Bantams are usually very small, and come in hundreds of breeds. Bantam chickens are sometimes reffered to as the flower of the poutlry world because of their variety. Bantams are chickens, only miniature versions. They probably originated when the smallest chicks were kept out of a brood of chicks. These small chickens then eventually were traded and bantams appeared.
Bantams have many shapes and colors too.
There are breeds that have fearthed legs, a crest of feathers on their head, ones with silkie feathers, very small ones, gold and silver chickens, and bantams that have huge upright tails.