Pekin Bantams

Remy · **Joined:** Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:41 pm **Posts:** 13

I am fairly new to chooks and I have quickly become addicted to my little gorgeous pets. I live on a suburban block in a coastal holiday hamlet and our council regulations state we can keep 10 hens.

I have chosen to keep Beligan D'Uccles due to their size and cuteness. I currently have 4 Hens, 1 rooster (illegally) and a Silky X who is about the size of my D'Uccles. They are now all currently at Point of Lay.

Last week I visited a friend who had a few little Pekin bantams. I was quite taken with them. They were the tiny size I feel is right for a suburban back yard and very very cute.

I am thinking of buying a dozen fertile eggs and trying to hatch a few out but I might end up with more than I need, and then there is always that "rooster" issue. I am lucky to have quite a lot of farm owning friends and so far have managed to farm out a few roosters from hatched eggs.

How hardy are the Pekins? Are they reasonable layers? Are they all as small as the ones I have seen? (really tiny little balls of chook) And how easy are they to sex as youngsters?

Chickababe · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:25 pm

Hi Remy,

I can only help you with one of your questions and that's on hardiness. They are very hardy. One of my friends has only Pekins and she lives in Toolangi. This is a rather moutainous, cool winters mornings area in the Yarra Valley. I am not sure where you are located but they cope well with the odd bit of snow and don't mind the frosty mornings.

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Hi Remy
My daughter has had Pekins her whole life until a few years ago (she is grown now) and they are very hardly little balls of fluff (she changed to Orpington bantams) I do recommend that all chooks and especially bantams are kept out of draughts in the colder weather tho and kept dry as well during Winter
also you need to keep their feet clean all year round = they have feathered feet

Pekins are average layers and can go broody a bit more often than other breeds. Many keep Pekins for this reason (to save on incubators)
You may be better to buy what you want as POL pullets* as then you don’t need to worry at all abt re-housing little lads

I don’t know where you are as it is not in your profile next to the post

BUT = there is a Sale Day on at the Warragul Poultry Club tomorrow – viewing starts abt 9-30am and the sale starts abt 10am – there ought to be some Pekins there at varying prices
you would need to be there before the sale starts to decide which you want as the Pekins always sell fast

the Club puts a card showing the breed and price on each cage at 10am = the first person to take the card and pay for the birds gets the birds
there are Stewards there to help with information

* They are pullets until they go thru their first moult = then they are hens

Remy · **Joined:** Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:41 pm **Posts:** 13

Thanks for your replies. I am not near warragul at all Soozorps, but I recon that it is perhaps not a bad idea to buy a few pullets rather than hatch some eggs, that's if I can find some near me.

The D'Uccles also have very feathered feed so I am well prepared for keeping them dry. I have two chook areas in the yard although it really almost hasn't rained since I have had chooks. If we have another wet winter here, I will keep the chooks in the house! LOL.. Well, perhaps not, but I will build more roofs on some of their areas.

Our weather here is pretty mild most of the time. We certainly never see snow.

My nearest regional city is Geelong. Perhaps I should start looking for some pullets around this area.

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Go into Poultry & Waterfowl Wanted and put up a post

Make sure you put the area you are in the title
AND the areas or distance you are prepared to travel to in the post

EG: title =
WANTED Pekin POL pullets Geelong region
post content =
Looking for ABC (< number) of Pekin Bantam pullets at POL as pets
XYZ (< insert colours) colours preferred but all colours considered
prepared to travel 1 to 2hrs (< as example)
please reply via PM (or insert your email here)
Thanks
Remy

if someone has pullets spare they would contact you

TinkersCoop · **Joined:** Tue Apr 09, 2013 10:28 am **Posts:** 2

Speaking of pekins can someone confirm the colour of the furnace rooster please? Is it mostly black or light like the hens colour?

Pekin_Network_AU · **Joined:** Mon Apr 08, 2013 9:50 pm **Posts:** 1

This is one, not a show quality but the colours not too bad

Attachment:

furnaceroo.jpg [ 19.69 KiB | Viewed 3356 times ]

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Hi Pekin_Network_AU and welcome to the forum ^ I see this is your first post

thank you for the picture

TinkersCoop · **Joined:** Tue Apr 09, 2013 10:28 am **Posts:** 2

Yes thank you I thought they were mostly black.

CHOOKSIT · **Joined:** Wed Apr 10, 2013 9:06 am **Posts:** 1

Which are better brooders the pekin or the silky bantams. I want some good broody hens for hatching hamburg eggs so I need the most reliable I can get

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