Migrants

Enthusiasts like to distinguish 'bantams' from 'miniature fowl'. Supposedly, bantams trace their lineage back to small-sized poultry that European traders first encountered in the sea port of Bantam (now Banten), near Jakrata, Indonesia. Miniature fowl, on the other hand, are miniature versions of poultry breeds that also exist as large (i.e. normal-sized) fowl - they have been created by selecting and crossing the smallest individuals for generation after generation

I'm a bit sceptical. So many poultry-keepers, so many generations, so many accidental matings, so many hybrids. My guess is that genes have flowed back and forth and the distinction is a bit false

Our neighbour's* chickens are Pekin bantams - supposedly 'true' bantams. Also supposedly, they have that name because they were imported to Britain in 1860, at the end of the second opium war between combined English/French colonial armies and the Manchu overlords of China. The Imperial Summer Palace, outside Beijing (then Peking), was ransacked by the European troops in a semi-authorised act of revenge for the killing of delegates to an earlier negotiation when under a flag of parlay

Chinese Imperial treasures were looted and sold locally by the troops, though some artefacts made it back to Britain. I don't know how the chickens got out alive, but of course they were presented to Victoria - wasn't everything - and the Pekin breed was established. Later imports increased the range of colours - I think the original lot were similar to the one in the foreground

There is a five-star exhibition about this period of Chinese history currently running at the British museum. I hope to make it somewhen over the summer, to try to paper over my total ignorance

At one time, our children also kept Pekins. They are charming; always interested, always engaged, always busy, unconcerned about past or future, a perfect exemplar of 'living in the moment'. Clinging to Buddhist principles despite the repression of their Manchu overlords, perhaps

*if you are confused by this compared with my previous posts, we have three neighbours. One keeps these bantams, one has three beautiful, large-fowl buff Orpingtons, and one has runner ducks (that have not yet featured)