My Japanese Bantam died today. Raccoons got her. She was one of a flock of 14. (Since then three have died.) I had gotten the flock when my family moved into a new house, and the old owners were moving somewhere where they couldn't keep chickens. So I took the flock under my care. All of them have weird gnarled feet, and are unhandleable. Kuniko, the only bantam since the old rooster died, was very difficult to catch, but when I did she was the sweetest thing. She stood up for herself, and didn't let any other hen bully her, and was quite high in the social hierarchy. She was a favorite to guests and my toddler sister, who all thought she was both beautiful and cute. She had very large wings and was flighty, which is a problem for some people, though I thought it was fun to watch her fly. I definitely recommend this breed.
