Zwerg-Kastilianer

Zwerg-Kastilianer are bantam Castilian chickens, tied to the old black Spanish-type fowl called Kastilianer in German. The large breed is associated with a sleek body, black plumage, white earlobes, and an alert Mediterranean character, and the bantam version preserves that outline at smaller size. It is a breed for people who appreciate historic European poultry rather than a general-purpose barnyard mix.

Management is similar to other light, active bantams: secure runs, protection from severe weather, and handling that respects their quick movement. Breeders should pay close attention to type, lobe quality, comb structure, and the depth of black feather color, because small Mediterranean breeds can lose their identity quickly through casual crossing. Zwerg-Kastilianer may lay respectably for their size, but preservation and exhibition are usually stronger reasons to keep them.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White