Feeding Chickens

[Edwin]

Carol really loves her banti chickens! They are kind of cute. They are very small animals about half the size of a large chicken. Our kids who live over by Spokane gave them to us, and they are lots of fun. The rooster is quite fiesty, and thinks he needs to protect the two hens. They almost quite laying eggs when winter set in, but now they are back to laying eggs again. What is amazing to me is how much they eat. They eat a lot for little birds! Carol normally takes care of them, but the severe weather, the wind, and the snow bother her, so I take care of them for her when the weather is miserable. The other heat lamp got snow on it, shorted out, and then I brought it in the house to trouble shoot why it was not working, and I had a pretty good fire going from it for a short time. I shorted some more, and caught fire, and was burning like everything for just a little while. I unplugged it, stomped the fire out, and everything was fine!

[Smiley]

A banti is a tough little bird all right.If they were the size of a turkey they would be dangerous.
If they get a lot of weeds and such in their diet though their eggs are about the tastiest ever,but small. I used to tell folks a Banti egg was so small it takes 20 to make a dozen

[Edwin]

They are a tough little bird for sure! They have a personality too. After their other heat lamp/light burned up, I got another light fixture and put the heat lamp metal shield. Then I put it in the middle of their little house instead of on the edge like it was before, and that is really the reason it got ruined as it was too close and got snow and water in the electrical parts of it. Anyway they were completely happy with me while I was putting in their light. When I finished the rooster went to crowing, and they all went to scratching and eating. Today when I fed and watered them they were fine, but when I went to take the egg the rooster attacked me! He didn't hurt me really, was just flogging my hand that I was using to pick up the egg!