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Rosecomb

Like many other breeds, the origin of the Rosecomb is widely disputed. Some argue that the Rosecomb may be the original bantam, such as Bejach (1992), who states, “The Rosecomb Bantam may justly claim descent from the first pair of Bantams ever in the world.”

Others also support this theory, such as McGrew (1905), who claims that “the Nankin and the Rose-comb Bantams, were the early day Bantams, known to the fanciers of the world.” He also presents the idea that the Rosecomb is no more than a miniaturized Hamburg. Robinson (1924) also supports this notion, explaining that both White and Black Rosecombs are miniature Hamburgs, and most likely originated in Holland. Still others claim that “‘The original Bantam [the Rosecomb] is native of Java’” (Bejach, 1992). Both in the Black and White varieties of the Rosecomb Bantam were originally shown as Africans, as early as 1849, and even in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair Show (Ibid.). However, despite having the name Africans, no information has any indication that the Rosecomb is from Africa. The most widely accepted place of origin, or at least that which the American Bantam Association puts forth in the Bantam Standard, is that the Rosecomb is of British origin, possibly as early as 1493.

The word “rosecomb” originally referred not to any specific breed, but rather was a generic name for a number for breeds that all had the same comb type. The rose comb was originally described as a “double comb,” in contrast to the “single comb” of many breeds. The earliest specimens of the Rosecomb breed tended to have imperfect combs and far too much red in their ear lobes, and “it was said on good authority, that more specimens were manufactured than bred” (Bejach, 1992).

It was not uncommon for exhibitors to alter the red defects in the ear lobes with some type of artificial white coloration. Some early fanciers of the breed used to “carve” the comb into the appropriate shape. I have heard stories of unspecified breeders of the “olden days” doing this very thing, much to the chagrin of anyone who bought these perfect looking birds, only to discover that the heads of the offspring were very different from what the breeder expected.

Obviously, the Rosecomb Bantam has undergone numerous improvements since its earliest days in the showroom. Much of this can be attributed to several men from England, who often receive credit for perfecting the breed. Enoch Hutton worked with Rosecombs for over forty years, and made significant progress in improving them. He crossed the Black and White varieties together to obtain the best qualities of each variety. He also used small Black Hamburg males in his breeding program, to improve both the type and feather quality of the Rosecomb. Likewise, G.H. Pickering improved the Rosecomb by crossing White females with Black Hamburg males. He chose to use Hamburg males instead of Rosecombs because at the time the Hamburgs had better feather and lobe quality than most Rosecombs (Bejach, 1992). Another man, John Buckton, also deserves acknowledgment for the popularity of the Rosecomb. In 1483, he owned an inn in England where he kept a small flock of Rosecombs. Supposedly, King Richard III often stayed at this inn, where he took notice of the birds with the prominent ear lobes and began to raise a few. This, of course, made them quite popular with the English gentlemen of the time, and that popularity still remains today (Ahiers, 1992). Though the reason for the development of the breed in unclear, one can assume it was certainly not for any commercial purpose. Most likely people bred them for exhibition, or as a “decorative” feature to have around the house.

Rosecombs have a relatively long history in the showroom. Fanciers first exhibited them as far back as the First Boston Show of 1849, (Bejach, 1992) and they continue to appear in shows today. The number of Rosecombs shown continues to increase as the breed gains popularity, although numbers vary from one show to another, and from one part of the country to another. According to Jeffrey (1979), twenty-two Rosecombs were shown at the 1893 New York show, whereas sixty were shown at the 1903 New York show. Modern day shows might have anywhere from half a dozen to several hundred Rosecombs, depending on the size of the show. The Rosecomb is now and most certainly always has been purely an exhibition bird. Fanciers show them, and others raise them simply because they enjoy the way the birds look.

The Bantam Standard lists Rosecombs as one of the ten most popular breeds in the United States. They are gradually becoming more popular, but it seems more breeders raise them in the eastern United States than do in the western United States.