9 Bantam Chicken Breeds

 

Content

• True bantams
• 1. Belgium d'Environ
• 2. Booted Bantam
• 3. Japanese Bantam (or Chabo)
• Small bantams
• 4. Rhode Island Red Bantam
• 5. Light Susx
• 6. Beat
• Produced bantams
• 7. Barbo D'Ucal
• 8. Seabright
• 9. Old English game
• Result

Bantam chickens are just regular little chickens. They are the best chicken breeds for small backyards and spaces. Because these birds are so small and love to fly, you can fit two bantams in a space that would only fit one different breed of chicken. On top of their small size, they have unique personalities, which make them fun to watch.

There are several breeds of chicken. In fact, the American Bantam Association lists over 400 breeds in total. There are many breeds of chicken to look at in a single article. So, we are basically going to look at the classification of three types of bantam chicken. This includes real bantams, miniaturized bantams, and manufactured bantams.

Let's get started and learn about these bantam chicken classifications as well as the nine related breeds that fall under them.

True bantams

True bantams do not have a larger bird counterpart, and they naturally occur without human intervention. Only they  come in one size, which is small. It is said that this breed of chicken was first found at a port in Indonesia. From there, they were transported around the world and adopted for other purposes.

Some of the most popular bantam breeds include the Belgian d'Annor, the Booted bantam, and the Japanese bantam chicken.

1. Belgium d'Environ

The Belgian d'Annor is the most popular true bantam chicken breed because of its amazing and generally gentle temperament. Although roosters can be aggressive, hens generally make great pets because of their gentle personalities. This breed also does well in part-time captivity, although they love to fly and have energetic personalities.

When it comes to laying eggs, females lay about two small eggs per week. This means you can rely on them for eggs, but their eggs are small with a creamy white color. Belgian d'Annivers do best in moderate temperatures, meaning environments that don't reach extremes of cold or heat.

To date, there are nine different types of Belgian d'Annivers.

2. Booted Bantam

Another popular true bantam chicken breed is the Dutch Boated. These are incredibly rare birds and have feathered legs with a non-bearded face. Hens are generally calm, but roosters can be temperamental. Like Belgian d'Anvers, booted bantams can tolerate confinement, but they will do best in a high coop due to their love of flight.

Brooded hens are expected to produce about two eggs per week. Booted bantams do best in temperate climates, meaning environments that do not reach extremes of cold or heat. To date there are five different recognized species.

3. Japanese Bantam (or Chabo)

The Japanese chabo or bantam, is an ornamental breed that dates back to the early century 7th. It wasn't until the century 16th that it was brought to Europe. This breed is incredibly distinctive, with a tail that forms straight and short legs.

Chickens are gentle, but roosters are aggressive. Most of these species do well in captivity, but they do best in temperate to warm climates. Japanese bantams do not last long in cold environments.

In general, chabos are not considered a good layer. They only lay one egg per week. The Poultry American Association recognizes nine varieties of Chabos.

Small bantams

While true bantams occur naturally in the wild, miniature bantam chickens do not occur naturally. These small breeds of chicken came into being only because of selective breeding. In other words, they are bred from specific small chickens or standard breeds.

4. Rhode Island Red Bantam

The first for miniature bantams is the Rhode Island Red Bantam, one of the most successful breeds in the world. It requires little extra help and the chickens are extremely healthy and docile, although they are known to be a bit more eager and hot-tempered than other breeds. They get their name from the color and shape of their bricks.

For laying purposes, the Rhode Island Red is one of the best. They continuously produce eggs. Good hens can produce 200 to 300 eggs per year. A more modest production estimate would be 150 to 250 eggs per year, or five to six eggs per week.

5. Light 

Light Bantams attractive very.them making a dual-purpose breed. These chickens have a very majestic appearance and a remarkable personality. Although chickens are considered moderate in temperament, they are much more confident and curious than other bantam chickens.

Like the Rhode Island Red, a light hen can lay up to 250 large eggs a year. This makes the Light of the one best breeds if you want chicken bantam for egg laying purposes. At the time same, they are very beautiful and attractive, complete with outgoing personalities.

6. Beat

Bantam martens are considered small birds with big personalities. They have a very docile temperament, which makes them perfect for herding homes. Their more outgoing personality means they are not a great fit for other bantam breeds, but they are certainly entertaining.

Bantam maroons are very easy to care for and do not require a special environment, making them perfect for beginners. They are fine in small gardens or open spaces. They can fly, which means you need to be careful about the height of the fence walls. They can lay up to 150 brown eggs in a year.

Produced bantams

The final classification of bantam chickens is the advanced bantam. These chickens are quite small and genetically enhanced by human techniques. These chickens do not exist in the wild and depend on human intervention.

Among the three classifications, advanced bantams are the most confusing. This is because some breeds can be considered advanced bantams and true bantams, causing many people to skip this classification altogether.Old English Game and Barbu D'Uccle, Sebright, are three examples of developed bantam chickens.

7. Barbo D'Ucal

The Barbo de Yocal is a bantam chicken breed that is classified as both advanced and true. It was bred around 1903, and does not have a larger bird counterpart. Some may argue that this breed is a true bantam, but it can also be considered an advanced breed of bantam as it has come into being through human selection.

These chickens are quite popular and have a gentle temperament. They are generally cheerful and very talkative, and chickens are less aggressive than other breeds. A barbo de ucal can lay 150 to 200 small eggs annually.

8. Seabright

Like Barbo d'Ucle, Sebrite can be considered a true bantam and developed. It was developed in England around the 1800s and does not have a larger bird counterpart. They have an extremely docile temperament, to the extent that they are thought to be flighty.

These hens are not good enough to lay eggs. They usually produce 60 to 80 eggs per year. Unfortunately, this breed can be difficult to maintain, making it even more difficult to raise hens that produce many eggs.

9. Old English game

Finally, the last on our list is Bantam Chicken Old English Game. These chickens are active, lively and noisy. They need a lot of space to move around and are great thieves. Roosters protect their flock, but hens socialize with other hens while they protect their young.

Result

Bantam chickens are the only small breeds that are perfect for captivity. These races can generally be classified as real, minor and advanced. You'll notice that the advanced classification is dropped in some lists because many advanced bantams are also considered true bantams. No matter the classification, bantam chickens are small in size but big in personality!