The Japanese Bantam

Uses: Exhibition / ornamental.

Eggs: 80 - 160 white, cream or brown eggs per year. Origin: Japan

Weight: Cock: 510 - 600g , Hen: 400 - 510g.  

Colours: Black Tailed White, Black Tailed Buff, Buff Columbian, White, Black, Birchen Grey, Silver Grey, Dark Grey, Millers Grey, Mottled Black, Mottled Blue, Mottled Red, Blue, Lavender, Cuckoo, Red, Tri-coloured, Wheaten Bred, Partridge Bred, Brown Red, Blue Red, Silver and Gold Duckwing (All are Standardised).

Useful to know: A true Bantam that is easy to tame but suffers with a lethal gene that causes 25% of chicks to die before hatching. Not a hardy bird, can be good fliers. Breeding for good type (especially short legs and correct tail angle) is not easy. For these reasons, not recommended as a beginners bird. Hens make a good broody and can make good mothers. For showing, shape is very important. Only 10 points (out of 100) are available in the British Poultry Standard for colour.

Photo: A rare Black Tailed Buff Hen. Photo courtesy of The Japanese Bantam Club.

Japanese (or Chabo) Bantams are real show birds and go back a long way in history. It is thought that they first arrived in Japan from China in the early 1600's when they started to appear in Japanese paintings. In Japan, they are called "Chabo" which means "bantam" or "dwarf" in Japanese but is also the old Japaneses name for South East Asia. They are thought to have reached the UK in the 1860's and the first Japanese Bantam Club was formed in 1912. They are a true bantam which means they don't have large fowl counterparts and are very distinctive with very short legs and very long straight vertical tail feathers with a relatively large comb and wings that are held low, touching the ground.

Japanese Bantams should be kept inside on clean, dry bedding in all but the best weather to maintain good feather condition. Feathers (especially white) will stain easily on the wing tips that drag on the floor if let out in the wet. During cold weather, it is often necessary to provide some additional heat unless they are kept in a reasonably well insulted building.

Books

• Popular Poultry Breeds - D. Scrivener - P.101 - 106
  
• Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds - C. Ekarius - P. 122 - 125
  
• British Poultry Standards - P.142 - 148
• Understanding Japanese Bantams - J.K. Palin
• Japanese Bantams - Dr. J. Batty

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