Bentamka chicken breed: description, care and maintenance

Chickens of the Bentham breed are dwarf representatives and a cheerful decoration of the poultry house. They are distinguished by good health and fertility due to their natural origin.

Energetic, sociable, warlike representatives of chicken, owners of sonorous, musical voices. Kura bantamki are long-livers; there are layers of hens with ten years of experience and very caring, gentle "mothers". Gullible.

The chicken is a king, so this breed was called, which was an indicator of wealth, only wealthy people could acquire. A sign of material prosperity and sophisticated manners was a colorful hen walking in front of the house on the lawn.

Bantam mini chickens are native to Japan, where they live in the wild. Scientists believe that this breed was bred in ancient India for cockfighting. Then the birds were brought to China, Japan, where they took root as decorative ornaments of rich houses.

After a while, travelers brought bantam chickens to Europe. There is information that these chickens were depicted on tombs (7th century BC) In Russia in the 18th century, the Ptichiy Yard manual in its first edition introduces readers to this unusual, possibly the oldest breed in the world.

Description of the breed and characteristics

In the wild, they independently protect offspring from enemies, but are not aggressive towards relatives in the chicken coop. Inhabitants of southern latitudes do not tolerate low temperatures, therefore a heated chicken coop is needed; in a cold room they will lose their appetite.

Video: an example of a chicken coop for the correct keeping of bantam chickens

By the way! Decorative bantam chickens have an excellent maternal instinct: a bantam hen will calmly hatch other people's eggs and will not refuse to become a mother for other people's children. She looks after babies well, shelters them in cold weather. Hens for offspring must be laid in a clutch of no more than seven eggs or five (larger breeds).

The breed is distinguished by its unusually small size, variety of colors, dense plumage, sonorous singing and cheerful character. The short legs of many species are covered with feathers. Outwardly beautiful birds have good health and the ability to consistently lay eggs. Caring mothers can stand uphill for their little children, protecting them from predators: cats, kites, foxes.

Video: caring hen bantam with chickens

Varieties and their descriptions

The bantam chicken breed has several varieties. Each of them is worthy of a detailed description:

• Bentamka Shabo - exhibition; the smallest size, has a different color. The feathers of the ancestors were straight and long; today, silky and curly-haired individuals have been specially bred. This breed of chickens is also called the Japanese bantam.

• Dhollandic Is an amazing breed. According to the description, the bantam chicken looks like a bird from a fairy tale. The plumage is black, on the head is a snow-white curly crest and large eyes. When they fight, they try to pluck jewelry from each other and spoil their appearance.

Also, the beauty of bantam chickens can deteriorate during feeding (if adhering dirt gets into the eyes and causes inflammation) and in cold weather (wet feathers on the head freeze, and it is difficult for the bird to turn its head). Truly, beauty requires sacrifice. The tail is rounded, the beak is dark, the crest resembles the Latin letter B.

• Padua - crested and bearded. The plumage attracts the eye: silvery on a white background or dark or black-gold with a shimmer. The silver-colored variety has unusual crescent-shaped spots, it is not surprising that this variety is most attractive to connoisseurs. The cockerel's feathers are long and sharp. The breed is similar to the Dutch, only the crest is larger, and the scallop is almost invisible.

• Calico - this breed of chickens has a three-color variegated color, reminiscent of a cheerful cotton fabric: white spots are "scattered" all over the body. The plumage of the chest and tail of the cock is black with a tint. It looks like a nut, in which the head is smaller and the plumage is more modest.

• Sibright - silver or gold plumage, each feather with a black border. From a distance it resembles lace or fish scales. When description its scallop can be compared to a rose flower. The earlobes of this bird are white. The breast is slightly enlarged, and the back and tail are small. Despite the beautiful appearance, there are few people who want to breed such a bantam chicken, because the breed is degenerating.

• Nanjing - yellow-orange color, legs are naked, bluish. The cockerel is the owner of a black wide bib, the same color of a gorgeous tail and a speckled comb.

• Feathered - the name speaks for itself. Shaggy legs, very beautiful elegant bird, usually white, leaf-shaped comb.
• Phoenix of Yokohama - an artificially bred breed. They were created in Japan for the joy of the rich. The chicken is unpretentious - yellow-brown, but the cockerel resembles an extraordinary fabulous firebird and attracts true collectors: the breast is black, the neck and back are red-golden, with iridescence, a dark long tail. The legs are armed with large spurs.

The tail is a real pride of the "wardrobe": a metallic green tint and black specks, grows up to 6 meters. To preserve its integrity, the cockerels are isolated in separate enclosures, especially valuable ones - behind glass, winding special holders for the tail. In this form, in the hands of the owner, the happy owner walks.

• Altai bentamka - such a breed of chickens, originally from Barnaul, has a lush and beautiful “hair” on the head, they are distinguished by an outlandish, varied color and lush feathery legs.

Video: Altai bantam chicken breed with chickens.

Features of cultivation and breeding

The bantam cock breed weighs 1 kg, and the chicken is half as much. Although the breed is considered decorative, they can be bred at home for household needs: dietary meat and healthy tasty eggs (one individual brings up to 140 eggs and more per year).

Advice! The bantam chicken is preferably kept separate from other birds.

This breed of chickens is raised equally both for aesthetic pleasure and for meat and eggs for the dining table.

The care and maintenance of bantam chickens is normal, almost no different from other poultry. You need to feed three times a day with high-quality and varied feed. As an additive you need:

• chopped greens, vegetables;
• compound feed, grain;
• potato peel;
• fodder sulfur for the beauty of the feather.

It is also necessary to add bone and fish meal, mealworms, chalk to the diet.

Note! Chickens of the bantam breed more often than ordinary chickens sit on the clutch.

Chickens often hide their nests, or sit on them for a long time and do not go to the feeder. Therefore, there is no need to wait for her to leave the nest and eat. It also happens that the blackbird has chosen a secluded place for incubating a brood and does not want to be discovered (the instinct of self-preservation is very developed).

You should not immediately embark on a search, this will lead to the opposite result: a bantam chicken will hide even more carefully. So that she does not confuse the tracks, it is best to observe from afar. In a couple of days, when hunger triumphs over the maternal instinct, the chicken will come out to nibble on something.

After the babies hatch, Kvochka fumbles with them for three months. The first days they are fed with a mixture of cottage cheese with an egg, then millet is introduced into the diet. Two weeks later, the "mother" teaches how to get food on their own.

Why breeding bantams is considered a cost-effective (profitable) business

Mini-chickens of the Bantam breed consume little feed, are resistant to diseases, lay nutritious eggs, and produce quality meat that tastes like game. Growing this breed is not costly. In summer, Bantam chickens need equipped aviaries, in winter - a warm room.

Bantam chickens practically do not get sick. A balanced diet and its purity affect the health of chickens. To protect against harmful insects living in bird feathers, a box with ash and sand should be placed in the aviary. Feathered legs are treated with turpentine and vegetable oil.

An interesting baby bantam chicken (or better a couple) can be purchased for a small fee in a specialized nursery or from farmers engaged in breeding this breed. They are unpretentious in maintenance and care.