Bantam Pekin

Pekins are true bantams with no large counterpart although Continentals & Americans refer to pekins as bantam cochins even though there are many differences. They come from China, being brought to the UK as loot from the Summer Palace in Pekin after the Second China War of 1860. The original colour was the buff followed by many others in the UK & Europe. The popular lavender came from Holland.

Pekins are very tame, placid and confiding with an appealing round and fluffy appearance. They are wonderful for children and love being handled, hopping up onto laps & shoulders. However, they can also be bossy and fight strange birds. They have a short body & back, deep breast and short wings & tail. The head has a short beak & single comb. legs have stout thighs but are short and well spaced, covered with feathers. This description is rendered somewhat superfluous by the abundance of soft feathers which does away with any straight line. The body is rounded, the tail as well and there is loads of fluff underneath.

They do not fly but use their wings to help them along, appearing to bounce. The hens are moderate layers, but famous as broodies and are very good mothers. The large amount of feathering around the vent can affect fertility and may need trimming. They love to roam but do not need a large area. Although wet or damp conditions may not be appreciated, they love grass and I have not found it a problem with my pekins, and the leg feathers soon dry off and clean up.

We have five colours:

Buff: all over an even rich buff. Some birds may be a little lighter or darker; very pale are sometimes referred to as Lemon.

Lavender: all over a light lavender colour with a silvery tint. Mature cockerels may have paler neck hackles. Legs & feet (when you see them) are yellow.

Partridge: the male is a delight with a dark red head that passes through orange or gold-red down the neck hackles getting lighter towards the shoulders, each feather striped down the middle with black. The breast, thighs, wings, tail & underparts are green-black, the back, shoulders and wing bow crimson. Hens have a light gold or straw neck hackle with the black stripe down the middle of each feather. The rest is partridge brown with three fine pencilling marks in a darker glossy green-black.

Red: all over a rich, deep red-brown.

White: all over, a snowy white.