Ameraucana Breeders Club
The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Housing, Health & Hatching => Topic started by: Beth C on March 21, 2011, 01:54:29 PM
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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.
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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. ;)
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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... :(
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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... :(
Yep, I use colored zip ties on chicks too. Anything else just makes me too nervous with their twiggy little legs...
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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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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.
I am so sorry - such a shame to have so much of your hard work destroyed like that!
That\'s the reason I was leaning toward wing bands - I\'ve had so many bandettes break or come off that record keeping has been hit or miss at best. I\'ll probably still use them for easy identification, but I think I need something sturdier for permanent ID.
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I personally dont like the wing bands. We have wing bands on the large fowl leghorns that we use for the judging team kids. Those wing bands get snagged on everything. I just hate that type of band.
We use the colored numbered metal leg bands. We just change to a different color each year year- wonderful for knowing how old a bird it at a glance. I dont like the plastic numbered bands because after a few winters, they break and actually shrink and become tight on the bird\'s leg. Of course ameraucanas dont spend much time in swimming water so they might not shrink on an ameraucana leg. LOL
Patty
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Ah, that\'s what I needed to know! If they snag as bad or worse than leg bands, then I don\'t want them.
Oh, and my Ameraucanas don\'t swim, but given the rainfall we get here, they may as well be waterfowl! :p
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Well I toe punch but the state gives bands when you test them which generally fall off. I am looking for a tatoo kit to tatoo them permanently with their state ID;s.
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Harry, you read my mind! I was just staring at my tattoo kit and wondering if it would work. It\'s the one I have for my goats, but it\'s the small animal size - we tattoo Lamanchas in the tail web, since they don\'t have ears. Would you tattoo chickens on the underside of the wing, in the web?
Also, I did some searching around but can\'t seem to find any info about tattoos & showing. Are tattoos accepted at shows, do they still require bands, and, if so, do the numbers have to match the tattoos (one site made reference to this in the UK)?
I\'m going by the NPIP bands at the moment, but have to come up with another plan by fall because here they cut the previous year\'s bands off and replace them. Seems like such a waste, and extra work, but I guess they find it easier to re-band w/consecutive numbers than record each individual number.
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I\'m bumping this back up, because I have yet to find a form of ID I like for growing birds.
Toe-punching will identify a group of birds (pen 1, pen 2) but not individual birds.
I like the butt-end aluminum bands on adults, but they can\'t be applied until the bird is nearly grown.
The NPIP bands break if you look at them - mine were done last month and at least 1/4 have already come off. Plus I test in the fall, so by that point they\'re old enough for permanent bands anyway.
Bandettes break or pull off, and last year the numbers rubbed off of ALL of them in just a few months.
Zip ties work for small hatches but with large numbers it\'s too easy to miss one and have it grow into the leg - not pretty.
Last year I spent a lot of time tattooing, thinking that would solve the problem once and for all, but over time some of the tattoos became unreadable. (Maybe the pen type tattoo kit would work better than the pliers?)
At the moment I\'m writing numbers on the wing-web with a sharpie, but that doesn\'t seem practical for very long.
That brings me to once again considering wing bands, since they can be applied to day-old chicks and supposedly stay on for life. Patty, you mentioned you had a problem with snagging - just wanted to clarify, were those wing bands or wing badges? The badges look really cumbersome, but the bands stick out, too. Has anyone else used wing bands? Do they stay on; do they break; do they get pulled out?
Any other suggestions on how to permanently ID a growing bird? (Or at least last long enough to get a butt-end band on it.)
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I toe punch at hatch. Especially those Lav/SB splits I don\'t want to lose track of.
My bandettes have come of at an alarming rate, hate\'em.
I have been using wingbands on my LF Cochins without any issues, though it is a hassle to pick up a bird to identify it. I am considering it with my Ameraucanas and then using the colored spiral band for easy distance ID.
I like using the same color spiral as the color food color I put in the pullet\'s vent to mark her egg when I\'m trying to figure out who is laying what. ie. green band, green food color.
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Do they stay on pretty well? I loathe the bandettes, although I may continue to use them as a secondary form of ID. I really like the butt-end bands, but by the time they\'re old enough to wear them half the birds have lost their identity along the way.
I toe punch to identify offspring from a specific breeding, but I\'d like to be able to track an individual as it grows. Michael had suggested photographing chicks, wheatens in particular, weekly as they grow. He said that, w/in a line, you start to see the same pattern repeat. I tried last year, but by the time they were 3 months old the numbers had rubbed off the crummy bandettes, at least the ones that stayed on.
Do you use the food color with your Ameraucanas? I tried last year, but it didn\'t show up. Do you use regular food color or the paste type they use for icing? That would make my life easier. I don\'t have enough breeding cages to keep everyone separate, so I have a group of hens in a run with one cock, and rotate them in & out of cages to collect & mark eggs. Which means I can only ID half my eggs on any given day.
