed bantam "male from the time British breeders commeced bantam breed-making, others include the belgian and the dutch. cheerie.

I would like to know if Banty hens are ok for new comers, u see my mother and i are getting some chickens so we can start egg laying and we would like to know the size of banty eggs and if they are ok chickens for egg laying. Please reply


Thank you

Most of the bantam breeds are hardy little birds, and often very friendly, so they're great for beginners. Eggs are small, about half the size of a big "store egg". When I use them for baking etc. I use two for each one the recipe says. Most bantam breeds lay quite well, but often go broody, so if you want to rear some chicks of your own let them - they're good little mothers.

AFTER WEIGHING BANTAM EGGS AND STORE BOUGHT LARGE HEN EGGS I FOUND THE RATIO TO BE 2CHICKEN EGGS=3BANTAM EGGS--YES I WAS SURPRISED AS I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE RATIO WAS 1=2----THE EGGS I WEIGHED WERE FROM THREE DIFFERENT BREEDS--COCHIN-BRAHAMA-ARAUCANAS-----THE SMALLER BANTAMS MAY VERY WELL BE 1=2

A banty is just what people called a bantam year back and some still do.Hope this will help .

Dog:doggy, kitten, kitty, Bantam, Banty--all the same, just our language, which is never boring. CJR