Öland Dwarf bantam

Öland bantam

Humans have probably kept domesticated chickens for as long as they have been settled. There used to be chickens in every household and in every village. The Öland dwarf bantams live in a small red hen house at the Children’s Zoo.

The chickens that are now known as Öland bantams come from the villages of Petgärde and Asklunda.
About the Öland bantam

Scientific name:
Gallus gallus domesticus

Order:
Galliformes

Family:
Phasianidae

Weight:
Rooster 0.6–1 kg, hen 0.5–0.8 kg

Sexual maturity:
20 weeks

Incubation:
3 weeks

Number of young:
Up to 20 chicks

Lifespan:
Up to 10 years

Eats:
Plants and small animals
They have a short, sturdy body with an upright posture. Their feathers are tri-coloured in various shades of brown, black and white. Their legs are mostly smooth, but there may be some slight leg feathering.

Once found in every household

Humans have probably kept domesticated chickens for as long as they have been settled. There used to be chickens in every household and in every village. Our domesticated chickens originate from the wild chicken genus Gallus in Southeast Asia.

Öland bantams probably originate from the old bantams, which were known as garden chickens. These spread via England, but are not mentioned before the 19th century.
Native breeds

Native breeds are populations of domesticated animals that have lived for so long in the same area that they have adapted to the local environment and its specific conditions. Swedish native breeds have declined in number, but there is a growing focus on efforts to preserve them as they are an important genetic resource and part of our cultural heritage.

Find out more about Swedish native breeds.

You can find the Öland bantam here

Find your way

Öland bantam

About the Öland bantam

Once found in every household

Native breeds

You can find the Öland bantam here