What does Bantam mean?

[CountryHeart06]

So I'm a total newbie to the chicken world and I was looking at different breeds that I may get in the future and came across bantams. It seems like bantam to a chicken is like color to a horse. Like a painted quarter horse. Am I correct in this thinking that it is a type not a breed? Thanks so much!

 

[big medicine]

Bantam is a classification as to size. There are large fowl and bantams in most breeds. Kind of a miniaturized version of a large fowl.

 

[big medicine]

This photo has a large fowl light Brahma male and a bantam of the same..

 

[CountryHeart06]

Okay that helps, thank you! I was also thinking that I have only seen Bantams with feathered feet, never seen them without. Is that just coincidence?

 

[Henk69]

Most bantams have feet, feathered or not.

 

[dheltzel]

Okay that helps, thank you! I was also thinking that I have only seen Bantams with feathered feet, never seen them without. Is that just coincidence?

Many (maybe most) breeds of bantams are clean-legged. A few breeds with feathered feet (notably silkies) are very popular, so I can see how it would seem they all are. There are very few standard bred chickens that do not have a bantam counterpart. Some of the new imports do not. There are a number of bantam breeds that do not have a large fowl counterpart, at least in the US.

 

[JaceAgain]

Most bantams have feet, feathered or not.

 

[Basil G]

I explain to most people a bantam means a toy chicken translated in to the dog world

 

[CountryHeart06]

I explain to most people a bantam means a toy chicken translated in to the dog world

That's a great way to explain it! Thanks!