Japanese Bantams
The True Ornamentals of Exhibition Poultry
I think of the Japanese Bantams as a fine porcelain figurine, small and with a rounded body on shortened legs that offers the appearance of stability. From the exaggerated long tail and wings to the broad head and large comb, everything about this breed reads ornamental.
Perhaps no other breed better represents the Japanese aesthetic than the Japanese Bantam. It embodies the Japanese wabi-sabi worldview of finding beauty in imperfection and simplicity. With its short legs, round body, large wings and sweeping upright tail the silhouette appears off-balance or imperfect by western standards. In Japanese aesthetics, the intentional imbalance is part of the charm – the short legs and rounded body appearing humble and grounded, the large wings touching the ground signifying softness and vulnerability, and the upright tail a single dramatic accent like the upward brush stroke of a sumi-e painting.
The Japanese embody the refined style of Iki, which denotes elegance without flamboyance. Their silhouette is bold but not busy, their disposition poised, while their upright tail and lowered wings create a formal stance so the bird always appears to be posing - a living example of Edo-period chic. Japanese Bantams have a delicate quality with short legs and wings that drag the ground, that make them appear vulnerable. This evokes the gentle emotional resonance of Mono No Aware, the bittersweet awareness of beauty’s fragility. The bird’s form feels transient, tender, and emotionally evocative – like the cherry blossoms or a tender moment in a Haiku.
The Japanese Bantam was shaped during the Edo period when the leisure classes cultivated ornamental animals. Like traditional Japanese artists, the creators of this breed simplified several elements such as the body and legs while emphasizing one single dramatic element in the long and upright tail. The result is a bird that is intentionally imperfect, like a bonsai, and instantly recognizable. One could picture these small creatures decorating a walled garden or courtyard. We are fortunate that Japanese Bantams of the highest quality are now widely available to breeders and exhibitors in the United States.
A Breed with History
The Japanese Bantam is one of a handful of breeds that is instantly recognizable and known around the world. In their native Asia they are known as Chabo. In the United States and much of the English-speaking world they are known as Japanese Bantams. In their native Asia they are known as Chabo. In much of the Spanish-speaking world they are known as Nagasaki, the port from which Dutch traders were known to have first transported these birds to Europe.
Origins in Asia
The breed’s ancestors almost certainly came to Japan from Southeast Asia through trade in the late 1500s or early 1600s. The name “Chabo” is often traced to Champa, an old kingdom in what is now central Vietnam, though that link isn’t proven. Once in Japan, the birds were refined during the Edo period (1603–1868). Wealthy and aristocratic fanciers bred them purely for ornament. They selected for the very short legs, the tall upright tail held well past vertical so it nearly touches the head, the large single comb, and the low, squat carriage. Chabo appear in Edo-period art, notably the 18th-century bird paintings of Itō Jakuchū. Japanese fanciers developed a very large range of colors and feather types, each with its own traditional name. Over time these came to include frizzled and silkie-feathered forms as well as normal plumage. Japan later designated the Chabo a Natural Monument, which gives it protected heritage status alongside breeds like the Onagadori.
Arrival in Europe
For most of the Edo period Japan was largely closed to foreigners. Dutch traders at Dejima in Nagasaki were the main exception, and the earliest Chabo to reach Europe probably came through that channel, possibly as early as the 1600s. They became better known in Britain and continental Europe in the mid-1800s, when exhibition poultry became fashionable. Germany and the Netherlands in particular developed strong Chabo fancies, and German breeders still keep a wide range of colors and feather types. In Britain the Poultry Club included the breed in its standards early on. British and European standards tend to call for a very low, compact bird with a massive tail.
History in the US
Japanese bantams were in American poultry circles by the mid-1800s and were among the breeds in the American Poultry Association’s first Standard of Perfection in 1874. The early recognized varieties were the classic ones: Black-tailed White, White, and Black. Over the 20th century more varieties were added, such as Gray, Black-tailed Buff, Mottled, and Barred. The American Bantam Association, founded in 1914, has generally recognized a broader list than the APA. Today the breed is mainly an exhibition bird in the US, kept and promoted by specialty breeders and a breed club. American judging has historically put heavy weight on extremely short shanks, a tall tail with long sickles and wide main tail feathers, and a short neck with the head carried back toward the tail.
Creeper Gene
The breed’s signature short legs come from the autosomal dominant creeper gene (Cg), which not only dramatically shortens the leg and makes the shank more stout. For those who desire to breed Japanese, it is important to note that the creeper gene is lethal when an embryo carries two copies. When two short-legged birds are mated, about 25% of embryos die in the shell, about 50% hatch short-legged, and about 25% hatch with normal legs. The normal-legged birds cannot be shown but still can be useful in breeding programs. This has shaped Chabo breeding everywhere and explains why hatch rates are often disappointing. Some breeders mate short-legged birds to long-legged ones, which avoids the lethal combination while still producing about half short-legged chicks. In my program I consistently breed short leg to short leg.
