Nankin Bantam
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Dato Curioso
Nankin Bantams were historically kept by country estates and market gardens purely as broody hens — their willingness to sit on any clutch of eggs, combined with their small size and gentle temperament, made them ideal surrogate mothers for pheasants, partridges, and even guinea fowl. Before incubators were widely available, a reliable Nankin hen was a valuable agricultural tool. The breed is now critically endangered, with the Livestock Conservancy listing it as one of the rarest poultry breeds in the world.
One of the oldest true bantam breeds in the Western world, the Nankin Bantam is thought to have been brought to Europe from Southeast Asia — possibly via Nanking (Nanjing), China, hence the name — by trade ships of the East India Companies in the 17th century. It is among the few true bantam breeds with no large-fowl counterpart, making it a genuinely miniature original breed rather than a miniaturised version of an existing large breed. The Nankin is buff-orange in colour, carries a single or rose comb depending on the variety, and is one of the most reliably broody of all bantam breeds — historically used by poultry keepers as surrogate mothers for other species' eggs and chicks. Critically endangered.
🏷️ Raza
Nankin Bantam
💭 Temperamento
Docile, friendly, exceptionally broody, excellent mothers, good with children
📏 Tamaño
Small (0.6-0.7 kg)
⏳ Esperanza de vida
5-8 years
🎨 Colores
Chestnut buff throughout; black tail in cocks; single or rose comb varieties
🌍 Origen
Southeast Asia — possibly China; brought to Europe by 17th century trade ships
🏠 Hábitat
Garden or small run; manageable in very small spaces
🍽️ Dieta
Small amounts of standard poultry feed
🎯 Propósito
Ornamental
🥚 Color del huevo
Cream
👑 Tipo de cresta
Single
🏅 Clase EE
True Bantam