Bentamki is an exotic dwarf breed of chickens that unites about 10 decorative subspecies. Birds are miniature, showy appearance and good productive indicators. The article describes the characteristic features of Bentamok, breed varieties, as well as the subtleties of maintenance and care.
Origin of breed
According to one version, the birthplace of dwarf chickens is Japan. There is no reliable data on the details of breeding Bentamok and the breeds that participated in the breeding program. The first mention of laying hens and description of breed qualities dates back to 1645.
Other scientists claim that these chickens were brought to Japan from ancient India, where they appeared naturally. It is believed that wild hens were the ancestors of the layers, from which Bentamki inherited excellent immunity and a good maternal instinct.
In India, miniature hens were kept in poultry yards for decorative purposes, while roosters showed good fighting qualities. After a while, laying hens found their way to Europe, where they quickly gained popularity for their high levels of productivity. Decorative birds were brought to Russia in 1774.
Description of the breed and characteristic features of Bentamka
Bantamki are one of the oldest and most beautiful breeds in the world. On the territory of Russia, they can be found on many farmsteads, as they are not only excellent in racing, but also a real decoration of the house. These chickens are not suitable for northern regions, as they do not tolerate low temperatures well. In winter, they can freeze their legs, comb and earrings.
Chickens have a good maternal instinct, they are excellent mother hens and caring mothers. Many poultry farmers use Bentamok to hatch eggs from other chicken breeds that do not do the job well. If a brood hen gets enough food and water, then it can continuously hatch chicks for 3 months.
Appearance
All purebred birds are characterized by an unusual arrangement of the body - it is almost vertical, and the body of the roosters is more elevated. Feathered skin is light yellow, although there are subspecies with a gray-blue tint. Some varieties of Bentamoks have lush plumage on their legs, which gives the bird a special decorative effect. Chickens of this breed are characterized by low weight - from 400 to 700 g, roosters can reach 1 kg.
The small head is topped with a rosy or leaf-shaped crimson crest. The earrings are small, rounded, pink or red. Laying hens have short legs, roosters slightly longer. The tail and fly feathers are long, so it seems that the wings almost touch the ground. The body is densely feathered.
Beak is small, slightly bent, yellow. Bentamok's eyes are predominantly reddish-orange, but may also be dark brown in color. The tail is set high and has long, medium and short braids.
Breed is considered to be:
- high growth;
- weight over 1 kg;
- loose fitting plumage of the body;
- narrowed or insufficiently feathered tail;
- poorly defined crest.
Productivity
Layers of this breed have matured and begin to lay eggs from 5 months. Egg production is about 150 eggs per year, each weighing 43-45 g. Having organized good lighting in the chicken coop, you can get eggs even in winter. Some poultry farmers breed Bentamok for dietary meat. They note the excellent taste and special tenderness of the finished product.
Behavior and Features
Layers are distinguished by their curiosity and mobility. They get along quite easily with other breeds of chickens in the poultry yard, show friendliness to the owner. Bentamki have a pronounced instinct for incubation and take great care of the offspring. Despite its diminutiveness, the chicken will rush to defend its chicks from any enemy without hesitation.
The maternal instinct of Bantamok is so strong that, upon seeing the hatched chicks in a nearby nest, a young hen can leave her eggs and rush to take care of other people's chicks. To avoid this, you need to immediately move the hatched young growth to the far part of the chicken coop.
Roosters are excellent family men, they take care of their hens and protect their offspring from other representatives of the poultry yard. In the struggle for leadership between two roosters, conflicts can arise, but usually these poultry do not attack relatives. An exception may be only males of fighting varieties, which are particularly aggressive and militant.
Breed varieties
Bentamok subspecies differ in size, temperament, color and even productivity. The most popular in Europe are Dutch, Danish and Hamburg chickens, in Russia - chintz and walnut. Some varieties appeared naturally, others are small copies of large, well-established breeds obtained by breeding.
Bentamka paduan
Hens of this species are considered the largest among Bentamok. A feature of the subspecies is its color, presented in two versions:
- golden background with black splashes;
- white background with silvery splashes.
