The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Housing, Health & Hatching

Leg Bands vs. Wing Bands

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Beth C:
I apologize if this has already been covered - if it has, just point me toward that thread. But I did a search and got the Bing.com commercial. ;) Most people seem to use leg bands, and that\'s what I\'ve been using, but I\'m thinking of switching over to wing bands. They seem more practical, since you don\'t have to keep changing them as the bird grows & wouldn\'t be as apt to snag on things. But there has to be a reason why I see a lot more legs bands on birds than wing bands, so I wanted to get some feedback from you guys as to which you prefer and why.

Cloverleaf Farm:
I use leg bands because I don\'t have to pick up the bird, find the band, and move feathers to see the number.  I use the spiral numbered bandettes, because they \"grow\" with the bird.  I use size 7 for all of my bantams, 9s for LF girls and 11s for LF boys. ;)

Beth C:
Good point - the bandettes have huge numbers that are visible from a good distance, too. That\'s what I\'ve been using, but #9 and sometimes even #7 won\'t stay on chicks, so I have to start w/colored zip ties, then go to #7, then #9/#11. But that visibility is going to be hard to give up... :(

Cloverleaf Farm:

--- Quote from: Beth C ---Good point - the bandettes have huge numbers that are visible from a good distance, too. That\'s what I\'ve been using, but #9 and sometimes even #7 won\'t stay on chicks, so I have to start w/colored zip ties, then go to #7, then #9/#11. But that visibility is going to be hard to give up... :(
--- End quote ---


Yep, I use colored zip ties on chicks too.  Anything else just makes me too nervous with their twiggy little legs...

cedarpondfarm:
One thing I never thought about with legbands . . . .

I have a large community hen house when I am not hatching - the birds are shut up at night and range during the day.  A few months ago, a week before I intended to seperate the birds into breeding pens, three dogs broke into my chicken house.  They killed about half my flock of 80 blacks and blues.  During the melee, legbands came off most of the surviving (and well battered)birds.  Now I am not sure who is who.  My careful records are of little use without the legbands.  Didn\'t hatch any chicks this spring but will start again in December.  From now on I will use the toe punch.  

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