Pekin (chicken)

Pekin (chicken)
Pekin Bantam

The Pekin is a breed of bantam chicken. Shorter than the ordinary bantam, they are often only 20-30 centimeters tall (with head upright) and their feet and legs are completely covered by their feathers.

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Characteristics

Pekin bantams are a True bantam, a breed of miniature chicken which has no large fowl counterpart,(also known as erroneously Cochin bantams, although in the UK Cochin bantams are simply miniaturised versions of large Cochin) are round, and their carriage tilts forward, with the head slightly closer to the ground than their elaborate tail feathers. This 'tilt' is a key characteristic of the Pekin bantam. They have sometimes been described as looking like little walking teacosies, or feathery footballs. The cockerels often have longer feathers that protrude outwards from their feet. The range of Pekin colours is extensive, including black, white, buff, lavender, mottled and red - and the list is continually growing. Rarer colours are in great demand, and many breeders spend years perfecting new lines of colours in their birds.

Pekin Bantams are very docile, and with careful and regular handling they will be happy to sit on their owner's lap to be stroked and petted. They make ideal pets for families with younger children for this reason. However, the Pekin bantam cockerels can still be aggressive and defensive of their territory and mates once they reach sexual maturity, but are generally gentle natured and have been known to share incubation of the eggs.

The hens are regularly broody and are known to be good sitters and attentive mothers.

Approximate weight (metric)

Cock 680 g
Hen 570 g

History

The first Pekins are alleged to have been looted from the private collection of the Emperor of China at Peking (former name of Beijing) towards the end of the Opium Wars around 1860. However, some sources suggest that a consignment of birds from China around 1835 were given to Queen Victoria, assuming the name of 'Shanghais' and that these birds were bred with further imports and were developed into the breed we know today as Pekin Bantams. They are known in America and Canada as Cochins. This is the subject of some debate within the pekin/cochin breeders community.

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