It is said that one of the most important things about Nankins is the fact that they are one of the chicken world's few 'true' bantams; that is to say, they have no large fowl equivalent. The Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities (SPPA) however, believes that a large fowl Nankin was originally imported into the UK with the bantam.

However, the Nankin was used in the creation of other newer breeds, such as the Sebright.

According to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC), evidence suggests that these birds arrived in the UK prior to 1500 and there is speculation that they may have been present before then.

Despite their diminutive size, with roosters weighing in around 24ozs and hens around 22ozs, they make excellent broodies and mothers.

Males are a rich chestnut color, with vibrant wing and saddle feathers, while hens are a softer, lighter 'peachy' color and they have slate blue legs. Both males and females have black tail feathers; the hens' tails are tipped in black while the males have darker tails and some black in the flight feathers.

The breed can show either a single or a rose comb. Both are acceptable. White legs, however, are considered a fault.

They are, for the most part, calm friendly birds, happy to perch on your arm and eat from your hand. In a large flock of birds, the will band together in groups, keeping apart from larger breeds and often to the outside of the group.

When allowed to hatch naturally under a broody eggs are fertile and chicks are vigorous, but artificial hatching can be challenging, with humidity a key factor in success.

On the ALBC Conservation Priority List Nankins feature on the critical list, and there are but a handful of breeders in the US dedicated to bringing this old breed back from the verge of extinction.

These birds do well in Georgia, due to the mild winters, but care must be taken to protect them from snow and frost, as they are not especially cold hardy.