Origin: Peking, China. Eggs: 120 - 160 White / Cream.
Weight: Cock: 680g Max.Hen: 570g Max.
Colours: Black, Blue, Buff, Cuckoo, Mottled, Barred, Birchen, Columbian, Lavender, Partridge, Silver Partridge, White (Standardised UK).
Useful to Know: Known as Cochin Bantams outside of the U.K. although there are differences between them.
Photo: A Black Pekin Bantam owned by Mr. A. Floyer. Photo courtesy Rupert Stephenson.
Pekin Bantams are true bantams, they have no large counterpart. They were originally Cochin Bantams when they arrived in the UK, however they had no relationship to large Cochins and looked quite different. They came from a different place (Peking in China) so after much debate over many years, they were renamed as 'Pekin Bantams'. Around the rest of the World, Cochin Bantams are similar in appearance to the British Pekin Bantams although breed standards are slightly different.
The first (Buff) Cochin Bantam were originally thought to have been found in Peking in the gardens of the Emperor's palace that was looted in 1859 by some of the 11'000 British and 6'700 strong French forces during the opium wars. Further birds were imported in later years and further colours followed, some, like the white being from white 'sports' that hatched from Buffs, crossed with white Booted Bantams.
The Pekin 'Type' requires the selection of birds with short shanks to encourage the forward tilt.
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