Bantam chickens come with all the joys of raising chickens, just packed into a much smaller body!

Small. Adorable. Full of personality.

If you like the idea of pocket-sized chickens running about your yard or if you’re looking for new additions to your flock, we’ve got a treat for you.

After all, you can never have enough chickens (and bantams only count as half a chicken, so you can actually have twice as many!)

Here are the 10 most popular black bantam chicken breeds and where you can get your hands on them.

10 Most Popular Black Bantam Chicken Breeds

1. Black Silkie Bantam

Silkies and truly just balls of fluff. Soft, adorable fluff.

We’ve raised Silkies for years, so we might be a bit biased when we say this, but Silkies really are the best bantams out there!

They are timid, friendly, and seem to have bigger hilarious personalities than normal-sized chooks!

You can still expect about 120 eggs from each Silkie hen per year (though they are smaller eggs too), but what they lack in egg production they make up for in their overall lovability.

We love our Silkies, check out this guide to the rarest Silkie varieties available.

Where You Can Get Black Silkie Bantams

Cackle Hatchery: February-August

Hilltop Farms Poultry: September-November

2. Black Japanese Bantam

The Japanese bantam is one of the first recorded true bantam breeds and to this day holds up to be one of the most sought-after!

Funnily enough, these chooks actually originated in South China (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia). This region is known as “Chabo” in Japan, which also shares the meaning “dwarf” or “bantam”, hence the name.

They are short-legged, incredibly curious, and actually quite rare to source (so if you get the opportunity you better take it!).

However don’t expect too many eggs, as they tend to only lay around 75 tiny eggs per year!

Where You Can Get Black Japanese Bantams

Valley Hatchery: You can subscribe to receive notifications when they are available.

3. Black Cochin Bantam 

Black Cochin bantams are pretty much just fluffy black clouds (that adore love and attention).

Although their fluffy appearance makes them appear a little bigger, they’re actually rather small chickens (especially compared to the standard Cochin chicken).

Cochin bantams are incredibly friendly, and are perfect to raise round children!

They are surprisingly cold hardy too.

Though they aren’t prolific layers, they do make excellent mothers and will quite happily sit and hatch their eggs (if fertilized). Though they do get more broody than the normal hen!

Where You Can Get Black Cochin Bantams

Cackle Hatchery: Seasonal, February-August

4. Black Pekin Bantam

Pekin bantams are the petite, pretty princesses of the poultry world. That’s a lot of “P’s”.

Originally from Peking (now known as Beijing), these tiny chooks date all the way back to the Qing dynasty (a captured treasure by the French & British forces).

They are extremely chill and docile and make for perfect family pets.

It’s funny, Pekin bantams have feathers all over their body (including feathered legs & feet), so sometimes all you see is one tiny fluff ball with a head.

Although black is a common color, you can find a rainbow array of Pekin bantams (if you can find a breeder!)

Where You Can Get Black Pekin Bantams

If you’re after Pekin bantams, try contacting: Pekin Bantam Club

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 07921 553931

5. Black Serama Bantam

Serama bantams are quite literally the smallest chicken breed in the world, sometimes only as tall as 6 inches and weighing just over one pound.

Literally. So. CUTE!

Just note, because their so small they do require a little bit more attention and protection than other bantam breeds. 

Although these little fellas are full of energy and personality, they’re simply more vulnerable, are are not well-suited to the cold.

Their egg-laying is also one of the lowest, and the eggs are tiny (as you can imagine!)

Still, these beauties make for amazing pets for those who are willing to take the extra care to raise them!

Other than their tiny size, their most noticeable characteristic is their hilarious buffed-out chests!

Where You Can Get Black Serama Bantams

Although they are rare to find, enquire with Sugar-Feather who you may be able to pre-order through.

6. Ancona Bantam

Ancona chickens are quite unique, boasting a beautiful black and white feathery coat.

These beauties are simply full of life, are known to lay a good amount of eggs (about 160 per year, amazing for a bantam breed), and make for ideal backyard companions. 

