banding Gouldians

[Airlyn]

Sally sent me some size D bands so I can do my next clutch. Omg!!!! They are so tiny! I use to have homing pigeons and they have big feet. It was really easy. Plus I never had to worry about them abandoning.
Banding wee Gouldies is going to be a nerve racking experience, lol
I'm scared I will hurt them
I have myocyclonic seizures so sometimes my hands jerk. It gets worse when under stressors. I'm already worried just seeing the size of those tiny little bands.
I would feel dreadful if I hurt a baby.
I read finches do not have to be banded to show. They just go in the flighted class, right? Do you think it affects how they are judged if unbanded? Do judges prefer banded ones over unbanded?
If I can just get through this next clutch banding them hopefully I won't worry so much next time, lol
But dang those are some tiny bands, lol
My pair were excellent parents after I got them the kind of nest they wanted but worry they will abandon if I go messing with their babes. They just started laying again so I have another month to worry about all of this, lololol

[wilkifam]

It really really is not that bad! Stay calm and band on!

My goulds needed to be banded at about 8 days with these new 2014 bands. Much later, and the bands did not fit. I had to go to a size E with on particularry fat chick that was just 8 days old!

[finchandlovebird]

Banding the first time is TERRIFYING.....not to the birds, but to you. I remember my first time.....had both my g-daughters over to help I was so scaird. Now I can almost do it with my eyes closed

[lovezebs]

Airlyn
I know what you mean. It is very scary, but I managed to do a batch of five, plus mother (and my chickies were quite a bit older because I didnt know the right age). It takes time and patience (and in my case olive oil) but it can be done. Why not get in a family member or a friend to give you a hand?

~Elana~

[Airlyn]

Thanks all for the confidence booster. My new mantra..
I can band those babies! Lol

[Sally]

Airlyn You can do it! My first time banding, I was so nervous that I dropped several bands (losing some), I was sweating like a pig, my hands were shaking, and it took me forever. I use Neosporin to help slip the bands over the ankles (I'm banding older/fledged babies), and the babies were so greased up it is a wonder they could fly the next day! But it does get easier each time. Don't worry about what can go wrong, it seldom does, just think how cute those babies will be with their bling!

You are correct that finches don't have to be banded to show, they do go in the 'old' class. And judges are not influenced by whether a bird is banded or not. But if you get into showing, you can earn points when an NFS-banded bird makes it onto top bench. The same bird, if not closed-banded, could conceivably win the show and get no points for it at all.

[Airlyn]

Ok, so I did a nest check to see how many eggs they are sitting on. Sneaky little birds had built a roof to their nest inside the box. I was able to see the eggs still. They didn't have it solid, but to band the babies in future I will have to destroy their nest. Won't that make them abandon the babies?
This time I had offered them some long coconut fibers which they loved. They built a real nice nest this time.

[MiaCarter]

I was definitely a bit nutty when I applied split plastic bands.
I don't usually band my guys, but it was necessary for identification.

I was all shaky and nervous.
It was made more difficult by the fact that I'm loathe to pick up finches the proper way (back and wings against your palm, head between pointer and middle finger and thumb across the chest.) I'm afraid to hold them tightly enough. I'm afraid I'm going to hurt their wings. So when I go to flip them to access the legs, they resist and rotate inside my hand because I"m not holding them tightly enough. It's just a mess. So I had to figure out how to do it without flipping the bird. (Lifted them up to eye level and did it that way.)
I much prefer them to simply land on my finger, but none were keen to let me put this scary metal object up beside their leg! LOL

Of course, I totally forgot about putting the proper band on the proper leg. So I totally messed up my system!

You'd think that the split bands wouldn't be all that scary, but I was frightened that I wouldn't get it all the way around their leg.
I had terrible visions of the band snapping closed on the leg, snapping it like a twig.

I hate banding. Hate it!

[Airlyn]

Glad I ain't the only one! I'm sure I will do ok though.
My biggest concern at this point is how I'm going to get the birds out of the nest since they built a roof. Things that make ya go hmmmm, lol
Should I take the whole box out of the cage? Then take their roof off as best I can to reach the babies?
That just seems like it will stress mama and papa out a lot!
I ain't too sure they will get coconut fibers in future, lol