No Land for Chickens? No Worries!

  There are a lot of chicken lovers out there that don't have the place to keep chickens. I am definitely one of them. The backyard to my one bedroom apartment is a parking lot. But recently I found the answer for chicken lovers in my situation.
     Buy a bantam! Many of these miniature chickens are about the size of pigeons. They can be kept at home just as a parrot would be kept. I bought my "lil girl" yesterday and fittingly I have deemed her "Pidgy." She is a Wheaten Old English Game bantam. All it takes is a 2' x 1' cage, a few shavings and BAM, you have your own personal chicken coop! Each egg laid from this small chicken is about half the size of a normal egg. That means every other day you can enjoy a farm fresh egg breakfast! In my case I suppose it would be "apartment fresh" wouldn't it?

     My little Pidgy has already taken to her surroundings very well. We keep her in her crate when we can't watch her. Otherwise she is "free range," so to speak. She has already claimed the top of the TV as her favorite place to sit. Last night my boyfriend Steve and I watched a whole movie with Pidge roosting  on top of the TV, happy as can be!
      Old English Game bantams are only some of the many bantam breeds to choose from. You can find many bantam varieties that are the same as the full sized varieties. Beware, not all bantams are as small as Pidge. Make sure you know exactly how "mini" they are. Some, like the Buff Silkie Bantam, are quite large and I wouldn't recommend them as house pets. Others, like the Serama, are the smallest of all bantams.
   Good Luck!