Pekin bantam
The Pekin bantam, or Cochin bantam, is a variety of bantam chicken. They are shorter than the ordinary bantam, often only roughly 20-30 centimeters tall (with head upright) and their feet and legs are completely covered by their feathers. Pekin bantams are round, and their plumage hangs to the ground. They look like little walking teacosy. The cockerels often have long feathers that protrude outwards from their feet. They come in a lot of different colours e.g. black, white, buff, lavender and speckled.
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 state that a consignment of birds from China around 1835 were given to Queen Victoria and assumed the name of 'Shanghais'. These birds were bred with further imports and were developed into the breed we know today as the Cochin.
Pekin Bantams are docile and can be tamed so that they will sit on one's lap if petted appropriately. The Pekin bantam cockerels, however, can still be aggressive and defensive of their territory and mates.
Despite their size, Pekin Bantams are well known for being stubborn broodies and wonderful mothers, similar to the Silkie. Many poultry keepers have used Pekins to hatch the eggs of other hens which aren't broody at the time. The profuse feathering on the shanks (legs) and on the rump keep the eggs very warm.
Children love to cuddle and pet the little bantams and they make excellent pets. But if a Pekin is broody, it may peck or fury and therefore might scare young children. To keep the hen from going broody, try not to let eggs sit in the nest for a long period of time. If your Pekin Bantam is already broody, try these remedies:
- Put hen in a small wire-bottomed cage away from other chickens.
- Hang afore-mentioned cage in the air.
- Put ice cubes in the nest box and place hen on top of them.
- Move the hen to a completely different locality - They can think they have left their eggs behind, so stop being broody
- As a last resort: Put the hen in a separate cage with a young, active cockerel (Rooster under 1 yr old).
If one of these remedies fails, try another. If all fail let the hen be broody but don't allow her to sit on the eggs. If your broody Pekin is not eating, feed her with your hand. You can also place a clean water source within reach, but not so close that she could spill it on her eggs. (As the chicken gets closer to hatching her eggs, she will get off her nest to eat and drink less often, so it is important to check up on her regularly)
To stop a hen from being broody, it is also useful to put her somewhere with lots of light and a good air circulation.
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