Where Did the Porcelain Bantam Come From?

Bantam chickens are usually miniature versions of larger breeds, but the porcelain bantam is a true bantam, meaning there is no larger-size chicken from which it was bred down. The porcelain bantam is a specific color variety of the Mille Fleur chicken, which in turn is a color pattern of the Belgian bearded d'Uccles breed. As the name implies, this breed originated in Belgium, but its ancestors were Dutch birds.

  1. Booted Bantam

    • The ancestors of the Belgian bearded d'Uccles are the booted bantams. First appearing in Holland in the 1600s, where the breed goes by the name Dutch Booted Sabelpoot, these feather-legged chickens originally came from the Far East, either Burma or China. They were bred in the United States by the mid-19th century. The American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection admitted the white variety into its records in 1879. The porcelain variety was not entered into the APASP until more than a century later, in 1996.

    Belgian Bearded d'Uccle

    • Known in Europe as the Belgian d'Uccle Bantam and in the United States as the Bearded Belgian d'Uccle, this poultry breed was named for small town of Uccle, just outside Brussels. Chicken breed aficionados believe the Belgian d'Uccle results from a cross between the booted bantam and the Antwerp bearded bantam, also known as the Barbu d'Anvers. This explains the presence of the small beard on the chicken, along with the feathered legs.

    Mille Fleur

    • The porcelain bantam's color is a dilution of the Mille Fleur pattern. Mille Fleur translates as "thousand flowers," and the birds are renowned for their distinctive coloration and patterning. The Mille Fleur's base color is deep red, with every feather featuring a black crescent shape and a white tip. Beside porcelain, other color variations include the white, blue, mottled, black and golden neck.

    Porcelain Bantam

    • Porcelain bantams are known for their friendly dispositions. According to Murray McMurray Hatchery, it differs from Mille Fleur bantams only in that its base color is a pale blue rather than red. Feathers all have white tips, giving it that porcelain appearance. You'll have to wait until the bird completes the first molt before seeing the true color. Weighing just over a pound at maturity, this variety has only a single comb. Hens lay small, cream-colored eggs.