Bantam

Origin: The Netherlands

Classification: True bantam

Egg colour: Tinted

Weight: Male 500-550g, female 400-450g

History

The breed first appeared here from The Netherlands, where it has been around for a long time, in the late 1960s. There are now 13 standardised colours here, although there are many more in Holland.

Characteristics

Male

Carriage: upright and jaunty.

Type: back very short, broad at the shoulders, slightly sloping, saddle short and broad with abundant hackle running smoothly into tail coverts. Breast carried high, full and well forward. Wings relatively large and long but not too pointed, carried low and close. Tail upright, full and well spread, with well-developed and curved sickles.

Head: small, face smooth. Comb single, small, with five serrations tending towards flyaway type. Beak short and strong, slightly curved. Eyes large and lovely, wattles fine, short and round. Ear-lobes small and fine, oval to almond shape.

Neck: short, curved and finely tapered with plentiful hackle.

Legs and feet: legs well-spaced and straight, thighs short, shanks short and free from feathering. Toes four, well spread.

Plumage: luxuriant and lying close to the body, with plentiful sickles, side hangers and coverts.

Female

Similar to the male, allowing for normal sexual differences.

Colours

Gold partridge (black-red), silver partridge (silver duckwing), yellow partridge (yellow duckwing), blue silver partridge (blue silver duckwing), blue yellow partridge (blue yellow duckwing), blue partridge (blue-red), red shouldered white (pile), cuckoo partridge (crele), cuckoo, black, white, blue, lavender (pearl-grey).

In both sexes and all colours, eyes orange-red to brownish-red. Comb, face and wattles red. Ear-lobes pure white.

Defects

Long narrow build. Carriage too sloping. Large glossy white or reddish ear-lobes. White in face. Wrong coloured legs or eyes. Whipped tail, Under-developed ornamental feathers in males. Any splashing or spotting in plumage.