The New Hampshire bantam has beauty, charm and
a natural appeal that attracts attention wherever seen. This
combination coupled with vigor and early maturity makes it ideal
for anyone interested in raising a backyard flock or developing a
strain for exhibition purposes.
Combining the best of the Plymouth Rock, Rhode
Island Red and Wyandotte, this breed has achieved a shape of its
own. This shape allows for a high amount of production without
sacrificing early maturity or the ability to feather quickly.
The body of the male should be deep, full and
moderately long with the keel extending well to the front of the
breast. The neck and tail are of medium length with the tail well
spread and carried at an angle of forty-five degrees above
horizontal. The single comb and wattles should be moderately
large, this trait contributes to early maturity and high
production. The overall appearance should be one of alertness and
vitality.
The body of the female should also be deep and
full but of medium length, with the keel extending well to the
front of the breast. The neck and tail should be of medium length
with the tail well spread and carried at an angle of thirty-five
degrees above horizontal. The comb, single, should be medium in
size as are the wattles. Again the appearance is one of alertness
and vitality.
The weight of the New Hampshire bantam is that
of a dual purpose bantam breed and surpluses can be used to
supplement the family table. The cock should weigh 34 ounces, the
hen and cockerel 30 ounces and the pullet 28 ounces. The body
capacity that this weight allows will produce a nice sized egg
and a carcass worth butchering.
The color of the male is a work of art, its
hackle is a golden bay, the saddle a golden bay slightly darker
than the hackle, the back a brilliant deep chestnut red and the
body a medium chestnut red all contrasting with the black of the
tail.
The female although more somber, presents a
pleasing picture, contrasting a medium chestnut body is the black
of the tail and the black ticking in the lower hackle feathers.
Like its counterpart, the large fowl New
Hampshire, it also retains the ability to forge and hustle for
its food. Its disease resistance and hardiness makes it a
pleasure to raise.
Scattered in a field of green
grass with the sunlight reflecting off of them, a flock of New
Hampshire bantams is quite a sight. This sight has stopped many
an individual at my place, perhaps the finest tribute to their
beauty and charm.
The New Hampshire Breeders