Little Bitty Chickies

A bantam is any small variety of fowl, usually of chicken or duck. Most large chicken breeds and several breeds of duck have a bantam counterpart, which is much smaller than the standard-sized fowl, but otherwise similar in most or all respects. A true bantam chicken is naturally small and has no large counterpart.  These pint-size chickens are extra fun in a small size, making them a good choice for families with small children.

One common misconception is that they are actually a breed. This is false. The term bantam refers to the size of the chicken and can be used to refer to a variety of breeds, such as a bantam Buff Orpington or a Plymouth Rock bantam.

You can find several types but the most common are either true or miniaturized.

True bantams are those that do not have a regular sized counterpart. For example the Sebright which can only be found in bantam size. Whereas miniaturized bantams (such as Buff Orpingtons) have both bantam and regular sized varieties.

Bantam chickens often mimic their full-sized counterpart’s personality, traits and temperament. For example, a breed that is well known for egg laying (such as the Australorp), will also lay well as a bantam.

Black Tailed White Japanese Bantam
The history of these can be traced back to Japanese paintings over 300 years old. These bantams carry their tails upward and higher than the head. The wings angle down and back along the sides. Good layers, nice for show, and very popular. Because of a genetic characteristic in Japanese bantams there is no such thing as a pure short legged Japanese. You may experience some chicks with medium to long legs. The sharp congrast of their white body feathers make this breed very distinguished looking. The primary wing feathers are black with white edging, while the front wing feathers are all white. Add the bright red comb and wattles, and you have a truly majestic bird. 

One of Amaretto's first traited chickens was the Black Tailed White Japanese Bantam, one of the exciting Non-Starter Breed Birds you could get by breeding any bird with a starter bird or by breeding together two starter birds. These striking bird breeds CAN be passed on. Even though these birds are the same size as other Amaretto Chickens, they're still Bantams lol. BOK BOK Happy Breeding