Pekin Bantam

Origin:  China

Category:  True Bantam

Egg Colour:  White or Cream

Sitter:  Yes

The Pekin is considered a true bantam, having been derived from the Cochin which came from China. British breeders selectively bred the birds down in size retaining the soft, profuse feathering, the rounded shape and the feathered legs. The Pekin is a very popular exhibition breed in Australia and has been bred in a wide variety of colours to a high standard. 

Male Characteristics

Carriage: broad, deep, plump, and well rounded, the body carried forward, but low, the head being a trifle higher than the tail. 

Head - Skull small and fine. Head short and neat. Beak rather short but stout, slightly curved. Eyes large, bright. Comb single, small, firm, perfectly straight and erect, well serrated, curved from front to back. Face smooth and fine. Earlobes smooth and fine, nearly as long as the wattles. Wattles long, ample and smooth, neatly rounded. 

Neck short, carried rather forward, with abundant and long hackle reaching well on the back. Body short and broad. Breast deep and full. 

Back increasing in breadth to the saddle, which should be very full, rise well from between the shoulders, and furnished with long soft feathers ; small short wings tightly tucked, the ends hidden by the saddle-hackle ; very short full tail, soft and minus hard quill-feathers, abundant coverts almost hiding the main feathers, the whole tail forming one unbroken curve with the back and saddle.

Legs short and well apart ; stout thighs hidden by the fluff that grows between the saddle and the thighs. Hocks completely covered with soft feathers curling around the joint and standing well out. (Note - Stiff feathers, "vulture hocks," are objectionable but not a disqualification.) Short thick shanks abundantly covered with soft out standing feathers. Toes (four) strong and straight, the middle and the outer plentifully covered with soft feathers to their ends.

Carriage bold, rather forward but low, the head not much higher than the tail.

Plumage very abundant, long, and quite soft with full fluff.

THE HEN

With the exception of the back (rising into a full and round cushion) the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOUR

THE BLACK

Beak yellow usually with dark horn. Eyes red or yellow, red preferred. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet yellow.

Plumage lustrous beetle-green to the skin, free of white or coloured feathers. Some white in undercolour permissible in the male as long as it is not visible in natural position.

THE BLUE

Beak orange-yellow, or yellow slightly marked with horn. Eyes red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet: Yellow.

Plumage of the Cock - Hackles, Back and Tail even shade of rich dark blue, free from rusty, sandy, straw or bronze markings. Remainder rich clear blue free from lacing.

Plumage of the Hen one even shade of rich blue free from lacing; "pigeon blue" preferred.

THE BUFF

Beak rich yellow. Eyes red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet: Yellow. Plumage "rich golden-buff" in the cock, and "rich sound buff" in the hen, of a perfectly even shade throughout, quite sound to the root of the feathers, and free from black, white, or bronze feathers. The colour shade of the bird should be as clear and as even as possible throughout."

THE CUCKOO

Beak yellow, or yellow slightly marked with horn. Eyes red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet yellow. Plumage light French grey, each feather evenly and distinctly barred across several times with dark slate, the markings fine and regular, and the plumage free from any white or straw tinge.

THE PARTRIDGE

Beak yellow or yellow shading to horn. Eyes red or orange, red preferred. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet rich yellow.

Plumage of the Cock - Head dark orange-red. Neck-hackle bright orange or golden-red becoming lighter towards the shoulders, each feather distinctly striped down the centre with black. Back, Shoulder-coverts and Wing-boiv rich crimson. Breast, Thighs, Upper-parts, Tail, Wing-butts and coverts, Foot and Shank Feather and Fluff, lustrous green-black, free from grey, white, or rust; primaries and secondaries bay outer web, black inner.

Plumage of the Hen - Head and Neck-hackle light gold or straw, each feather distinctly striped down the centre with black. Remainder clear, light golden-brown, finely and evenly pencilled all over with concentric rings of a dark shade (glossy green-black preferred), the whole to be of uniform shade and marking.

THE WHITE

Beak rich yellow. Eyes red or orange, red preferred. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet rich yellow. Plumage pure snow-white, free from cream or yellow tinge, or splashes of black.

FURTHER COLOURS

There are many more plumage colours in Pekins. For further varieties see the Old English Game colour standards. In all varieties the beak is yellow but may be shaded or have horn colour except in the white variety where the beak must be clear yellow. Eyes in all varieties of Pekin are red to orange. Comb, wattles, earlobes and skin of the face should be red. Shanks and feet: yellow.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Male 1.36-2.04kg

Female 1.13-1.81kg

Bantam Male 790-850g

Bantam Female 740-790g

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Twisted or drooping comb;

• Slipped or Split wings;

• Missing or deformed toes;

• Crooked breast;

• Crooked back or wry tail;

• Any bodily deformity.

• Any fraudulent dyeing, plucking, dressing, or trimming.

SOURCES

• The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629 

• The Australian Poultry Standards 2nd Edition.

• The Australasian book of poultry by Compton, A. J; Publication date 1899 Publisher: Melbourne, George Robertson and Co.Schedule for Judging Modern Australian Game. (The Standard issued by the Poultry Club of N.S.W., with a few minor additions.) https://archive.org/details/australasianbook00comp/page/n17