How much space do bantams need? I'm not so much looking for the minimum space as I am a good, reasonable space for long-time living. I have a certain amount of room available and would like to plan out pens before I get the birds... and I might as well give them plenty of room while I'm doing the planning. For instance, how many square feet of floor space would be good for a trio of bantams? They'll be housed in the pens all the time, as I can't allow any free-range (I live on a busy road). I've got some ideas for some sort of "indoor/outdoor" pens... I'm still working on the ideas, but it would be useful to know how big I should make them!

Also, the "indoor" part of the pens would all be on concrete flooring. I'm thinking of covering the concrete with a tarp and then a layer of wood shavings, to insulate it and make it easier to clean. Anything wrong with this? Or does anybody have better ideas?

Last question (for now) - How do bantams handle winter? I'm in Michigan and it gets quite cold. Will I need to figure out some sort of extra heat source? And if so, I'd appreciate any ideas! Are there some breeds of bantams that handle winter particularly well?

I had a tame rooster that I kept in a back room when I lived in the city, but other than that I'm a complete chicken beginner. I'm in the process of getting some bantam chicks, haven't quite decided on the breed or breeds yet. I'm sure I'll have more questions later!

Lara