Gray Japanese Bantam Pair

Japanese Bantam FAQ

What is a Japanese Bantam?

The Japanese Bantam, called Chabo in Japan, is a true bantam chicken with no large fowl version. It was refined in Edo-period Japan as an ornamental bird and is known for its very short legs, large upright tail, and long wings carried low. Today it is mainly kept for exhibition.

Why do so many Japanese Bantam eggs fail to hatch?

The short legs come from the creeper gene, which is lethal when an embryo inherits 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 long-legged.

Are Japanese Bantams good for cold climates?

Not especially. Their large single combs, particularly on males, are prone to frostbite. They handle heat well as long as they have shade and fresh water.

Can Japanese Bantams free-range?

They are not well suited to it. Their short legs make wet or muddy ground difficult, and their long wings make them strong fliers. They do best in a dry, enclosed pen or aviary with clean bedding.

How long does it take a Japanese Bantam to mature?

Males need about 18 months for the tail to be complete, so young birds will keep developing well after you receive them.

How much do Japanese Bantams cost from Blue Hour Poultry?

For the 2026–2027 season, a pair is $350 plus $135 shipping, a trio is $500 plus $270 shipping, a quad is $650 plus $270 shipping, and a box of 15 assorted chicks is $900 plus $99 shipping. Elite birds are priced on request.

Are your Japanese Bantams show-ready?

No. They are top-end breeding stock from proven exhibition lines, selected to give breeders a strong start. Winning show birds also depend on conditioning, grooming, cage training, and timing to peak feather.

When and how do you ship?

Birds ship on Mondays from late October through May, except in December, by USPS Priority Mail Express from Portland, Oregon. Pickup at the farm can be arranged year-round.

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 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 (in the Japanese ideal, carried so far forward that 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.

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 American 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, carried low, 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.

Temperament & Care: Are Japanese Bantams Right for You?

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.

Why Do Japanese Bantam Eggs Fail to Hatch? The Creeper Gene

The breed’s signature short legs come from the autosomal dominant creeper gene (Cp), which not only dramatically shortens the leg but also 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.

Why Buy Japanese Bantams from Blue Hour Poultry

·       About the breeder: Blue Hour Poultry is owned and operated by Robert (Bob) Anderson in Tualatin, Oregon. I began showing poultry in the 1970s, began judging poultry in the 1980s, earned my APA Master Exhibitor in the 1990s, and successfully completed the APA judge’s licensing program. I created Blue Hour Poultry on Facebook in 2012 as a means of showcasing my birds and breeding programs.

·       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 offspring of higher average quality because it is backed up by many generations of high-quality ancestors.

·       Selecting only the best: I raised hundreds of Japanese Bantams in the 2026 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.

·       Breeding for color: Keep in mind that each color variety 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-expressed, 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 from 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. 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 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 managing the farm and do not have time to take individual photos of each available bird, but I post plenty of photos and videos on the website so you can see the quality of the genetic lines.

·       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 Priority Mail Express, which during the 2026 season has typically taken about three days (birds shipped Monday often arrive 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 transit. 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.

All orders are subject to our Terms & Conditions, which you'll also see and agree to at checkout. In short:

• Adult birds and pigeons are not guaranteed to arrive alive. If a bird is lost in transit, we may offer credit or a replacement, when available, at our discretion. Any credit covers the purchase price of the birds only.

• To report a loss, email robert@bluehourpoultry.com within 48 hours of arrival with the live count and photos of the birds and the box.

• Full refund until 14 days before the ship date; 80% after; store credit anytime. Sales are final once birds ship.

• Shipping is not refundable, including for late USPS delivery.

Shipping season: Birds ship late October through May, on Mondays and Tuesdays as weather permits, except federal holidays. We don't ship in December because of holiday delays. Birds travel USPS Priority Mail Express from Portland, Oregon (PDX) to the lower 48 states. Farm pickup by appointment, or by your trusted courier, can be arranged year-round.

Availability: Because we are a private breeder and only offer top-end birds, the number of birds we ship each season is very limited. New birds are posted as they become available, and announcements go out through the Blue Hour Poultry email list (sign up at the bottom of the home page) and the Blue Hour Poultry Facebook page.

Cancellation, live-arrival and pickup details are in our Terms & Conditions.