Bantam News! 2011 Yearbook and Legbands

Karen Unrath, ABA secretary, writes:

We have extended the ABA Yearbook Ad Deadline of June 20th, 2011 . I have included the information you will need to use if you want to be part of this book. You can also visit our website at www.bantamclub.com and submit an ad that way. Any questions, please email Karen Unrath at fancybantams@embarqmail.com. A big Thank You goes to all who support this year's book. We anticipate this year's book to be a winner! With your support - we can guarantee a quality product to enjoy for many years!

[This photo is Rusty Hart's lovely Pyncheon bantam cockerel.]

We do have some Premium Pages still available at $200 ea. These are located in the top positions of the book and are in FULL COLOR. They are offered on a first come, first serve basis. If you have an interest in any of these spots, please let me know via return email and we can work it out.

On another note, the 2011 Legbands are still available and can also be ordered on our website . They are .35 ea plus a $5 shipping and handling fee. The particulars were part of the newsletter which you should have recently received. Here is an article submitted by Russell Crevoiserat which may help those who use these for large fowl and waterfowl. Thanks again and enjoy!!

ABA Leg Bands on Large Fowl & Waterfowl

By Russell Crevoiserat, NH

The ABA has been receiving requests about sizing the seamless ABA leg band for use on large poultry. While some may ponder how a bantam size leg band would fit a large fowl, the answer lies in the fact that several years ago, the ABA began selling 18 and 20 millimeter bands for well-feathered feather leg bantams. As some breeders have discovered, these leg bands work just as well on some large fowl.

The ABA provides leg bands sized in millimeters as follows: 10, 11, 13, 15, 18 and 20. It would appear the 13, 15, 18 and 20 millimeters sizes will be most applicable to large fowl poultry. Unfortunately, due to variations in shank sizes within a class (such as American), a breed (such Plymouth Rocks), varieties (such as comparing White Rocks with Partridge Rocks) and even between certain strains within a variety, there is no one size fits all solution for your particular birds. However, knowing the shank size of your birds is the key to determining the correct band size for your birds.

Using a ruler or tape measure, determine the diameter of the shank on a male and female which have the largest shank. There may be variations in your flock and you will want to be certain to find the largest diameter for each sex. Next, you will need to convert the standard measurement to millimeters. Conversions are available on the Internet using Google or any other search engine, but a rough guide is provided below:

Standard Measurement ABA Millimeter Size

0.5 inch 13 mm

0.6 inch 15 mm

0.7 inch 18 mm

0.8 inch 20 mm

If your size is not listed here, please send an e-mail to the ABA and report the millimeter size for your breeds, varieties and the sexes that you have measured. Although leg bands larger than 20 mm may not be available for the 2011 season, the ABA can certainly order bands larger than 20 millimeter for the 2012 season if there is an interest.

The ABA leg bands are made of plastic and color-keyed for a specific year. The band data includes the letters ABA, year, millimeter size and a serial number. Leg band data for each buyer is registered with the ABA office. Waterfowl breeders have reported that the color and data do not fade with wet environments nor do they become brittle with age.