Bantams & Fancy Breeds

Bantams for sale are small breeds for small yards and for people who keep chickens as much for company as for eggs.

Popular backyard bantams

Silkies are famously friendly, love being handled and are the classic broody hen — they will happily hatch and raise other birds' eggs. Pekins are round, feather-footed and calm, and cope well in a small run. Both are among the best breeds for children. They lay small eggs — about half the size of a standard egg — and fewer per year than a production hen, so keep bantams for the temperament and the look rather than the egg basket.

Keeping bantams

Bantams need the same basics as any chicken — a predator-proof coop, clean water, shell grit and an appropriate feed — but less space, and lower perches and pop-holes suit their size. They can't fly well, so a 1.2–1.5m fence usually holds them, and feather-footed breeds like Silkies and Pekins do better on dry ground than in mud. A mixed flock of bantams and standard hens works best when the birds are raised together or introduced carefully so the bantams aren't bullied at the feeder. Like any backyard poultry they should be kept under the biosecurity basics set out on the NSW DPI poultry pages. Availability is limited and seasonal — contact us for the current list. Minimum two birds; farm pickup or local Sydney delivery.

Bantams with children and other pets

Silkies and Pekins are among the calmest, most handleable chicken breeds, which is why they are the usual choice for a family with young kids. Because they can't fly, a low fence contains them and they are easy to catch and carry. Supervise around dogs until you know how the dog reacts — a bantam is small enough to be treated as prey by an untrained dog.

Broodiness and hatching

Silkie bantams go broody readily and will happily sit on and raise another hen's eggs — including standard-breed or duck eggs — which makes them useful even in a flock kept mainly for eggs. If you don't want chicks, collect eggs daily and lift a persistently broody hen off the nest, or she will sit for weeks and lose condition.