Japanese bantams are one of the poultry world's quaint oddities, with their tiny size, short legs, large heads, upright tails and waddling gait making them a true delight.

Originally developed in south-east Asia, they found their way to Japan in the early-1600s, where the fanciers in that country set about perfecting the features that make them unique.

In Australia, Japanese bantams are still quite rare. While being quite popular as backyard pets, the number of serious Japanese bantam breeders is rather small.

I have been breeding fowls and bantams for some 40 years, and have kept many breeds over that time. If somebody had told me back then that the breed I would fall most in love with would be Japanese bantams, I would have said they were crazy.