Are Japanese Bantams hard to breed and get chicks?

[eggcited2]

Every website that has info on Japanese Bantams all say it is very rare to have chicks out of them. However I have two Black Tail Japanese, and they had six chicks hatch this spring and we found another five chicks (newly hatched) this morning. My main question is: are they really hard to breed and have chicks or do I just happen to be graced with an unusual pair?

 

[WVduckchick]

Most Japanese bantams carry the "creeper" gene and are short-legged. Usually breeding 2 short-legged birds together results in death. I can't remember all the percentages, but do some research on the gene and it may give you some more insight.

 

[NatJ]

Most Japanese bantams carry the "creeper" gene and are short-legged. Usually breeding 2 short-legged birds together results in death. I can't remember all the percentages

The expected ratios if you breed two chickens with the creeper gene:

1/2 short legged chicks (1 copy of the creeper gene)
1/4 long legged chicks (0 copies of the creeper gene)
1/4 chicks that die before hatch (2 copies of the creeper gene)

So that would give you a 75% hatch rate if everything else works perfectly, and of course you could easily have a lower hatch rate than that.

Every website that has info on Japanese Bantams all say it is very rare to have chicks out of them.

Many hatchery websites list them for sale, so clearly they are getting chicks from their birds.

My main question is: are they really hard to breed and have chicks or do I just happen to be graced with an unusual pair?

I don't know much about Japanese Bantams in particular, but I do have a guess.
Did your birds come from a hatchery when they were chicks?

Hatchery birds may not be the best choice if you want chickens for showing, because the hatcheries select more for the ability to lay eggs that hatch into live chicks, and less for fine details of appearance. But if your chicks originated with a hatchery, that may explain why they are breeding so well

 

[50-45-1]

My black tailed white jap bantam hens were persistent broodies and good mothers. Most times brooding 2 batches each summer.
No problems of any kind here.

 

[The Moonshiner]

A lot of hatchery Japs do not carry the creeper gene so when breeding them it eliminates or really cuts down on the embryo deaths.