This Year It's Dutch Bantams

[Calista]

We had barnyard mix bantams growing up on the farm and, as kids, my brothers and I loved how gentle and tameable they were as pets. The hens would go broody regularly and were good mothers, even to the ducklings we sometimes let them hatch, too. They laid smaller eggs but consistently and were able to forage for a great deal of their food. Being quick and light, they also avoided most predators.

So, now that I am temporarily chicken-less (our old hens went to Freezer Camp), I'm yearning to go back to a flock of bantams. With no local hatcheries offering what I want, today I pretty much decided on Stromberg's Dutch Bantam Assortment, straight run, at $3.40 a chick. With statistical luck, about half will be pullets and the excess cockerels can be sold on CL as pets.

I've only ordered from Murray McMurray in the past. Any information I should know about Stromberg's? And of course, I'd love to see pictures if you have Dutch bantams.

As Stromberg's states with the assortment, "Enjoy different colors of the Dutch Bantams. This is a hatchery's choice of the following colors: Black Breasted Red, Black, Blue, Golden, and Light Brown."

 

[sumi]

That hatchery got good reviews on BYC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hats-off-to-strombergs.980295/ I did a quick search and found a few good things said about them, their customer service and chicks.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I've used Strombergs in years past with good results.

 

[Calista]

Thought I'd share some pix of these handsome little birds:

I forgot to mention one of the reasons we are going for bantams this time is to reduce feed costs and cut down on the mess -- smaller birds = less outlay. If I get even 15 pullets out of the 30 I plan to order, that's a dozen eggs a day for the two of us.

 

[sumi]

They are beautiful! Less mess, less food and eye candy… Sounds like a win-win to me!