The Nankin Bantam or Nankin is a British breed of bantam chicken. It is a true bantam, a naturally small breed with no large counterpart from which it was miniaturised. It is of South-east Asian origin, and is among the oldest bantam breeds. It is a yellowish buff colour, and the name is thought to derive from the colour of nankeen cotton from China.
History The Nankin is thought to be one of the oldest true bantam breeds, originating somewhere in Southeast Asia. Although it first became widespread in the West only in the eighteenth century, there is evidence for its presence in England going back to the sixteenth century. As a bantam long present in the UK especially, the Nankin contributed to the formation of many other bantams more common today, such as the Sebright. Nankin are listed as 'critical' on the endangered chicken breeds list of the Livestock Conservancy. They are very rarely found in the USA. The number of Nankins declined in the West after the mid-nineteenth century, along with the importation of newer and more exotic Asian breeds. Though their popularity with poultry fanciers waned, the use of broody Nankin hens to incubate game bird eggs may have kept the breed from disappearing altogether. Interest in Nankins in North America largely sprung out of attention from the American Bantam Association in the 1960s. Today, Nankins are recognised by the American Bantam Association, and have been accepted into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection as of 2012. A US breed club was formed for the first time in 2006. They are classified as critically endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. In 2002 the total number for the breed was estimated at 50–100 birds; the conservation status of the Nankin was listed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as "critical" in 2007. In 2017, the Nankin was not among the "priority breeds" on the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Characteristics The breed has two varieties, differentiated by comb type; the single comb Nankin has a large comb with five points, and the rose comb has a medium size one ending in a single point. All Nankins come in a single colour, with buff on the body and black tails. The golden hue is deeper and more lustrous in males, and they have the longer sickle feathers common in cocks. Their beaks are a light horn colour, and legs are slate blue.
Use The Nankin is usually reared for fancy and exhibition. The hens lay well, and are good sitters. Their eggs are very small and a creamy white colour. As with some other bantam breeds, broody Nankin hens were traditionally used to incubate the eggs of game birds such as pheasant, quail and partridge. The breed matures slowly, and makes a poor meat producer.
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