FINCHforum

I banded some of my birds today that have never been banded. Just so that when I figure out which one is male/female, I can remember by their band color.

Anyway, they hate the bands and keep trying to mess with them. Is that normal? Will they get over it or chew their leg off until they get it off?

I've never banded so can't share my experience except to say I'm sure it is easier if the bands are put on when they are only days old.

As for older birds, I would imagine they do get used to them sooner or later. I would just watch to make sure they don't continue to peck at the bands and injure themselves.

I just got three new swees and banded each a different color before putting them in their quarantine cage (like you, so I could tell them apart). The bands drove them CRAZY. One especially kept hanging from the top of the cage by one foot, trying to pull the band off the other leg. Considering how tiny their legs are, I'm surprised none were successful. By the next day they all seemed to have forgotten about the bands entirely.

Mine all got over it.

Yeah, I just do it with parents I'm breeding (so when their chicks grow up I can tell them apart) and with pairs that look to similar to distinguish. That way, when I figure out which one is male, I can say... oh the one with the blue band.

They still haven't gotten over it... we'll see if tomorrow is better.

Some of my birds are banded with closed ring, none are making effort to pull them off, except one: an five month old Salvadori Crimsonwing. He sometimes pulks at it, but I guess he will get over it soon. The same bird loves to pull at all sorts of things in the cage including the bars and he's making holes in the newspaper laying on the ground. Such a funny bird

My Swees are banded too (not closed rings though), and in the beginning they were picking at it too. Sometimes another bird tryed to free the legg of another one. They got over it, so I wouldn't be affraid they will hurt themselves.
You have to be carefull with banded chicks though. The parents want to remove averything in the nest that doesn't belong there, doesn't matter if there is a chick ataached to the band or not