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I\'m not sure if anyone else uses these, but here is a link to an ad on Ebay that is for little colored rubber bands. I use size 4 for when they first hatch, then I switch to size 5 when they are 10-14 days old. I really like them. It\'s just a temporary method for when they are real young. I am planning to get bigger sizes to see how well it works as they get bigger. Just another idea to ponder that is softer and more flexible than zip ties. All 6 colors come in one bag. They sell 100 bands for $7 no shipping. And you can reuse them. They stretch easy when trying to put them on and take them off.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-LEG-BANDS-CHICK-POULTRY-BIRD-QUAIL-EGG-SMALL-SIZE-5-/320365726791?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4a97490c47
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Well to set your mind at ease. The aluminum wing bands stay on the best. Even when the chickens are ran thru the pickers at the slaughter plants very few are pulled off, they have to be cut off the wing to remove them.
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Do you use the food color with your Ameraucanas? I tried last year, but it didn\'t show up. Do you use regular food color or the paste type they use for icing? That would make my life easier. I don\'t have enough breeding cages to keep everyone separate, so I have a group of hens in a run with one cock, and rotate them in & out of cages to collect & mark eggs. Which means I can only ID half my eggs on any given day.
I use the liquid food color. I have to apply it 2 -3 days in a row and then only get a few realiable days of streaks on the eggs though there will usually be a hen or so that it will last much longer. It is only a short term thing so I can identify who is laying what. I had a green egg layer in my Black pen last year and was able to isolate her pretty quick.
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Do you use the food color with your Ameraucanas? I tried last year, but it didn\'t show up. Do you use regular food color or the paste type they use for icing? That would make my life easier. I don\'t have enough breeding cages to keep everyone separate, so I have a group of hens in a run with one cock, and rotate them in & out of cages to collect & mark eggs. Which means I can only ID half my eggs on any given day.
I use the liquid food color. I have to apply it 2 -3 days in a row and then only get a few realiable days of streaks on the eggs though there will usually be a hen or so that it will last much longer. It is only a short term thing so I can identify who is laying what. I had a green egg layer in my Black pen last year and was able to isolate her pretty quick.
Well that\'s an interesting method. Could you tell us how its done? How much food color do you use and do you just use a syringe to insert it? Does it affect the chick or hatchability at all?
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Do you use the food color with your Ameraucanas? I tried last year, but it didn\'t show up. Do you use regular food color or the paste type they use for icing? That would make my life easier. I don\'t have enough breeding cages to keep everyone separate, so I have a group of hens in a run with one cock, and rotate them in & out of cages to collect & mark eggs. Which means I can only ID half my eggs on any given day.
I use the liquid food color. I have to apply it 2 -3 days in a row and then only get a few realiable days of streaks on the eggs though there will usually be a hen or so that it will last much longer. It is only a short term thing so I can identify who is laying what. I had a green egg layer in my Black pen last year and was able to isolate her pretty quick.
Well that\'s an interesting method. Could you tell us how its done? How much food color do you use and do you just use a syringe to insert it? Does it affect the chick or hatchability at all?
I turn the girl upside down and drop 7-8 drops on their vent, similar to what you do when you AI a female. Most of it gets pooped out. There are only faint streaks on the egg. I have not see any issue with fertility/viability. It will stain feathers around the vent and below on a light colored bird.
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(I'm hoping that this is going to bump this topic back to the top)
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.
I really want to start right in being able to keep the birds organized, as I don't have multiple pens to keep them separated as they grow.
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.
I\'m not sure if anyone else uses these, but here is a link to an ad on Ebay that is for little colored rubber bands. I use size 4 for when they first hatch, then I switch to size 5 when they are 10-14 days old. I really like them. It\'s just a temporary method for when they are real young. I am planning to get bigger sizes to see how well it works as they get bigger. Just another idea to ponder that is softer and more flexible than zip ties. All 6 colors come in one bag. They sell 100 bands for $7 no shipping. And you can reuse them. They stretch easy when trying to put them on and take them off.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-LEG-BANDS-CHICK-POULTRY-BIRD-QUAIL-EGG-SMALL-SIZE-5-/320365726791?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4a97490c47
Additionally, I am looking for a recommended option for banding the older birds.
I found these reusable, numbered bands on Twin City Poultry Supply and thought they might be a good option.https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8_69&zenid=5666fd99ec3980e5ece8ef3e04897d8b (https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8_69&zenid=5666fd99ec3980e5ece8ef3e04897d8b)
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions!
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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 (http://www.nationalband.com/wingbands.html) )
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... :'(
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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.
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.
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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!
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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 :-)
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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 (http://www.nationalband.com/wingbands.html) )
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... :'(
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?
