Open Band Application

[MiaCarter]

I'm planning to use open bands on my new babies, Pippin and Piper. For identification purposes.

I've read lots of anecdotes about parents getting upset and rejecting the babies if you apply leg bands.

Of course, apply the leg bands sooner rather than later is much easier. Plus, the adjustment to the band is easier when they're younger.

But I'm scared.
They just rejected a pink-beaked baby and she died as a result.

So that tells me that perhaps they're conscious of the babies' appearance and therefore, could be sensitive to leg bands.

Nobody has leg bands so it's not something they're familiar with.

So what shall I do?
I being stupid and worrying for nothing?
Is it much more difficult to apply them if I wait until they're weaned?? If I do this, I may even find that I don't even need leg bands if they're easy to tell apart. (When I'd purchased them, I had 3 babies. Now I only have 2.)

[cindy]

Apply the split band after fledging or weaning. Closed bands are usually done while the chicks are very young, still in the nest.

The baby they rejected may have had something wrong, perhaps a weakness internally and they sensed it and did not care for it, letting it pass or the baby just failed to thrive.

[MiaCarter]

Thanks, cindy

Will do, then!
If there's no reason to do them now and only a risk, then it just makes sense to wait.

I keep telling myself that about the pink-beaked baby -- maybe there was something wrong with her and she would have died anyways.
That's how I rationalize it.
I feel really guilty and regretful about not handfeeding her. I should have.
I knew they weren't feeding her properly. It seems like she was getting fed accidentally as she always had just a bite or two worth in her crop. I didn't intervene because I was hoping they'd start feeding her properly.

[finchmix22]

They probably rejected the pink beak baby because it looked different from the other babies. Society's sometime reject or don't feed the lighter colored chicks in a clutch, unless they area all light colored. If I noticed other babies being fed, but one doesn't have food in the crop, I'll hand feed the baby, but place it back in the nest so they can keep it warm. Unless they are hurting the baby.

[xdartfrogx]

I agree with Cindy. Wait until they are fledglings to apply the bands. That way they are starting to feed on their own, and there is less worry if the parents reject them due to their bands.