Bantam Barnevelders
About the pint sized version:
The bantam Barnevelder is a good layer of dark cream eggs, whilst they should of course lay a golden brown egg like their large fowl cousins I have yet to see one in the UK that does.
They are hardy and sturdy little birds that tame well and make good pets. My bantam Barnevelders enjoy the company of people and have been easily tamed. Mine are considerably more broody than the standard size but share their predisposition for winter laying.
Single fine, or quite small comb that are easy to handle , lively, attractive and friendly. Mine live outdoors in North Yorkshire and thrive in the free range environment.
Below: This is my silver laced bantams tucking into oil-seed sprouts.
The Bantam Barnevelder is relatively rare and hails from Northern Europe just like it's large fowl cousin. Mine lay 4 to 5 eggs a week. I do not think that the bantam Barnevelders lay dark eggs any more if they ever did, the birds that were crossed in to produce them mostly produce white or cream eggs. My Silver laced bantam Barnevelders lay a speckled cream egg which is particularly beautiful.
Below is a champion bantam Barnevelder.
Both the Silver and Gold Laced Bantam Barnevelder are regular and reliable broodies and exceptional mothers.
The Double Laced Barnevelder is a wonderful bird that has a good reputation as a winter layer. To my knowledge this breed produces the most consistent supply of eggs year round without any artificial light. I chose them specifically because they are hardy birds with small combs that tolerate the cold.
Below are my Silver Laced Barnevelder bantams and a close up of their breast feathers. I bred mine myself from a silver Wyandotte bantam.
They are exceptionally pretty and have all the characteristics of the breed. The bantam males should weight between 950 and 1100g ( 2.5Lb )and the hens around 750 to 900grams. ( 2Lb )
This is a close up of the breast feathers of the Silver Laced Bantam Barnevelder (above).
This is a video of a pair of silver laced Barnevelder bantam day old chicks:
You can order Silver laced bantam barnevelder hatching eggs from our online store.
The blue bantam barnevelder.
