Dutch Bantam Type

When I think of "Dutch Bantam (DB) type", I start with an Old English Game (OEG)! While looking at your DB, try to visualize a bird about an oz lighter-wt than an OEG and with a less arrogant stance. The body of the dB has a smoother, longer, & U-shaped back with a body profile like an old-fashioned sailboat-smooth, moderately deep, and symmetrical, never angular. Top one end of the U-shape with a graceful arch of neck and a head balanced in all aspects to the size of the body. At the other end of the U-shape, place a pleasingly proportioned tail, "well-spread"-not stretched into an exaggerated fan. A nicely-spread tail showing EACH feather and indicating it's width, color and condition. (A pinched tail cannot show each feather!) The male's main sickles curl into a smooth, approx. 180 degree or half-circle arc-not the spikey tail of the OEG. The female's top two main tail feathers are the tiniest bit longer than the other tail feathers and with the very gentlest of curves-small things, but very important. Bring the wings of the standing dB to the horizontal above shanks of good color, add a healthy zest and "show attitude". Put this on a bird bred and trained to be calm in the hand, and you're well on your way to Best of Breed. Now that you have the profile, look closely at the head. For that "balanced" head, seek a broad skull, carrying through into a full, healthy-looking neck. Be ruthless in culling less desirable combs such as over-large, odd-shaped, and thumbprints. Sidesprigs should die young-never breed from any bird showing sidesprigs! Be ruthless in culling narrow heads, flat-topped crowheads, wrinkled earlobes, yellow or RED in the earlobes, and wild or flighty birds. What do you have left after selecting for all of the above? You have breeders of great type with less than perfect color. It may be that your best "type" birds are not of the variety you wish to be breeding for. So, start with what you have and breed toward your desired color. You will get there! Color is comparatively easy to add when you have the all-important "type". A nicely-colored bird with lousy type is not a dB, and no matter how beautiful, will not win for you. So, in selecting a perfect dB, for show or breeding pen, always start with the overall appearance, look for "type" first, a bird that is never angular but is small, smooth, graceful, and esthetically pleasing, pleasing, pleasing.