The Poultry Keeper

stephen · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:33 am Post subject: Dutch Bantams

This thread is for Dutch Bantams

fenwoman · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:54 pm Post subject:

I keep several colours of this breed. It is a true bantam, meaning there is no large counterpart. They are jaunty little birds kept mnainly as ornamentals. They will go broody and lay small eggs typical of what people would consider to be a bantam sized egg.They are one of the smallest bantams since they are roughly the size of little collared doves and weigh only 400-50 grams.
As pets they are extemely friendly and easy going. For someone in a hurry this can be a pain in the posterior. You put your hand in the pen to feed and water and immediately 3 Dutchies have jumped onto your arm wanting attention. A friend of mine has literally scores in a large barn and when he goes in to feed, sweep water etc, he does so with several Dutch cockerels sitting on his shoulers, head, broom etc.
They come in a wide range of colours, enough to make it an interesting hobby keeping them. A bit like Pringles crisps, betcha can't stop at one Surprised

As you can probably gather, I am nuts about my Dutchies.
Here are some pictures. I hope you find them as beautiful as I do.

White Dutch trio

Pyle Dutch (sometimes called red pyle)

Young silver partridge dutch

young blue partridge cockerel

stephen · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:00 pm Post subject:

fenwoman · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:29 pm Post subject:

It seems to be in their nature. My friend who breeds them breeds other breeds and hatched eggs by the hundred, He spends no more time in the barns than is necessary and his are the ones which perch all over him like Trafalgar square pigeons lol.
I have a little blue partridge spare cockerel here who insists on being picked up when I am out and about. I may buy him a gold partridge girly. The blue partridge in particular is a good colour to start with. Not only stunning to look at but if you breed blue partridge to blue partridge, they will produce, gold partridge, blue partridge, pyle and self blue.
They are also hardy little birds and need no coddling.
For someone not particularly interested in regular and large eggs, but who would like a pretty, friendly garden pet, then I cannot recommend them highly enough.
I cannot see a time when I will be without my Dutch bantams Laughing

For anyone interested in more in depth info on this charming breed, I include a link to the Brithis Dutch bantam club website.

Club members seem to be some of the friendliest people I have spoken to and happy to waste time chatting on the phone about their chosen breed and aren't as heavily biased towards showing as some other breed clubs seem to be which tends to put off people who simply want to enjoy their birds for what they are.http://www.dutchbantamclub.org

Fangs · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:05 pm Post subject:

My silver partridge dutch girl Chip
Fangs

mojo · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:43 pm Post subject:

hi fenwoman why are your posts so wide .please excuse i dont really understand P>Cs...p.s. nice chooks..........mojo

fenwoman · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:09 pm Post subject:

Dunno why they are wide. All the posts show up wide here even the ones I haven't replied to Rolling Eyes

stephen · Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:56 am Post subject:

fenwoman · Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:33 pm Post subject:

oh that's better. Did I set it as large somehow?
Sometimes I am so dippy.

stephen · Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:36 pm Post subject:

Don't worry about it, it's easily done!

mgf · Joined: 02 Dec 2005 Posts: 10

As I do not need more large eggs and these bantams do not need much space I am thinking about getting some this year.

www.ruleworks.co.uk/poultry/dutch-bantam.htm

traditionalbritishfowlco · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 243 Location: lancashire

I LOVE dutch too!

My first EVER chickens were a pair of silver duckwing dutch, and one of their grand daughters (a modern game cross) was the most amazingly friendly chicken i've ever owned - she spent all her time riding about on me even though I hadn't made any particular effort to tame her!

They can fly really well tho, need high fences. My original cockerel flew the entire length of the allotment once, a good few hundred feet! and that granddaughter i just mentioned barely spent any time on the ground - people thougth she was a long legged pigeon!

mollyd0g · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Bury St Edmunds

I would recommend the dutch to anyone, I have gold, silver, white and columbian colours (some are show winners). They are absolutely beautiful and have a fantastic temperement. I am a huge fan!! My lot have just decided spring has arrived at last and started laying again, so if anyone wants eggs or offspring let me know.

Have fun
Mollydog

rainwoman · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 44 Location: Midlands

I love dutch bantams too!

I've got a couple of growers that aren't clearly male or female - if I post a picture tomorrow, I wonder if anyone would care to hazard a guess?

(It would have made more sense just to wait until tomorrow and post it, I suspect, but I got over-excited once I'd spotted this thread!)

Smile

Magpie · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 551 Location: Norfolk

I have just got a super little lavender Dutch cockerel, I just had to stick the photos up here Laughing

He's really tame, eating from my hand two days after I picked him up and sitting on my hand/arm today (5 days)! He needs to practice crowing a bit more though ROFL, he sounds like he needs a can of WD40 at the moment..

Tim