What Are Bantams?
Bantams are miniature chickens, either with or without larger counterparts; for example, the RIR (Rhode Island Red) is available in both bantam and full-size versions; the Gold and Silver Sebrights only occur in bantam sizes.
What are the advantages of bantams versus the large breeds? They take less space in the garden, are generally more exciting – they can fly much more easily than most of the bigger breeds – and quite often tend to go broody and make better mothers than some of the big breeds. So if you are likely to buy or produce hatching eggs, Light Sussex bantams can save you the cost of an incubator and will look after the chicks to boot!
They are generally too small to be considered as a meat breed, although of course you can eat them; but their eggs are bigger than their small size would lead you to expect. They are not as prolific as the commercial egg layers obviously; but 100+ eggs per year is not unusual for the better varieties.
