The following page lists all the bantam breeds I currently keep along with some interesting background information on each breed which makes them all so different.
The Maran was developed in the mid 1800's in the town of Marans in France where they were bred for their meat and eggs, the meat was later introduced to London where is grew very popular. However the Maran's chocolate coloured eggs became it's claim to fame which have helped the breed to remain popular to this day.
The Vorwerk was created by Oskar Vorwerk in Germany around 1900 with the breed later been standardised in 1913, but the bantam was only recognized in 1963. The Vorwerk was developed to be a good layer and they have proven to have retained this characteristic producing a lovely white egg. The bantam Vorwerk has only been in the UK for a very short time and are regarded as a rare breed. I only saw my first bantam Vowerk in 2006 at the Federation show in Stafford and was hooked by their striking appearance.
Gold Partridge Pekin Cockerel
Gold Partridge Pekin Cockerel and hens.
Vorwerk Hen.
Vorwerk Cockerel.
Bantam Maran Group.
Silver Partridge Pekins.
Silver-Pencilled Wyandotte hen.
Wyandottes are an American breed with the first variety, the Silver Laced been developed in 1883. The Wyandotte bantam is a miniature of the large fowl version having the same appearance with a rose comb, red ear lobes and the lovely yellow legs that making them such a beautiful bird. There is a huge variety of colours available, but I have chosen to concentrate on the Silver-Pencilled variety.
The Sussex Bantam originates in Britain in around 1920 and is the smaller version of the Large Fowl Sussex. They have a placid nature and are able to cope well with our British climate. This breed are good layers with them often laying even during the winter months.
This breed comes in a large variety of colours but I have chosen to focus only a few colours including gold partridge and silver partridge which are beautiful colours with brightly coloured cockerels and lovely patterened hens. Pekins originate from Beijing arriving in the UK as part of the loot taken from the Emperor's Palace by the British and French forces in 1860. A wonderfull ball of feathers they possess great characters making them a favourite with family members of all ages.
