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Bantam (chicken)

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A Bantam Buff Brahma Rooster

A bantam is any small or miniature fowl; the term bantam refers most commonly to small breeds of chickens. Many standard chicken breeds have a bantam counterpart, sometimes referred to as a miniature. Miniatures are usually one-fifth to one-quarter the size of the standard breed, but they are expected to exhibit all of the standard breed's characteristics. Some examples of breeds with bantam counterparts are the Plymouth Rock, the Australorp, and the Wyandotte.

A true bantam has no standard-breed counterpart. Examples of true bantams include the Dutch bantam, the Belgian bantam, the Rosecomb, and the Sebright.

Bantams have become increasingly popular as pets as well as for show purposes because they are smaller and have more varied and exotic colors and feather patterns than other chickens. They are great for smaller backyards as they do not need as much space as other breeds. It has been said that Bantam hens are calmer than standard hens. Bantam hens are also used as laying hens, although it takes two to three Bantam eggs to make one standard chicken egg.

In contrast, the Bantam rooster is famous in rural areas throughout the United Kingdom and the United States for its aggressive, "puffed-up" disposition that can be comedic in light of its diminutive stature. It is often called a "Banty" in the rural United States.