Tom Chandler once mentioned that the “medium leg” Japanese Bantams will show just as well as the short leg Japanese. At first this didn’t comport because the Creeper Gene should produce only long and short legged offspring, with the embryos homozygous for Creeper dying early in the development process. Following a discussion with Brian Reeder, I learned that there are at least two recessive, non-lethal leg shortening genes that can be present in Japanese Bantams (cp1 and cp2): “I have also been able to study the two recessives in other breeds that lack the dominant creeper gene. In both the Ohiki of Japan and the Serama of Malaysia (both of which are descended from Chabo), the lethal autosomal dominant creeper gene has been bred out. Yet, both breeds can produce remarkably short legs.” (An Introduction to Form and Feathering of the Domestic Fowl by Brian Reeder). He surmises that in the early days of breed development when breeders were breeding short-legged bird to short-legged bird they likely combined a number of genetic factors. So exhibition-quality Japanese can be produced without the creeper gene using one of the recessive skeletal shortening genes. The effects of the two recessive creeper genes are additive and together can produce a bird with almost no shank.
It appears that any combination of these three genes can run through exhibition Japanese Bantams in the US, and the particular leg shortening genes can vary by line, color variety, and family.
Temperament & Suitability
The Japanese Bantam is a true ornamental breed that does well in confined spaces. Their long wing-to-body ratio means they are excellent fliers and so need to be housed in an enclosed pen or aviary. They are one of the better bantam breeds for people who want birds they can handle, which helps with cage training for exhibition. The birds can be flighty when startled but quickly settle back down when in a familiar routine. I have found that temperament varies somewhat from color variety to color variety, with the Black Tailed White and White among the most calm, though all respond well to handling and coop training. These birds excel as an ornamental fowl, which is what they were bred for. The females, much like Cochin Bantams, have a tendency to go broody especially when eggs are not collected which makes them useful for hatching their own eggs as well as the eggs of harder-to-hatch breeds such as the Sebright.
While Japanese Bantams handle heat well (they still require shade and fresh water), they are not suited for cold as the large combs, particularly on the males, are prone to frostbite. Due to their short legs, the Japanese Bantam also is not well suited to wet or muddy conditions or free-ranging. They do best in a dry enclosure with clean bedding. I use deep pine shavings. Mixing with larger breeds is not recommended.
Our Color Varieties
This list includes all color varieties I currently breed. Some of these are minor colors that I keep in small quantities so there are only a handful offered each year: Barred, Black, Black Breasted Red, Black Tailed White, Blue, Blue Tailed White, Ginger Red, Golden Duckwing, Gray, Silver Duckwing, Splash.
Each of these color varieties has its own history and breeding idiosyncrasies. Some of the color varieties I keep are highly perfected for exhibition. Some of the color varieties are not accepted for exhibition by either the APA or APA. And some of the color varieties that are recognized for exhibition I consider to be very rare or in a project state.
The American Poultry Association recognizes nine color varieties for exhibition: Barred, Black, Black Tailed Buff, Black Tailed White, Brown Red, Gray Birchen, Mottled, Wheaten, & White.
The American Bantam Association recognizes eighteen color varieties: Barred, Black, Black Breasted Red, Black Tailed Buff, Black Tailed Red, Black Tailed White, Blue, Blue Tailed White, Brown Red, Buff, Gray, Mottled, Self-Blue, Silver Duckwing, Silver Laced, Wheaten, White, & Bearded White.
Breed Standard & Physical Characteristics
The Japanese Bantam is considered a “true bantam” that has no large fowl counterpart. They are shown in the Single Comb Clean Legged class. It is judged mainly on type, meaning shape and carriage, with leg length and tail carriage weighted heavily. The overall look should be a very low, short, compact bird with a huge upright tail. Seen from the side, the short neck, full hackle, and short back combine with an upright or slightly forward tail to create a “U” shaped back.
Shape and carriage
• Body: Short, broad, and deep, set very close to the ground.
• Back: Extremely short, dropping quickly from the neck into the tail.
• Breast: Full, rounded, and carried well forward.
• Tail: Large, well spread, and carried upright. The ideal is slightly forward of vertical, so the tail leans toward the head. Males should have long, broad main tail feathers and long sickles with a graceful curve. Hens’ tails are also upright and well spread, with the main feathers overlapping neatly.
• Wings: Long and large, with tips trailing the rear of the stern and not quite touching the ground.
• Neck and head: The neck is short, carried back toward the tail, and covered with full hackles. The head and comb are proportionally large for the body.
Why Blue Hour Japanese Bantams
• Years of experience: Chickens have been my lifelong passion that began in the 1970s. My love of poultry began when I was a child and fascinated with birds and my parents enrolled me in the 4-H program. Since then I have bred a number of breeds, judged, consulted, educated, and shared the fruits of my labor. When it comes to selection, I have an eye for detail and maintain focus on the big picture. I have a deep understanding of color genetics, but breed type always comes first. Creating a line of top quality birds is complex, iterative and requires time and knowledge. There is no shortcut. This consistent focus on quality is how I keep my birds at the fore nationally, and when I offer birds for sale you are getting not only the birds but the benefit of many years of skilled work that have gone into creating them.
