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

Leg Bands vs. Wing Bands

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Sharon Yorks:

--- Quote from: Rachel Carlberg on October 11, 2014, 05:35:02 AM ---I'm planning to hatch quite a bit this spring, hopefully obtaining eggs from a few breeders as well as hatching from what I have now.

Sharon Yorks, I really like your idea of the rubber bands, but are they difficult to put on?
Is there a tool to apply them?
I tried the suggestion from another forum of using tiny elastic hair ties, but the chicks seemed to easily be able to remove them, and I was terrified they would eat the bands.

--- End quote ---

Rachel... Congratulations once again for winning the new member incubator drawing! Sounds like you will be putting it to good use. Did you get in touch with Victor and make arrangements to have it shipped to you?

The little rubber bands are very easy to put on and take off and they are reusable. No tool needed, just stretch them with your fingers like you would any rubber band. Over the past few years I have only had about 5 chicks (out of 100s) ever get them off, and all but 1 was during the first 2 days when the chicks legs are the smallest. The other chick that lost a band was a few weeks old and I have no idea how or why it came off. I'm assuming the chick caught it on something and it stretched. You do have to watch them closely (with all bands) as the chicks grow fast and they will need to be changed. That's why I mark down dates and somewhere between 10-14 days I change them all to the next size. I have also found that it helps in determining who the males and females are because "most times" the males legs fill out the bands more and are tighter.

With all methods of keeping them identified, it's all trial and error. This is what I like to use, but I'm sure other methods work very well.

Rachel Carlberg:
Thank you both so much for your quick response!

It may be overkill, but I may try a combination of both until I figure out what works for me.

Sharon, it was so nice speaking with you the other day. I've already received the incubator, and Victor was able to suggest an automatic turner that will fit it perfectly  ;D

Now it's a matter of getting up the guts to contact some of the nearby breeders in the directory and get ready for spring!

Sharon Yorks:
I think trying more than one method is a great idea. Let us know how it works out. Victor has always been a wonderful person to work with. I'm glad you have the incubator in hand. I have one of those, too and think they are nice little machines. Order you some eggs and get crackin...I mean busy :-)

Susan Mouw:

--- Quote from: Beth C on October 11, 2014, 11:04:37 AM ---Everyone's set up is a little different, so what works here may not be the best for you, but here is a run-down of my experience since I started this thread several years ago:

I have tried just about everything at this point (even resorted to tattooing one year, but couldn't read them after a few months), and my best luck by far has been with zip end wing bands (item 890 from National Band )

I have had very little luck with plastic bands. I had more break than I had stay on and the ones that didn't break the numbers rubbed off of.

The adjustable aluminum bands the NPIP guys use start coming off in a matter of days.

The aluminum butt end bands are pretty good on adults, although I've had a couple come off after several  years, but you need multiple applicators to apply different size bands.

I haven't tried the steel butt end bands.

I have found that rubber bands come off more often than not.

Zip ties stay on better but even if you can write a number on them it will rub off and it is imperative that they be removed and replaced on a regular basis because they will not break or stretch as the bird grows and will grow right into their leg.

With any leg band you have to continuously change them as the chick grows and try to match up the numbers or keep track in your records where #27 change to #53 etc. (and chances are you're going to drop and lose at least one #27 band before the bird is grown), so I don't like them for chicks, although they are easier to read than wing bands on adult birds.

I've given up on using leg bands for growing birds. You can put the wing band on as soon as the chick comes out of the incubator and, applied correctly, it will stay on for years. (I had a few come off the first year because I didn't get them sealed right). They rarely come off. I've only used the zip bands, so I don't know how they compare to the jiffy or tab end bands.

A final thought, if you are pedigreeing your birds and tracking is essential, what ever type of band you decide to go with you may want to buy 2 sets of each number and put one band on each leg/wing  because nothing is fail proof, and it is beyond frustrating when you have a great bird (or worse, a really terrible one) and can't identify where it came from because the band came off.

Edited to add: I think Patty was referring to wing badges instead of bands, but I'm not sure. Sure do wish she was here to ask...  :'(

--- End quote ---

Beth, what sizes are you using of the zip bands? I have all LF Ameraucanas and would like to try the wing banding for next spring's hatches.  How easy are they to put on?

Beth C:
Susan: They are size 3. I've been using them on my LF and bantams with no problems. The 4 might be easier to read, but these are working so well I'm afraid to change anything - don't know if bigger ones would be more apt to snag. Besides, I bought 1000 so it will be a while before I order any more. When I do, though, I've noticed that they have colored eyelets available now and I think I'll buy those next time. You have to make sure the eyelet is through the hole before you clamp it, if it isn't lined up right it won't seal, and I think the colored eyelets would make it a lot easier to see. Other than that they're pretty easy to apply, you just have to buy the tool, and there is a video on the National Band site that walks you through. The chicks aren't impressed, but they don't seem to mind it any more than they do toe punching (or wrestling leg bands on and off). One thing, if you buy directly from National Band order early because it took me a long time to get mine (a couple of months if I remember).

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