Update: my first post was a “beginning” post, because at that time I was going to write chicken stories along the linear progress and unfolding of everything we have enjoyed, endured, and overcome as backyard chickeners. Then I remembered, I am writing these posts to enjoy, unwind, and reflect. I am writing for a break from schedules and linear processes. With that in mind, I’ve decided just to write each week about what I really want to write about each week… so (logically!) the tiny twins (two lovable booted bantams) are next…
Renata and Tasse (pr. Tah-see), referred to collectively as “The Tiny Twins,” came home in our second batch of chickies on August 9, 2021. After bringing our first 2020 brood home in March, we liked the idea of late summer babies, who could start experiencing colder days in their older days, hardening off at a time when they were more prepared for chilly nights, with lots of feathers and general chickening life experience.
We sometimes chicken sit for our wonderful neighbors. When doing so in July 2021, we had the joy of meeting their recently adopted cochin (feathered feet and legs) bantams. One of whom attempted to roost on my shoulder as we were putting them up one night. Swoon!
So, back at our local Tractor Supply that balmy August evening we saw bantams. As S. did his brilliant gather-the-supplies work, I was situated at the chickie station, to pick out our next babies.
Now, remember bantams are “straight run,” which means there has been absolutely no attempt to sex these tiny little babes. When I wrote about this in my first post, I wasn’t kidding about the possibility of picking four baby hens OR four baby roosters. That very night, as I was trying to “sense” the future hens in the adorable swarm of fluffy cuteness, a well-meaning woman walked over to me, leaned in, and said, “We got bantams last Easter. Just about broke our hearts. We brought home four roosters.”
Gulp.
And, on I went, driving the very kind Tractor Supply associate about nuts, “No . . . that one . . . that one . . . the fluffy one . . . to the right of the fluffy one that looks exactly like the other 75 fluffy ones that are to the left of that one . . . that are all running around in a little swarm as you reach in to grab that one . . . . There! That’s it. Now for number two . . . ”
And, so, we brought home Renata and Tasse (hopefully feminine named) along with Oprah (Buff Orpington), Nanette (Olive Egger) and Hermione (Amerucana).
There wasn’t any breed specified in the store signage for the bantams, or maybe there was and I was so wrapped up in “sensing out” the girls that I didn’t notice. But a day, maybe two, after we brought them home, we discovered these bantam chickies—already cute as buttons—were booted, because they had tiny little feathers streaming off of their tiny little legs and feet. We were absolutely giddy with delight.
I’ll get over with the suspense and joyfully confirm, as time passed is was clear that Rennie and Tasse were in fact two of the sweetest little chicken girls you ever could know. Adding to that they, in time, provided the cutest little half-sized eggs—which are the perfect portion for a standard-sized pie egg wash. This has been confirmed by S., our resident pastry magician.
As their feathers filled in, Rennie and Tasse appeared to be a variety of Mille Fleur (one thousand flowers), though when their feathers first came in we joked about them being Deux Cent Cinquante (250) Fleur. They were spotted, but lightly spotted.
At some point we read a bit more about this variety and learned that with their molts they would grow more “fleurs” with their new feathers, and that they would “just get more beautiful.” Whoever wrote these words, and I am sorry I don’t remember who or where it was so I could give credit where it’s due, could not have been telling a greater truth. With each season Rennie and Tasse get more beautiful. After they both had a big molt last fall/winter, they are indeed displaying far more fleurs.
As for personality, they are undeniably loveable. These bantams are curious, precocious, chatty, and don’t seem to mind a little human handling from time to time. Though, not for too long, because they’ll see something happening in the flock and need to get down asap and check out what’s going on!
Bantams are much stronger flyers than the bigger breeds, so they’ll pop up onto single story roofs, or clothes lines. They have some neato feats of flight, like turning 90 degrees mid-flight to avoid landing somewhere or on someone they don’t want to.
They are not as inclined to lay their eggs in nest boxes, and may provide impromptu Easter egg hunts at any old time. However, after the first year of finding unexpected little cache’s nestled up against the side of the house, ours seem to be using the nest boxes consistently this year. (Knock wood!) This may also be because we now have five boxes in two locations, so they have more options and can avoid the high-traffic / noisy boxes where the big girls do their thing.
While bantams are sometimes mentioned as lesser layers, and maybe some of them are, in the winter of 2022 it was Rennie and Tasse who consistently laid through the coldest days. We would find most days, if nothing else, one sweet little bantam egg in the nest box. We assume they were alternating, one day Rennie, one day Tasse. Hard to say for sure. And, they’ll never tell!
Outside of all of these lovely traits, bantams are known to be amazing mama’s, should you want one or two in your flock to bring up some little ones. The flip side of this is they can be more susceptible to broodiness. Our girls have had a few bouts of this, especially in warmer weather, but they didn’t get too locked into it with the help of a gentle removal from the nest box and being return to the great out-of-doors for some clover and distraction.
Of course, each and every chicken you bring home will likely “just get more beautiful,” to you with each season! The fleur-ed bantams with also add beautiful flowers to their plumage.