Kids and Bantams

From Piper's Bantams: Black; Gold and Silver Sebrights; White; and Modern Game

Bantams can be a good way for kids to get involved in poultry. Their small size makes them easy for small hands to manage. Most are gentler than large fowl birds. With some supervision, kids can take responsibility for care and husbandry. They are easier for children -- and adults -- to shampoo for a show.

Poultry can be a lifetime enjoyable hobby or it can lead to a satisfying career. Leadership is needed in the poultry business.



Rosecomb Bantams by Schilling

Joining the American Bantam Association and getting involved in YEPA helps young people succeed. The APA and the ABA joined together in 1995 to create a youth program, and YEPA became an independent organization in 2015. The A.C.E. Program: Activities, Competition, Education is one of the most popular. Kids get started as young as eight years old, and can continue to build their knowledge through four levels, to age 21, at which point they can apprentice to become poultry judges. 
 

“They learn the basics about pure bred, exhibition poultry,” said  Doris Robinson, director of the Youth Exhibition Poultry Association.
 

The program requires members to learn about their breed and others, history, husbandry, candling and hatching eggs, health and medications. They keep notebooks and Health Maintenance Records of their flocks. They track income and expenses to arrive at a financial summary of their project.

"The kids have to work extremely hard,” says Mrs. Robinson. “It’s a great reference for kids who want to go to college in poultry. They go into adulthood with a lot of knowledge.”

More than 1,200 kids are now signed into the program. It is financed by donations from APA, the Crossroads of America Poultry Show and others. Individuals and organizations are invited to become supporters. Contact Mrs. Robinson at 865-717-6270 or through the web site.

One of my bantam Sumatras