Bantam Chicken

Basic Information:

Scientific Name: Ayam kate

Habitat: Bantam chickens refer to any small breed of fowl. While originating from South East Asia, today Bantam chickens can be found all around the world.

Diet: Bantam chickens eat grains, greens, insects, and other foods that all domestic chickens eat. 

Size: 0.7 to 1.9 feet tall / 1 to 2 feet long

Weight: 2.9 to 4 pounds

Lifespan: 5 to 7 years (up to 15 years)

Distribution Map:

I.U.C.N. Conservation Status:

What does this mean?

Least Concern – a species determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) to be pervasive, abundant, and thriving.

About Bantam Chickens:

While the word Bantam comes from the Indonesian seaport Bantam, Bantam is a word given to any small fowl. These small chickens that you see here grew in popularity among European sailors looking to restock their food supplies while in Southeast Asia. The small size of the chickens allowed sailors to fit larger numbers of chickens onto their ships. Today, you can find Bantam chickens in many parts of the world where people want to have chickens but have limited space to house them.

Did You Know?!

  • The American Bantam Association lists over 400 varieties of Bantam birds.
  • Bantam chicken eggs are typically about half the size of an average chicken egg.

Due to needing time to set up for our Wine in the Wilderness Event, on June 3rd the zoo will be closing to the public at 1pm! We will reopen our doors at 6pm for the event! Event tickets will still be purchasable at our gift shop during this time!