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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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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.
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.
Sharon where do you get those small rubber bands? The link above is no longer viable. I'd like to try those.
FYI, for anyone else, I have been using these on chicks. Colors are limited, so it would work alright for limited numbers of pens, etc.
https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8_57&products_id=861&zenid=91c52b270a9a067751542b3b7dbf0a61
I usually put these on at day three or four and they will work for a couple of weeks. For the first few days, I use fingernail polish. I paint their toes, shanks, etc., to identify them. You do have to check them every third day because the polish does wear off. After the chick coiled bands, I switch to another larger colored coiled band, then eventually switch to zip ties, which do have to be changed several times for growth.
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Sharon where do you get those small rubber bands? The link above is no longer viable. I'd like to try those.
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I have been buying these from ebay for several years. The gal that I buy from is in Utah. She ships free. They are sizes 2,3,4,5, and 6. They come in 6 colors. Cost is $7 for 100. Her ebay handle is paintworx. You can do a search for chick rubber bands to find them. Look down the list, I think size 4 is the first you will see. Click on that item. At that screen click to the top right on see other items and it will show all of the sizes besides other items she sells. I hope this helps.
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Has anyone tried the tool used for castration to stretch the rubber leg bands to get them on the chicks? It does a good job stretching a small rubber band over a calf's testicles.
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Art we used it on tom cats to. It works good on them to. ::)
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The chick rubber are easily stretched by hand to put on their legs. Before I got my first order I looked around and found a small pair of reverse needle nose pliers with bent tips. I found out that it was just easier and faster to stretch them and put them on by hand. I didn't shoot too many across the room!
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Sorry to be late responding. I haven't been on the computer for a while. I broke my wrist on Monday and am having to do everything left handed. Wow is THAT weird! I purchase the little rubber bands from Sheryl Allred, the same person Gordon is talking about. She donated some for our National Meet. Jensen and Camille both received some. Here is a link to one of her Ebay ads: http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-LEG-BANDS-CHICK-POULTRY-BIRD-QUAIL-EGG-SMALL-SIZE-4-/221410017287?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item338d10c007
They are a little cheaper if you buy them from her directly at: sallred2@yahoo.com
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Sorry to hear that you broke your wrist.
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Thanks, Paul. Snapped the thing in 3 places trying to pull start a rototiller. When I yanked, it yanked back. Got me a cool-looking camo cast :)
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Cool cast Sharoon. I had a plain old white one when i broke my arm! I hope you get better soon and good luck itching under the cast.
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Thanks, DeWayne. I have my flyswatter wire on hand :)
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Haha. Butter knives work to! ;D
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Well..now that I have wheaten/blue wheatens - with new chicks coming from Paul Smith in a week or so, plus the new trio of whites, plus new eggs, blacks coming from Paul and (hopefully -fingers crossed!), some adults from Clif, it is imperative that I be able to identify the source of each chick.
So, I broke down and wrote Sheryl an email to place an order :)
One question - what sizes do you keep on hand (Gordon and Sharon) as the chicks grow - what is the smallest for chicks coming out of the incubator and what is the largest for adults? And do you get every color in between.
In other words, if you start with a 4 and adults take a 10, do you use 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 in the interim?
Thank you!!
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I use colored zip ties and just watch they don`t get to tight. When they start geting tight, i cut the old one off and put a new one on.
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Susan, I start out with size 3 for bantam and size 4 for LF. It doesn't take long for them to graduate to the next size up. Years ago I tried the larger sizes in the rubber stretch bands but found the chicks could remove them easily, especially when they went in outdoor runs. So after changing to the next larger size after hatching, the next time I start using the hard spiral plastic bands. I do occasionally lose a band with these but not to the extent on the larger rubber stretch bands. So if this makes sense I go for bantam 3,4,rubber stretch bands 5,6,7 hard spiral bands. LF 4,5 rubber stretch bands 6,7,9,10,11 hard spiral bands then 12,14 numbered plastic bands.
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Thank you, Gordon. I'm ordering size 4 and size 5. Then I'll use the zip ties until they are adults.
So..next question. Where do you get the numbered plastic bands for the adults?
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I get my numbered leg bands from Smith Poultry & Game Bird Supply, Bucyrus, Ks. Their catalog is on their website.
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Susan - I order 4, 5, & 6 from Sheryl which will get the chicks up to a month old. I put size 4 on them as I take them out of the incubator and then switch to size 5 about 10 days later, then switch to size 6 after 10 more days. By the time they out grow size 6, they are about a month old. MAKE SURE TO CHECK BANDS OFTEN!
