Which type of leg bands to use?

FINCHIE · Post by **FINCHIE** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:11 pm

I need to leg band my babies and dont know which leg bands to buy? Any guidance greatly appreciated.

Thanks

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:53 pm

Find a supplier in your country...if you're talking split rings tell them what birds you have and they will supply the right size...not hard to fit.
Buy different colours or numbered rings to tell your birds apart.

Post by **Sally** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:01 am

If you're using closed bands, you need to band them while still in the nest, or at the latest, the day of fledging. Plastic split bands can be applied any time, and I would wait till the babies are well on their way to being independent. One thing to watch for--in the US, people have started using some soft plastic split bands made from hobby jewelry beads. They are supposed to be soft and easy to apply, and they are quite inexpensive. I have had several birds lose toes due to the fact that these bands slipped down over the toes and then were stuck, cutting off the circulation. The toes die and come off, and you are left with a handicapped bird. I have yet to find a split plastic band that my Goldbreasts can't slip out of.

gomer · Post by **gomer** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:19 am

The best and well priced I have found in Australia,Is Chapman Rings N.S.W Australia.Ph (02)95333785 Email.chapmanrings@pacific.net.au
I use Numbered plain colour split size AS.And pay $59.95 for 100 numbered 1 to 100.They sell alsorts of rings for all birds.I cant comment on closed rings because I have never used them.They also sell many other bird lines.As Sally said I would also steer clear from the cheap soft ones.

twhyde · Post by **twhyde** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:03 am

I just banded my first baby Goulds. I purchased the bands from L&M Bird Leg Bands. They are reasonable and very helpful. This is the firt time I had banded babies and I waited until they were out of the nest and it was very easy....I used the split, numbered bands.

bonnies_gouldians · Post by **bonnies_gouldians** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:48 am

I just applied my first split bands to my pair of societies. It's really easy to do and the bands are relatively inexpensive and a good way to keep track of babies in the future. You can get them from fairestfinches.com or ladygouldianfinch.com as well. they both offer a good variety of colors. I took the advice of others on the forum, closed bands are more for serious breeders, Im just a hobbyist who does not want to mix up my offspring

Also, closed banding makes me nervous, I am afraid to cause injury to the upper toe/nail that you have to get the band above...Props to those of you who do it. I like the reliability of something like that though, its not like you can do a closed band on anything but a week old nestling so you know what the band says is what the bird is!

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 10:13 am

It's up to you which type of bands you use and whether you want to band them after they fledge or before they come out of the nest. I use closed bands engraved with my information, on my 6 or 7 day old finches.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:24 am

as all of my birds are aviary bred and I dont go near the nests. I cant use leg rings until any young fledge. usually on the first or second day out of the nest I will catch them and put a split number leg ring on them. I use a different colour for each year

gomer · Post by **gomer** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:33 am

Many are not as tolerant as gouldians.And some types will abandon the nest even if they think you have looked at it.That's why here in Australia we wait for birds to fledge in a aviary situation.It might be different in a cage situation.But many we breed here would not breed in cages.In other countries maybe they have been accustomed and breed different for many generations.