Dutch Bantams Breed Thread

[BobbieJo81]

DUTCH BANTAMS are one of the oldest BREEDS of Bantams in The Netherlands and still the most popular breed in that country. (I was able to visit their 50th Anniversary Show of their Hollandse Krielenfokkers Club--500 Dutch Bantams and very few that I would not have loved to bring home!!!!! Imported to the US, (few, and only several varieties), hey were accepted by the American Bantam Association in 1987, after a Dutch Bantam Society was formed in 1986.. Sadly, wanting more varieties, they were crossed with OEGB to immediately change the Dutch to a backyard bantam type, neither OEGB nor Dutch. A few breeders kept the imported lines, but breeding to a "changed" Standard, they did not meet the great quality of the birds of Holland. NOW, some later imports from leading breeder/exhibitors in Holland have brought many, to very best TYPE, a unique bantam breed, and yet only a few varieties in the "real deal". Hatchery dutch are crossbreds, varieties never bred in DUTCH and look like "backyard banties"--healthy chicks, but not DUTCH. They could rarely meet the standard language of color, pattern, shape of the birds. Breeders who do not learn about the breed, may offer chicks or birds they have bred from Hatchery dutch--so ask for pictures and bloodlines, if you purchase birds to be shipped. Eggs or chicks can tell you almost nothing about the adults they grow into! There are websites with information about the DUTCH BANTAMS. People who see the lovely ones, want them. They have been truly nice birds for SHowmanship for Juniors/Youth. I have not learned how to post pictures of true DUTCH, but may have to learn, as there seems to be mostly misinformation about the Breed! DUTCH BANTAMS are worth all efforts to obtain correct ones--whether you want Show birds or lovely backyard bantams distinctly beautiful. (I like ALL bantam breeds, but chose DUTCH to study, breed, and it has made lifetime friends here and abroad, and into old age!)

Amen!! @Joshua G , this is the lady that you want to talk to

 

[JeanR]

Dutch Bantams are bred in Light Brown (not a description of the color at all), Blue Light Brown, Cream Light Brown, Blue Cream Light Brown, Silver, Wheaten, in pure Dutch. Other varieties are White (cross of Bantam Leghorns) Black (crosses of OEGB and Black Rosecombs), Blue Silver, Blue (both crosses with OEGB) Cuckoo, Self Blue (OEGB cross)and pure Dutch in Mille Fleur, Cream Mille Fleur, Buff Columbian, Blue Buff Columbian. Others made--and expect others in pure Dutch. Light Brown are usually the best type birds to start with, and are NEVER like the BBRed of OEGB. 4H Clubs often have the American Bantam Assn. Standard book available to see the description of the bantam breeds. Membership in the Dutch Bantam Society includes 4 Newsletters a year with information about Dutch and contacts with breeders and Shows, where they may be seen.

In Holland, there are more than 20 varieties, some seldom seen, like Lavender Cuckoo. Some are difficult to breed, like the Mille Fleur color and pattern and are really advanced breeding projects.

 

[Englewood]

Do Dutch pullets have a blue/green ear lobe? I have a pullet of unknown breed with blue/green ear lobes and think that she might be a Dutch.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Do Dutch pullets have a blue/green ear lobe? I have a pullet of unknown breed with blue/green ear lobes and think that she might be a Dutch.

When Dutch Pullets start maturing, their earlobes slowly develop and turn white. So, its possible that your pullet is a Black Dutch. However, white earlobes don't make a Dutch Bantam-- what color are her feet/legs? And, a side photo showing her body would be helpful, too.

 

[GaryDean26]

Are there any Cream Light Brown breeders that could help me with culling and pairing tips for improving that color?

 

[Englewood]

Here is a better pic of her. She has black legs and white tips on her longest wing feather.

 

[JeanR]

She is definetly NOT Dutch. Actually, nothing about her fits the TYPE of the Dutch. Black Dutch in the US have been "made" from other bantam breeds, and although progress has been made--there are some very nice ones, very popular in some areas, but even in Holland and Britain, they are not the quality of the Light Browns, Blue Light Browns, Cream Light Browns and Blue Cream Light Brown in DUTCH. We have no breeds of bantams in the US that are compatible with Dutch, so crosses are just that--crosses.(Black crosses.)
These pullets do not appear to be small, do not have short shanks, darkest blue shanks and feet. Glossy plumage, greenish sheen. Shape of the body is not Dutch at all, neck not Dutch shape, short rounded back with good cushion running up the tail, flared, carried well up, with rounded top feathers and good fairly long, tail feathers (at least 2X7 tail feathers)- Wings fairly large, carried low, swept back under the tail to almost touch. Eye of a Dutch is "tomato" reddish.

However, that does not mean she is not a dear Bantam to be enjoyed!

 

[suyoder]

Ok, gonna but into the conversation here.

I was told that these were Old English Game Bantams, but when i posted pics to the OEGB thread, they said that they think they are dutch bantams. Any thoughts? And what color would they be?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/311466/show-off-your-old-english-game-bantams/990#post_13697241

 

[suyoder]

No thoughts? Here's some pictures since it must be too hard to click the link...

 

[Gavwyn]

I purchased two hatchery quality Dutch Bantams from my local Tractor Supply the first week of March 2014, so they are 16 weeks old this week. I THOUGHT they were both pullets - until I heard a crow coming from their pen yesterday! I raced across the lawn over to their pen to see which one had crowed, but regrettably, by the time I got there, the crowing had stopped, so I couldn't see which one of them actually made the noise.

Here's my question: I'd always thought the shape of the saddle feathers were a reliable indicator of sex, but maybe this isn't always the case for bantams? This is my first time raising bantams, so I'm not too knowledgeable in this area. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Perhaps its hard to see this photo, but in real life, they BOTH look like they have very rounded pullet-shaped saddle feathers. And I know that the one on the right has a very red comb & wattle, but the vivid red coloring only started happening within the last week. Since I'd heard that bantams typically mature faster than standard breed hens, I just assumed that the vivid red & growth of "her" comb & wattle meant she was going to start laying eggs soon. Silly me!



Here's a helpful photo I found online, showing the difference between saddle feathers on pullets (shown on the left) vs. cockerels (shown on the right):



I once had a Blue Andalusian hen who was the top bird in a flock of all hens and she would occasionally crow, so could it possibly be that these two chicks are indeed pullets, and since they live in the pen all alone, the dominant hen crowed? What do you think? Is the one on the left a cockerel?

Many thanks in advance for your help!