After they have outgrown size 6 rubber bands, I switch them to Hakes' Twin City Poultry Supplies bandettes (size 7), which will take them through another few months, then I switch them to size 9. Here is a link to Victor Hakes' website: https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8_24&zenid=7d36bde79e7c6c1024055ce3fa848489
He was a great supporter of the ABC last year and is a great guy to deal with!
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Thanks, Paul. Snapped the thing in 3 places trying to pull start a rototiller. When I yanked, it yanked back. Got me a cool-looking camo cast :)
Sharon - I know it's been 6 months, but how is your wrist doing?
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You can also get leg bands on ebay. Thats were i get mine for my adults.
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It's doing much better. I don't have any trouble with it on a daily bases and don't even think about it, but when I tried to do a pushup last week, it said, "No way!" I'm certain the bones are healed, just don't know why I can't put much weight on it. It's probably more tendon related and I just need to be stretching and working it more.
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I\'m bumping this back up, because I have yet to find a form of ID I like for growing birds.
Toe-punching will identify a group of birds (pen 1, pen 2) but not individual birds.
I like the butt-end aluminum bands on adults, but they can\'t be applied until the bird is nearly grown.
The NPIP bands break if you look at them - mine were done last month and at least 1/4 have already come off. Plus I test in the fall, so by that point they\'re old enough for permanent bands anyway.
Bandettes break or pull off, and last year the numbers rubbed off of ALL of them in just a few months.
Zip ties work for small hatches but with large numbers it\'s too easy to miss one and have it grow into the leg - not pretty.
Last year I spent a lot of time tattooing, thinking that would solve the problem once and for all, but over time some of the tattoos became unreadable. (Maybe the pen type tattoo kit would work better than the pliers?)
At the moment I\'m writing numbers on the wing-web with a sharpie, but that doesn\'t seem practical for very long.
That brings me to once again considering wing bands, since they can be applied to day-old chicks and supposedly stay on for life. Patty, you mentioned you had a problem with snagging - just wanted to clarify, were those wing bands or wing badges? The badges look really cumbersome, but the bands stick out, too. Has anyone else used wing bands? Do they stay on; do they break; do they get pulled out?
Any other suggestions on how to permanently ID a growing bird? (Or at least last long enough to get a butt-end band on it.)
To id each individual bird i use a color system. As chicks I use water balloon ends or small zip ties. If I run out of colors. I double color example: Red Red, Orange Yellow, Purple Purple, Blue Blue.
Or I select one color for one leg and another color for the other leg. This way I can have same colored bands on the same foot.
The water-balloon ends have worked well until they get about 4-5 weeks old. Then I have switched to a numbering bandette system.
I had a friend use quick dry JB weld inside the bandettes in between the spirals, to keep them from coming undone. But this is when they have their permanent adult bandettes.
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It's doing much better. I don't have any trouble with it on a daily bases and don't even think about it, but when I tried to do a pushup last week, it said, "No way!" I'm certain the bones are healed, just don't know why I can't put much weight on it. It's probably more tendon related and I just need to be stretching and working it more.
The Drs didn't recommend any therapy after the cast was off?
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::)...yes. I meant to do them. Really I did. Thanks for reminding me. I will do them now. :)
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LOL...oops! Sounds like something I would do (or not do ;) )
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I\'m not sure if anyone else uses these, but here is a link to an ad on Ebay that is for little colored rubber bands. I use size 4 for when they first hatch, then I switch to size 5 when they are 10-14 days old. I really like them. It\'s just a temporary method for when they are real young. I am planning to get bigger sizes to see how well it works as they get bigger. Just another idea to ponder that is softer and more flexible than zip ties. All 6 colors come in one bag. They sell 100 bands for $7 no shipping. And you can reuse them. They stretch easy when trying to put them on and take them off.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-LEG-BANDS-CHICK-POULTRY-BIRD-QUAIL-EGG-SMALL-SIZE-5-/320365726791?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4a97490c47
I ordered some of these and I absolutely love them! I was using the zip ties, but I like these much better! Easier to put on and I've only one (out of about 100 chicks, so far) come off. I start with the size 4, switch to the size 5 at about 10 days, and have just started using the size 6 on some of the older chicks (My first "tagged" hatch was 4/6)
Now, I'm trying to decide what to do with the adults.
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I really like the little rubber bands too. Once they have outgrown them, I switch to the #7 size bandettes from Hakes' Twin City Poultry Supplies: https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8_24&zenid=5aa960734b32ad9feaa9301dd0941b6b
#7 fits LF from about age 1 month to 3-5 months (depending on bird), then I switch to size #9. I've never had to use anything larger.
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Sharon, how do you apply the bandettes?
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With your hands. It's like a little spiral band that you can unwind and then it bounces back when you let go of it. Don't unwind too far or you'll snap and break it. And sometimes if you pull it out too far you will have to squeeze it a little once it's on the bird to help tighten the twist. I really like them.