Japanese Bantam Club 

                                            of            

       Great Britain     

Preparing birds for showing

Stage 1: Birds you intend to show must be kept in clean conditions, shavings are ideal as litter. Once a bird gets feathers broken or the webbing gets damaged, no amount of washing will put it right. At this point make sure that your intended show bird is of a correct type and colour.

Stage 2: To wash birds you will need 2 bowls or buckets of warm water, if the birds are very dirty add 1 capful of liquid persil to the washing water. It can take up to ten minutes soaking to remove all the dirt, taking care not to damage feathers by rubbing the webs the wrong way. The other bowl or bucket is for rinsing all the soap out of the feathers. At this stage, wash the birds face and then wrap it up in a dry towel. While it is wrapped in the towel, trim the beak. If it is very long, trim with scissors then file into shape with a nail emery board; very often the nail emery board is enough. Then trim the toenails and file them into shape, at this point making sure the leg scales are clean.

Soak up excess water before going under the drier.

Stage 3: After washing it is essential that the bird is kept warm and is dried immediately. There are two ways to dry the birds. If you are washing one or two birds then a hair dryer is suitable. Holding the bird in the left hand with it standing on a table, gently blow the feathers with the dryer in the right hand. Take care not to blow the feathers the wrong way as this can make them stand up. The alternative way, and by far the best, is to put the bird under a chicken heat lamp. This dries them more naturally and the birds do not preen themselves while drying.

Lovely type, well presented and so earned just rewards.

Required weights

Male: 510 - 620 g (18 - 20 oz)  Female: 400 - 510 g (14 - 18 oz)

Scale of points

                        Type            55

                        Size              15

                        Condition     15

                        Colour         10

                        Leg colour    5

                                           100

Serious Defects

Narrow build. Long legs . Long back. Wry tail. Tail carried low. Deformed comb and lopped comb on males. High wing carriage. White in lobes. Any physical deformity.

Type faults: - Tails

Tail not spread                  Tail not tall enough                Tail too far forward

   Tail held too low                        Ideal

       Wry tail                               Squirrel tail                    Lyre tail (soft sickles)

       Dropped tail                                   Ideal

This Website was prepared for the Japanese Bantam Club of Great Britain by Terry and Lisa Crook. If you have any questions or comments please Email the club at: japclub@ukonline.co.uk

Last updated on 24/02/2005