Clover's 2024 chicks

[Cloverr39]

I guess what I'm really wondering is if they are put on at a month old, how is it permanent? That's what I'm not understanding. What is the band made of and does it grow with them?

That's when the chick's leg is small enough for the band to be slipped on, but big enough that it won't fall off. I've seen some people put a zip tie under the band for a little bit until it won't fall off anymore. I put them on when my silkies were 1 month old and because of the 5th toe pointing upward, they never fell off.
It's made of hard plastic and it does not grow with them. That is why it is very important to get the right size for the breed. They're made so that the band is big enough to comfortably fit an adult bird.

Have you used them long?

This has been my first year using them. So far I'm very happy with them. I know breeders who have been using them for a while and I've never heard anyone complain.

What kind of downsides do they have? And lastly what if you needed to take the band off? How is it removed then?

I haven't found any downsides other than the fact they should be checked every so often while the bird is still growing just to make sure it's sitting in the right spot.

The band is made of plastic, so theoretically it probably could somehow be removed if you cut it open, but once you take it off, your bird loses a lot of its value as a show bird. Even if it has been showed before with great results, it won't matter anymore because there's no longer any way for you to prove the results belong to that bird. Nor will that bird ever be able to be shown again.

 

[RememberTheWay]

The band cant be replaced? Ever for any reason?

That's when the chick's leg is small enough for the band to be slipped on, but big enough that it won't fall off. I've seen some people put a zip tie under the band for a little bit until it won't fall off anymore. I put them on when my silkies were 1 month old and because of the 5th toe pointing upward, they never fell off.
It's made of hard plastic and it does not grow with them. That is why it is very important to get the right size for the breed. They're made so that the band is big enough to comfortably fit an adult bird.

This has been my first year using them. So far I'm very happy with them. I know breeders who have been using them for a while and I've never heard anyone complain.

I haven't found any downsides other than the fact they should be checked every so often while the bird is still growing just to make sure it's sitting in the right spot.

The band is made of plastic, so theoretically it probably could somehow be removed if you cut it open, but once you take it off, your bird loses all it's show value. Even if it has been showed before with great results, it won't matter anymore because there's no longer any way for you to prove the results belong to that bird.

 

[Cloverr39]

The band cant be replaced? Ever for any reason?

Well, no. Unless you have a young chick who's band has fallen off and you put on a new one. You cannot put a band on an older bird in a way that leaves the band intact.

 

[RememberTheWay]

Well, no. Unless you have a young chick who's band has fallen off and you put on a new one. You cannot put a band on an older bird in a way that leaves the band intact.

I think I'm having a hard time picturing how on earth if the ring is hard plastic does it stay on a chick before they are mature. I would think it would just slip off?

Btw- I'm exploring different options for ID bands on my birds for my breeding program, which is why I'm asking all these questions. Thanks for answering, btw

 

[Cloverr39]

I think I'm having a hard time picturing how on earth if the ring is hard plastic does it stay on a chick before they are mature. I would think it would just slip off?

That's understandable. With other breeds you may have to wait till they're closer to the 2 month mark, to ensure the band stays on, but as I said before with my silkies the 5th toe kept it from falling off.
Here's a picture of one of my birds with a newly put on band. You can see how it rests on the 5th toe. If you put the bands on and they keep falling off, you should wait a few days or a week and try again until they stay on.

This is a 2 month old brahma with her band just put on. It isn't my bird, it's from a breeder, Katerina Kasatkina. (Sorry for the bad quality screenshot.) I would share the youtube video, but it's in Latvian, so I doubt you'd understand what she's saying.

Btw- I'm exploring different options for ID bands on my birds for my breeding program, which is why I'm asking all these questions. Thanks for answering, btw

No problem. I couldn’t find much information on these bands online when I was researching them, so I'm happy to answer using what I've learned so far.

If you're looking for something less permanent and you're not planning on showing your birds, you could try the colorful plastic bands that you can snap on and off. Although they do have a tendency to break open in my experience and may not work as well for a larger flock because they usually aren't numbered or come with random numbers.