W&N watercolour of my Kiep as she was sitting on her nest
I’m a free range chicken.
I do what I want.
I’m a free range chicken.
I go where I want.
I peck a little here.
I peck a little there.
I’m a free range chicken.
That’s what I’m doing here!
- Unknown
Kiep, my little pet hen, comes from Bantam stock, though clearly mixed with a variety of other chicken breeds, and she actually looks like a miniature Leghorn. She laid her first egg when she was 25 weeks old and it was a big happening in the family!
Bantam chickens have been domesticated for centuries. In fact, they are one of the oldest known domestic animals. Marco Polo wrote about banties in his journal. While all bantams are chickens, not all chickens are banties.
Kiep and Chicky-Boo sharing a drink of water
All bantams are smaller than regular chickens and they share some unique personality traits. I personally think they have more personality than chickens do, are more able to care for themselves, and find more of their own food. They seem to keep the grasshopper population down better than other types of poultry! I haven’t seen a bug in my garden for ages since introducing chickens to my garden.
No, she's not dead! Just laying spread out in front of the heater this past winter, fluffing up her feathers to let in the heat.
Healthy bantams are curious. They will check out anything that seems unusual and loudly announce the arrival of visitors. I do not keep them locked in the pen, they roam as much as possible (a chicken’s raison de etre!) and have access to fresh, green grass, insects, and whatever else they find in addition to the feed I give them.
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