The second option is more popular, as the pattern of spots has an attractive crescent shape.
Bentamka Nanking
Nanking subspecies is considered one of the oldest, it is especially common in Asian countries. The color of the feathers on the back of the hens varies from golden to chocolate, on the tips of the wings and breast - a couple of tones lighter. The tail of the Nanking Bentamok is magnificent, dark brown. Roosters have black plumage on their chest. Legs are grayish, have no plumage.
Bentamka Peking
In some sources, the Peking Bentams are called Cochin Chicken, as they are a miniature copy of the Cochin Chicken breed. Distinctive features of the subspecies are shaggy legs, a spherical tail and a soft dense plumage of the body. At the moment, there is a wide variety of colors of Beijing decorative Bentamoks, among which there are both monochromatic (white, black, red) and variegated individuals.
Cotton bentamka
Chickens can be found in many private poultry yards in Russia. The individuals of this subspecies are characterized by a massive pinkish crest and pockmarked plumage. The main background of the color in chickens is brown or red, as if there are various-sized white spots scattered over it.
The color of the roosters is much brighter. Their chest and tail are black with a green tint, the back is bright red. Legs are yellow, short, mostly without plumage.
Altai Bentamka
The birds are distinguished by a strong body, a wide bulging chest and the presence of a lush crest on the back of the head, which completely hides the crest. The breed was bred in Barnaul at the end of the 20th century. The plumage of Altai Bentamoks on the body and legs is dense and dense. Chickens are adapted to live in cold climates, but during winter they are kept in heated chicken coops.
Most often, individuals of brown color with interspersed gray and black feathers are found. In roosters, tail feathers are painted black with a greenish tint, white and red. Also, purebred Altai Bentamki can be of calico, nut, variegated and fawn colors.
Dutch Bentamka
The most decorative variety of dwarf chickens is the Dutch Bentham. These amazing birds have black plumage and a lush white crest on their heads. The legs and beak of birds are black with a bluish tinge, the scallop is bright red. This subspecies can only be found among lovers and collectors, because it is not so easy to keep such layers.
The snow-white crest is constantly dirty during food, which not only spoils the appearance of the bird, but also harms health. Residues of feed and dirt get into the eyes, causing inflammation. In addition, roosters often get involved in fights, and other birds pull feathers from his head, inflicting severe wounds on the white-crested enemy.
Bentamka Sibright
The subspecies is distinguished by its original color - each feather has a black edging. The most common birds are sandy, gray and silvery-milky. Bentamka Sibright is an endangered species, so it is quite difficult to find a purebred chicken. Females are infertile and are poor hens (which is completely unusual for this breed).
The survival rate among chicks is very low. Immunity in young animals is weak, up to adulthood, units from the entire brood survive. Sibright roosters are militant and aggressive in nature, which makes it difficult to keep them in a common hen house and in a poultry yard.
Yokohama Bentamka Phoenix
The subspecies was artificially bred in Japan in the 18th century. The color of the hens is uniform, yellow-brown. Males have black breasts, red and gold plumage on the neck and back, and a luxurious black tail with a green tint. The length of the pigtails can reach 7 m. To maintain the decorativeness of the tail, it is wound on a special holder.
Phoenixes are usually walked on their hands, but kept in special cages. It is almost impossible to meet such a rooster in the poultry yard, usually collectors start them for commercial purposes. It is noteworthy that breeders from other countries did not succeed in developing an analogue of Yokohama birds.
Malaysian Serama
Serama is an exclusively decorative breed, bred not so long ago in Malaysia. The weight of an adult chicken barely reaches 300 g, of a rooster - 600 g. The body of birds is located almost vertically, the tail is raised at an angle of 90 degrees, and the neck is arched. The plumage of the Malaysian Seram is not too dense, the color may be different.
The legs of the representatives of the breed are widely spaced, short, yellow. The wings are wide, long. The productivity of laying hens is low, for a year up to 60 eggs weighing 25-30 g can be obtained from a hen. Birds are capricious in keeping, often get sick.
