Chickens

Bantams

Gallus domesticus

Bantam Chickens are miniature chickens, often (but not always) resembling a larger breed of chicken. This history of the bantam chicken is not known with certainty but most believe that they were engineered (through selective breeding of smaller and smaller regular chickens) to live comfortably inside European cities, where people often have small gardens but less frequently have room to keep full-sized chickens. Bantams are thought to have been intended not only as pets but as egg-layers and as meat-birds. Bantams lay small eggs. It takes 2-3 bantam eggs to equal the size of a standard chicken egg.

Modern Game Bantams are less than a foot tall, with very long legs and a long, slender neck. Their feathers are not as soft as other chickens, and they have quite a short, fan-shaped tail, but in sun-light, their dark body feathers shine with iridescent greens.

D'Uccle bantams are a Belgian species of miniature chicken. They are round, stocky birds with flecked coloration on their feathers. Many have feathers on their legs and feet (called "booted" d'Uccles), have puffy cheek feathers, and some have puffy chin feathers (called "bearded" d'Uccles). Bearded booted d'Uccle bantams are considered "True Bantams" because there is no equivalent standard-sized chicken.

Photograph © Falconer Photo 2010

Goldie

Near as I can tell, Goldie (third photo) is a Buff Mottled d'Uccle bantam. She is golden tan/brown and has big fluffy feathers on her feet. She has a little red crest and puffy cheek-feathers, giving her a very distinctive look. Though she's a girl, not a boy, she makes almost as much noise as a rooster! She calls and squawks every morning and every evening! She is very friendly and happy to have kids and adults pet her!

Photograph © Erin Koski 2011

Honey

Honey is our newest hen to the flock and boy is she a tough cookie! She immediately determined that her place in the "pecking order" is right on top. Honey is extremely friendly and very pet-able. For a hen, she has a very large crest on her head and, like Goldie, she's a loud talker too!

Chica

Chica is a Modern Game Bantams. Though she does not like to be picked up or petted, she often joins one of our friendlier chickens and keeps them company on our talks.