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Japanese Bantam

Photo: http://www.feathersite.com/John deSaavedra

Japanese Bantams or also known in many parts of the world as Chabo are a breed of chicken found all over the world. They are incredibly small with large upright tails usually over the chicken's head. The wings angle down and to the back along the sides. Because of genetic characteristics, Japanese Bantams cannot have a pure short legged breed.
This little chicken has graced the gardens of the Japanese aristocracy for well over 350 years. Historical evidence suggests that the Japanese Bantam originated in Southeast Asia, where it is still raised today. They enjoy a high degree of popularity in Malaysia, and are very common in Java, which is now part of Indonesia.

Japanese Bantams began to appear in Japanese art around the year 1635, right about the time Japan closed its shores to outside trade. It also appears in Dutch art of the same era. This suggests to me that Dutch spice traders probably carried the Chabo as gifts to the Japanese from the Asian spice ports; likely from Java, which part of Dutch colonial area on that time. The very word "chabo" originates in Java as chabol (Cebol) , where it means "dwarf" and applies both to humans, and to the short-legged Chabo chicken. In Japan, the word would drop the "L," as no speaker of Japanese would be inclined to pronounce it.
They have wonderful personalities, and will gladly ride around on your shoulder or be pet and held. Japanese Bantams are also good foragers, and will pretty much feed themselves if they have a large enough area to do so.

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Japanese Bantam