Bentamka Shabo Japanese
Shabo is one of the central branches of the breed, whose ancestors can still be found in the wild. Too short legs do not allow the bird to move quickly. The wings of the hens are wide and long, reaching the ground. The bill is yellow, almost straight.
The Japanese Bantamoks do not have a specific color; representatives of the subspecies can have both monochromatic plumage and variegated plumage. Feathers of chickens are straight and long, but for exhibition purposes curly and silky Shabo were bred.
Maintenance and care
Unlike most ornamental breeds, Bentamki do not require special conditions of detention or diet. In summer, birds are usually kept in a spacious enclosure, the area of which is calculated based on the number of heads available on the farm. For miniature Bantamoks, the area of the walking yard should be 5-6 square meters. m for 10 layers. If you plan to keep together with larger breeds of chickens, the size of the enclosure must be increased to 10 square meters. m per 10 birds.
Layers of this breed fly quite well, so experienced poultry farmers recommend pulling a protective net over the aviary. Walking yard must be equipped with drinkers and feeders, which are located around the perimeter. Nests are installed under a canopy, and perches are also erected there.
We recommend that you read the articles on the independent manufacture of drinking bowls, as well as chicken feeders.
It is advisable to dig up a part of the enclosure and sow with cereals: millet, wheat, oats. It is also necessary to build a place for taking ash baths. To do this, make a depression in the ground 30x30 cm and fill it with a mixture of sand, clay and ash heated in the sun. The ash bath can also be built using a wide basin or drawer.
“Bathing” in a sand-ash mixture, chickens will be able to independently clean off excess fat and dirt from feathers, maintaining proper hygiene. In addition, ash is an excellent prophylactic agent against various ectoparasites, which are carriers of many dangerous diseases.
Particular attention should be paid to the winter maintenance of Bentamok. Miniature chickens do not tolerate low temperatures well, so in winter they are moved to a heated chicken coop. The optimum air temperature for laying hens is 14-16 degrees. It is also worth taking care of the presence of ventilation in the room, since high humidity contributes to the development of colds and fungal diseases.
The chicken coop floor must be covered with litter: straw, peat, sawdust. In winter, the bedding layer should be about 20 cm thick. For breeds with feathering on the legs, it should be loosened every week so that the birds do not get dirty on the droppings.
Breeding and feeding
Bantamok can be bred using an incubator or using a brood hen. A young hen can hatch chickens from 6 months of age. Due to its small size, one Bentamka is capable of hatching only 6-7 chickens at a time. However, over the entire summer she can do this three times, increasing the number of broods to 20 chicks.
Do not leave more than 7 eggs in the clutch, as not all of them will be able to get enough heat due to the miniature size of the Bentamka. This can lead to the hatching of non-viable and painful chicks.
If you plan to use a layer for raising chickens of large breeds of chickens, then in this case the number of eggs should not exceed 5 pieces. Natural incubation does not require your participation, as the pronounced maternal instinct will not allow the hen to leave eggs for a long time.
Bantams are not picky about feed, so they can be fed just like other chickens in the poultry yard. The number of feedings should not exceed 3 times a day. The basis of adult chicken nutrition is high-quality whole grain. The diet must also include: vegetable scraps, succulent grass, stale black bread, cottage cheese, whey, fish waste.
In winter, green grass is replaced with wet mashrooms and potatoes. Shell rock, bone and meat-and-bone meal are suitable as mineral supplements. Be sure to include salt in the daily diet. For feeding Bentamok, you can also use industrial feed, which contains all the trace elements and vitamins necessary for the harmonious development.
Chick care
Bentamka chicks hatch on 21 days. There are approximately equal numbers of cockerels and hens in one brood, all of them have good immunity and appetite from birth. The chicks are placed in a small box, over which an electric lamp is placed for heating at a height of about 25-30 cm. The temperature around the chicks in the first week of life should be maintained at 33-35 degrees.