They do well in both hot and cold weather, are very active, and are quick on their feet, sometimes giving them a reputation for being “skittish”

Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to see Ancona bantams in real life, so I’ve made it my life mission.

Where You Can Get Black Ancona Bantams

McMurray Hatchery usually has them up for grabs.

7. Australorp Bantam

Australorp bantams are simply the mini versions of their heritage breed counterpart: the Australorp.

For bantam chickens, they are highly prolific layers, capable of laying up to about 180 eggs per year in the right conditions.

But, they’re excellent egg-laying isn’t all Australorp bantams are known for! They are docile, friendly, are well-suited to deal with warm and cool climates!

Get onboard with Australorp bantams

Where You Can Get Australorp Bantams

Cackle Hatchery reliably has Australorp bantams from February-September

8. Wyandotte Bantam

Here at BackyardFarmLife, we love our Wyandottes (particularly silver-laced).

Just like these types of Wyandottes, bantam Wyandottes are just as amazing, only about half the size!

These charismatic sweeties share the same beautiful plumage as their heritage breed counterparts and are friendly, docile, and full of personality.

They’re not known to be AMAZING egg layers, but you can still enjoy a few eggs every week from every hen!

Where You Can Get Wyandotte Bantams

It’s worth taking a look for Wyandottes at Purely Poultry, Pipinchicksilkies, or Cackle Hatchery

9. Black Maran Bantam

Technically bantams of black copper Marans (see our guide here), these amazing bantams are just as beautiful as their heritage breeds, only half the size!

Unfortunately, they are extremely rare, which is why I’ve had to score them a mere 3.5 / 5.

Believe me, we would love to raise them, as they are known to produce beautiful dark brown eggs, are completely covered in beautiful feathers, and are known to be “easy to raise”.

Where You Can Get Black Maran Bantams

Unfortunately, we have not been able to find reliable sources for purchasing black maran bantams, however, Pipinchicksilkies does have them listed!

10. Java Bantam

Java chickens themselves are extremely rare, so finding bantam Java chickens (especially in black color) is extremely hard to do!

Although originally raised as dual-purpose chooks, nowadays they are more raised as pets or for further breeding to protect this amazing breed.

They are still currently listed on the watch list from the Livestock Conservancy, as their numbers have remained low for all of the 20th Century.

Because they are so rare to find, we have to list them at 3 / 5 stars – though it doesn’t mean we don’t love them as much as the other black bantam chickens!

Where You Can Get Black Java Bantams

Unfortunately, there is no reliable seller of Java bantams online, and you would need to find these through local communities or Facebook groups! If you DO find them – please let us know!

Can You Raise Different Bantam Breeds Together?

If you’re wanting to raise a mixed bantam flock, you’re not alone. It’s quite common for chicken enthusiasts to raise a group of bantams together, even if they are of different breeds!

In general, it helps to raise them all together from the same or similar age, so that they naturally create their own harmonious pecking order.

However, you can introduce new bantam chickens to an existing bantam flock, you may just want to take some extra precautions to slowly introduce them so they can find their role in the flock!

Can You Raise Bantams With “Standard” Chickens?

Since bantams are quite a lot smaller than standard chicken breeds, extra caution should be taken when introducing them to an existing flock (to limit bullying).

In an ideal situation, you would want to raise a standard chicken breed with bantams of the same age so they are more used to each other.

Most of the time bantams will end up on the bottom of the social hierarchy within the flock even if you do this, but just because they are smaller doesn’t mean they will get bullied.

There are even stories of a bantam rooster being the flock leader for a flock of mixed chickens, which we just find hilarious!

Ultimately you can quite easily raise bantams with other standard chicken breeds, but you better take some precautions when you are first introducing new bantams to an existing flock!

So There You Have It!

In the end, we would be happy with any single one of these bantam chooks. But, each does have its differences in laying, temperament, appearance, and availability!

Usually, bantams are bred for sale between the months of February and August (when they tend to have the most success in hatching and breeding.).

If you’re looking for bantams out of season, you can always check your local marketplaces and Facebook groups, or by joining local chicken communities and keeping your eyes open!

Which black bantam chicken do you love the most?