by Angie Pollock

Created on: November 07, 2009

The Dutch bantam was created in Holland during the 1600s. Its lineage goes back to birds of Bantam Island that were acquired by Dutch seamen and were used on long journeys for both eggs and meat. These early birds are believed to be some of the earliest chickens that were domesticated from Indonesian jungle fowl. It would be many years later though before this unique breed made its way to the US.

The interesting tale of these bantams goes back to the size of the eggs. Larger eggs were given to the lord of the manor while the peasants were allowed to keep the small eggs. Because the bantams typically laid small eggs, the peasants preferred to breed bantams over larger breeds.

Having no large variety of the breed, the Dutch bantam is a true bantam. It is also the smallest bantam acknowledged by both the American Poultry Association (APA) and American Bantam Association (ABA). The first showing of the Dutch Bantam in the US was during the 1950s but the breed didn't draw much interest. Twenty years later, the breed finally began to gain the attention of breeders and now is quite popular in North America. It wasn't until 1992 though that the Dutch bantam was recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA).

The Dutch bantam is a small bird averaging 20 ounces. Hens generally weigh a few ounces less than cocks. They are adorned with a single comb that has five points that stand upright. The comb and wattles are both red while the earlobes are pure white. The beak, eyes, and shank colors differ depending upon the color of the bird.

This breed can be found in black, blue, blue light brown, cuckoo, golden, light brown, self blue, silver, wheaten, and white. The beak is bluish horn except on the light brown variety which has a light horn to white colored beak. The Dutch bantam's stature is upright and their tail is fairly long and quite attractive.

Excluding some roosters which have been known to be ill-tempered, the Dutch Bantam is typically a docile bird. Hens go broody easily and are caring mothers to their chicks. Due to their size, the hens are unable to cover large batches of eggs. They are not cold-hardy and require shelter and fencing. They are very good at flying so for owners who want to contain their birds, an enclosure may be required.

The Dutch bantam is a good breed for exhibition purposes and for providing a generous supply of small eggs. They are easily found for sale with chicks running about $3 to $4 each and adults averaging $15 or more depending upon if the bird is pet or show quality.

References:

STOREY'S ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO POULTRY BREEDS, by Carol Ekarius, copyright 2007.

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