Bantam Chickens

Bantam Chicken Breeds

belgian dearded d'uccle header Belgian Bearded d’Uccle Bantam

The Belgian Bearded d-Uccle Bantam functions as a decent layer and makes for a good meat bird, as well as being unique enough to be popular as a show bird. They’re very tame and even ride on your shoulder.
booted_bantam_header Booted Bantam

Suited best as an ornamental breed, the Booted Bantam is easy to tame to the point of becoming a pet since they are calm and very friendly. They come in many varieties of colors.
campine_header Campine

Campines, despite their small size, make good egg layers, though their primary use is as a show favorite. They love the summer months but don’t do well in winter, though they don’t mind confinement.
catalana_header Catalana

The Catalana breed loves heat and thrives in it. It functions as a dual purpose bird capable of producing plenty of eggs and meat. They are, however, shy to the point of wanting to avoid humans.
fayoumi_header Fayoumi

The Fayoumi is best as an ornamental bird, as well as a research subject as they are resistant to many diseases. They are as close as possible to being wild, so they don’t make very good domestic birds.
hamburg_header Hamburg

Dubbed the “everlayer”, Hamburgs lay consistently throughout their whole lives and live pretty long. They are a hardy bird and can withstand cold climates without any trouble.
japanese_bantam_header Japanese Bantam

The Japanese Bantam is a breed that only comes in the one size: Small. They serve as great pets and show birds, but that’s it. Still, they live to be 13 and are helpful is eating weed seeds and insects in the yard.
minorca_header Minorca

Though Minorcas used to have mythical-like egg laying abilities, the current breed has slowed down production just a bit, however not enough to make them anything less than one of the strongest laying breeds.
modern_game_header Modern Game

Modern Games are skinny and lengthy, so they aren’t good for eggs or meat, but they’re great for showing off. They’re a challenge to tame, but once they’re attached to you they may even offer presents.
old_english_game_header Old English Game

Old English Game are poor layers and poor meat producers, but they’re the number one most popular show breed. Just be ready to face tough competition since hundreds of these birds compete each year.
rosecomb_header Rosecomb

Rosecombs are a true bantam and as such are used primarily on the show circuit since they don’t lay much and aren’t large enough for a meal. Expect to see a lot of these if you go to a show.
sebright_header Sebright

The Sebright is a bantam built for the show world. They are very active birds, but they aren’t aggressive and aren’t very loud, so this is a great chicken for someone needing an easy time.
silkie_bantam_header Silkie Bantam

Silkie Bantams look like a little ball of fluff due to their unique feathers. They are small, as the bantam name suggests, and do not work as anything but a show bird. Still, they’re considered very friendly.