Measuring Your Fowl

The size of your Diaper Harness or Walking Harness is determined by the breed of your fowl. Most breeds of duck do not require any special measurements, but you can take the measurements to ensure the best possible fit. Measurements are REQUIRED for all fowl other than ducks. Measurements help ensure the best possible fit and help eliminate returning for resizing. Please do not measure fowl that is not full grown. Adult harnesses can be made for most ducklings before fully fledging, as long as the breed is known. All other fowl will have to wait until fully fledged when accurate measurements can be taken.

To take the measurements of your fowl, place your measuring device along the lines shown on the diagram below. The best way to measure fowl is to use a sewing/tailor's measuring tape. If you do not have a sewing/tailor's measuring tape available, you can measure your fowl using a piece of string. Simply place a length of string along the lines shown in the diagram below and mark or cut the string. You can place the string next to a measuring device such as a ruler or a yard stick to attain the measurement.


The measurements are:
  1. The Back (Blue Line): Start from the bottom/base of the neck, measuring over the back, ending at the oil gland at the bas of the tail. Do not measure all the way to the feather tips.
  2. The Belly (Green Line): Start from top of the chest, measuring over the belly between the legs, just past the legs.
  3. The Butt (Yellow Line): Start from just behind the legs on the underside, measuring around the duck's tail region over the wings back to where you started.
  4. The Neck (Pink Line): Start at the base of the neck (just above the fowl's chest), measuring around the base of the neck back to where you started.
Please take care when measuring your animal. DO NOT wrap your measuring device tightly around your fowl. The measurements should be snug, but not tight. You should be able to slip your finger underneath your measuring device while taking measurements. DO NOT ADD to the length of the measurements. Items are adjustable and adding length to measurements will most likely result in returns/resizing. If your fowl is too upset or moves around too much while taking the measurement, it is best to try again at a later time. Sometimes placing a towel or cloth loosely and gently over your fowl's head will help it calm down. Unfamiliar items may scare your animal. If your animal is scared of your measuring device, you may need to acclimate your animal to the device over a few days before measuring.