Pet Shop Haven

When considering the original namesake of bantam, this chicken or fowl has no regular counterpart. The most popular and commonly known bantam chickens are the Dutch bantam, the Sebright bantam, the Japanese bantam and the Dutch bantam. Due in part to their size and ease of care, bantams have rapidly risen to the top of the list as pets used primarily for shows or competitions. Because of their size, they will require way less food, space, and maintenance resulting in them being a preferred pet.

Some of the most widely known breeds of bantam chickens are the Cochin, Japanese Bantams, common Bantam, Barnevelder, Old English Game, Polish chicken, D'Uccle, Pekin, Serama and the Sussex bantams. The following are brief descriptions of them:

The Cochin bantam is one of the largest breeds of bantams with the male known for weighing in at a surprising 5 Kg. (11 pounds). This type of bantam breed was introduced in China as the Chinese Shanghai and was later exported to America and Britain. Another bantam breed closely related and developed from this breed is the Pekin bantam.

Japanese bantams most commonly referred to as Chao, are literally spread world wide. These chickens are mostly used in shows and as pets.

Barnevelder bantam is one of the most popular breeds of bantam chickens for shows, carcass, and egg production. Producing rich brown eggs is what they are especially good at and they are natural foragers on top of being a heavy breed which makes them excellent for gaming or food.

Old English Game bantams also make excellent pets for children and are a source of special shows in the United Kingdom for this specific popular breed. This bantam breed is almost opposite to it's standard counterpart, the Old English Game chicken in that it lacks an aggressive nature.

The Polish chicken is mainly bred for show abilities due to the fact that their appearance is beautiful. Boasting such colors as pink, purple, and blue, these bantams do not sit on eggs, but produce stark, white eggs.

Uccle is a town on the outskirts of Brussels, Belgium and is the namesake of the Barbu D'Uccle bantam with soft feathers. This chicken received it's name from the French, translating as Bearded of Uccle.

The Pekin bantam, which has feathers on their legs and feet together with plumage that hangs to the ground, have been referred to as a "walking tea-cosy". Noticeably smaller, measuring in at 20 - 30 centimeters and are well known for their mothering instincts.

The Serama bantam breed of chickens is basically still in production. Although they are currently known as the smallest chickens in the world, their breed has not been bred true as of yet, which means breeding them can result in any color, shape, size, etc.

The Sussex bantam is one-quarter the size of it's standard counterpart, better know as the most common of backyard chickens in different countries around the world.

There are tons of websites that are good sources of information on many of the different types of chickens and which breeds are the best for the purpose you are raising them. Depending on your intentions you may need to purchase one specific breed over another to best suit your plans. Gathering information about the many types and brreeds of chickens and what breed is best for either egg laying or meal production will greatly benefit you when the time comes to buy your chickens.

If gathering eggs for your personal use or for selling is your main goal for raising chickens, you will need to consider the best breeds for that type of production. Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds are most often preferred for excellent egg production, and the laying hens do their job well. Getting a rooster is not a must to the egg laying production unless you want fertilized eggs for hatching. If not, opting to forego purchasing a rooster will save you time, money and hassle. When choosing a good laying hen, watch for signs of bad health. The eyes should be bright, and alert with the chickens moving around frequently. Their feathers should be in good condition with excellent color and definition. Avoid purchasing laying hens that tend to sit still frequently, or do not walk in the usual peppy manner known to chickens.

When choosing chickens solely for food and meat consumption, the most common breeds that will provide good quality meat are Ross, Arbor Acres, and Peterson chickens. These three breeds are the most commonly preferred for their meatiness and provide proper amounts of nutrients as well. Purchasing these chickens requires a good eye for healthy specimens or good quality chicks from healthy laying hens that are able to be raised healthy to produce the best quality meat when the time arrives.

Saving money is a good notion, but buying the cheapest chicks, laying hens, broilers, or fryers is not always the best idea. most of the time those cheap chickens are cheap for a reason and that could be a disease that is not noticeable or a sickly bird that could infect your whole flock, leaving you with dead or damaged chickens. If you find a good supplier that produces top quality specimens, sticking with them would be wise and perhaps working out variations of deals or payments can be made with consent to continue purchasing from them exclusively. Finding a supplier is not difficult, but finding a trustworthy and excellent one can be. Trust your gut instinct and for whatever else you don't know -- learning is the key.