• Focus on genetics: In livestock, genetics are everything. If you want to be at the top you need to start with the best. There is no amount of alchemy that will magically turn second tier genetics into a winning line of birds. I believe in the power of genetics and it is why, when I start in a breed, I look for the top breeders in the country for my start. When I began with Japanese Bantams, I procured birds from two top breeders in the US: Tom Chandler of Indiana and Gamini of California. There is an adage that a breeder would be better off with an average bird from a proven line than an exceptional bird from an unstable line, and that is because the bird from a proven line has what we call “power” – the ability to sire higher average quality due because it is backed up by many generations of high-quality ancestors.
• Selecting only the best: I raised hundreds of Japanese Bantams this season and have gone through a methodical selection process – removing birds with long legs, disqualifications, and serious defects. As the birds have matured I have continued removing birds that don’t meet my type, feather, and color requirements. While there is no such thing as a perfect bird, and some of these color patterns are in what I consider to be a project phase, the number of birds that I offer for sale compared to what I hatch is relatively small. What I am offering for sale are birds that I would personally use in my breeding program.
Before you buy:
• Natural variation in type and color: Birds are not created from injection molds in a factory. They are living animals with complex genomes and genes that can resegregate in any number of different ways. The value is in the many years of breeding behind the bird, which makes them more genetically sound, with more emphasis on the traits that define the breed, and higher prepotence which translates into increased likelihood of producing higher quality offspring on average. What I offer are premium genetics with many years of skilled selection behind them that translate into more powerful breeding birds.
• Breeding for color: Keep in mind that each color varieties has its own history and its own breeding requirements. Some of these color varieties are more perfected than others. Black Tailed White is one of the most perfected varieties for type, but the color genetics can be complicated in that color for the hackle, wing, and tail are all inherited separately, and strong color in one area can mean weaker color in another area. Melanization in all chickens is sex-express, so the females naturally tend to run darker, so sometimes a bit of black ticking in the hackle of a female can be useful for adding depth of color in the tail covers of the male. Like everything in breeding, balance is key and proper pairing is what will get results. I encourage everyone to become familiar with the color genetics behind the variety they choose (the book An Introduction to Color Forms of the Domestic Fowl by Brian Reeder is one I often recommend and is available on Amazon). If you have questions, by all means ask.
• Not show-ready: Everyone wants a show bird. I understand that. I also know what goes into producing a bird that is ready to win a show. It is not only the genetics, it’s the feed, care, conditioning, and grooming. It’s conditioning coops and cage training. It’s showing a bird that is in peak “bloom” or feather, which lasts only a short time. In other words, it’s a very specific bird that has been fastidiously cared for that is in peak feather and properly cage trained. The birds I’m offering are the top end of what I raise and I send the best birds available. This is to give other breeders the start they need to hatch their own birds and select their show birds form the young they produce. I intentionally do not market my birds as “showbird-in-a-box”. You can show them if you like, and many people do, but what I am offering are high-end genetics and the birds are priced accordingly. If you want something elite or very high end, message me for availability and pricing.
• 18 months to maturity: Japanese Bantams require time to mature. The males, in particular, require about eighteen months for their tail to be complete. When you purchase young birds, know that the birds will continue to mature and change with time. With this breed in particular, patience is critical.
• Quality: Buying birds is an investment. The birds I ship are not a commodity and you cannot find them at a feed store. People buy from me because I take my work with the birds seriously and have a long history of producing top-notch birds. I consider these birds living art and they are an extension of me. I am a private breeder who has decided to share my top birds with the public, which is something many breeders will not do. Access to premium genetics to begin your program is what makes these birds worth the initial investment. It gives you a leg up on other breeders and exhibitors right out of the gate, and one that can be maintained long-term. I am one person here managing the farm and do not have time to take individual photos of each available bird. I do post plenty of photos and videos on the website so you can see the quality of the genetic lines. There are no perfect birds. What I send are birds I would breed from myself. If you have specific requirements or would like a bird that is very high-end please contact me for availability and pricing.
• Shipping Risk: There is risk inherent in shipping birds. I do everything within my power to make sure the birds arrive safely to you – using approved boxes and packing them with grain and cucumber for travel. My primary means of shipping is USPS Express mail, which is normally taking three days now (birds shipped Monday have often been arriving Thursday morning). Once the birds leave my hands they belong to you. I do not guarantee anything I cannot control, including how long it takes the birds to get to you or loss in transite. There is no refund for birds that arrive late. If you experience loss in transit, the USPS guarantees up to $100 per box, which you will need to file for online. I will provide you any information you need for a claim. In general, I have had very good success shipping this way and birds generally arrive alive and in good health. Getting them into a clean coop as soon as they arrive and adding some electrolytes to their drinking water will help them recover quickly from their travel.
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