For the first 3-4 days, the brood should be fed at least 7 times a day. The best food in this period is chopped boiled eggs and low-fat cottage cheese. Gradually, the number of feedings is reduced and new products are added: steamed millet, corn grits, finely chopped greens. Chickens gain weight and fledge quickly enough. The survival rate of young animals is about 90%.
Advantages and disadvantages
Bentamki is an amazing breed that combines a spectacular appearance and good productivity. The main advantages of miniature layers:
- developed maternal instinct;
- good immunity;
- variety of subspecies;
- friendly nature of chickens;
- small size;
- ease of breeding;
- undemanding to conditions of detention;
- low feed intake;
- good taste of eggs and meat;
- voiced voice among roosters.
The disadvantages include:
- the high cost of a pair of Bentamoks. Many beginner poultry farmers refuse to buy, because they consider the price too high, given the small size of the bird. However, the above advantages played a role, and the breed has not lost its popularity for many decades.
Watch the video review of the Bentamka breed presented by the breeder:
Diseases and treatment
Bentams have good immunity and rarely get sick. Most often, problems arise in the absence of proper care for the birds, violation of the rules for their maintenance, contact with sick animals. Feathers should be regularly examined in order to identify alarming symptoms in time and manage to isolate the chicken before the disease has spread to the entire population.
You can suspect a disease in a laying hen by noting:
- ruffled feathers;
- lack or decrease in appetite;
- lethargy;
- violation of the stool;
- decreased egg production;
- lameness, gait disturbance.
In the presence of such symptoms, Bentamkou should immediately be moved to a cage away from other representatives of the bird's yard. The best option is to show the bird to the veterinarian. If this is not possible, you can try helping the chicken yourself by studying the information in the table below.
Common diseases of Bentamok and methods of their treatment
Name of the disease | Main symptoms | Treatment |
Colibacillosis | Lethargy, fever, thirst, wheezing. | Antibacterial drugs are used: Syntomycin, Biomycin, Furazolidone, Furazidin. |
Pasteurellosis | High fever, lethargy, ruffled feathers, diarrhea, bluish crest. | At the first signs of the disease, an aqueous solution of Tetracycline 2% or a solution of Norsulfazole is added to the feed. |
Salmonellosis | Tearing, conjunctivitis, lameness, respiratory failure. | Antibiotics are used: Chloramphenicol, Sulfanilamide. |
Abdominal dropsy | The increase and change in the shape of the abdomen, shortness of breath, decreased activity. | The disease is treated only in the initial stage. The veterinarian pumps out excess fluid from the abdominal cavity, prescribes the intake of diuretics. |
Newcastle disease | Discharge of mucus from the beak, refusal to eat, respiratory failure, depression of consciousness. | There is no cure. The infected bird and all birds in contact with it should be destroyed. |
Gastroenteritis | Diarrhea, lethargy, decreased appetite. | Normalization of diet, the introduction of dairy products. In severe cases, the doctor may prescribe antibiotic treatment for chickens. |
Poultry reviews
Igor, 49 years old, novice farmer, Barnaul. I got a few chickens and a rooster at the exhibition, so far I'm happy with everything. Chickens rush every day, eggs are small but tasty. I plan to breed the breed for commercial purposes.
Tatyana, 36 years old, amateur poultry breeder, Sverdlovsk region. I have a dozen Bantamok Shabo, this summer I plan to increase the number to 20. The birds run perfectly, not painful. I keep it in a chicken coop with other breeds, they get along well.
Irina, 56 years old, poultry farmer, Moscow region I bought a pair of fur-legged Bentamoks 4 years ago for aesthetic pleasure, then decided to breed them. The only problem I encountered during this time was the pugnacious nature of the rooster. I had to move him with the chickens to the far edge of the chicken coop and make a partition.
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Bentamki are the smallest dwarf chicken breeds in the world. They are distinguished by their spectacular appearance, disease resistance and good productivity. Chickens of this breed are easy to breed, as the layers hatch eggs responsibly and take good care of the chicks.