Opinion question about leg bands

[LaurenRitz]

I put chick leg bands on the three chicks that had trouble. One had splay leg and curled toes, one just curled toes, and one got pasty butt.

Unfortunately it appears that the "extra large" leg bands (size 6) I got are too small. They're growing out of them at 3 weeks.

They are an elastic leg band, but I don't want the chicks damaged. When should I remove the bands? Any ideas about another way to identify these chicks? Paint might work but they'll be molting here in a few weeks.

 

[AidKD]

Couldn't you tie a piece of yarn or string around there leg?

 

[LaurenRitz]

Sure I could. I chose the bands because my hands are none too steady and I don't want to risk cutting a chick when I cut the bands off.

 

[Acre4Me]

Yes, they will outgrow bands while growing up. It’s good that you are keeping an eye on this. Do not tie anything in them, it is better to buy larger bands, or even use zip ties. But bc they are growing, you’ll change them several times before they are full grown. Avoid red bc they peck at red things.

Permanent:

1. they sell special hole punches for the webbing between toes. It is designed for chicks/chickens and is permanent. Look at places that supply livestock tools.

2. Wing bands. Usually attached to chicks, it does not hinder them, but I am not experienced with these. Also sold with livestock/poultry supply houses. I’ve seen them at poultry shows too. They come in various sizes and requires a certain tool to apply.

 

[Acre4Me]

Couldn't you tie a piece of yarn or string around there leg?

Yarn and string an be pulled on by the bird and could be tightened this way- not a good thing. In addition, the strings of gluff could be ingested, potentially causing issues.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Would a drop of paint on the foot hurt them in any way? I know it would need to be repainted periodically...

I have done paint on the head before, but those birds were older.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Yes, they will outgrow bands while growing up. It’s good that you are keeping an eye on this. Do not tie anything in them, it is better to buy larger bands, or even use zip ties. But bc they are growing, you’ll change them several times before they are full grown.

They grew out of the "large" bands within a few days. The extra large was the largest I could find. I can't imagine a chick small enough for the "extra small" bands.

 

[NatJ]

Any ideas about another way to identify these chicks? Paint might work but they'll be molting here in a few weeks.

Yes, paint might work. Of course you would have to re-do it with each molt.

If you are willing to re-do it frequently as they each molt, you can identify chickens by clipping feathers. Maybe cut some wing feathers short on the right wing of one chick, left of another, and the third would be either both wings or the tail.

For chicks, there is a lot of re-checking, but the do not molt all their wing feathers at once. So when you find that some of the clipped feathers are missing, pay attention to clip the new ones as they finish growing (don't clip blood feathers that are still growing, just the ones that are done.)

Once they settle down to keeping one set of feathers long-term, paint or clipped feathers last much better

You can also use zip ties: put it around the leg, pull it enough to still be rather loose, cut off the loose end so nothing pulls it tighter. To take it off, cut through the plastic lump where it fastens, rather than trying to cut the part that's directly around the leg.

They grew out of the "large" bands within a few days. The extra large was the largest I could find. I can't imagine a chick small enough for the "extra small" bands.

Wherever you bought them must think they are selling for pigeons or small pet birds or something. Larger legbands DO exist on some websites.

For example, McMurray hatchery has a page of legbands for sale:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/leg_bands_and_bandettes.html
They give band sizes in inches, with the smallest being 1/4" across and the largest 1 inch across (meant for adult geese). You can measure the size bands you used, or hold a ruler next to a chick's leg, to get an idea of what size would be good.

(McMurray is not the only site that sells them. I just listed it as one example.)

 

[Acre4Me]

I can't imagine a chick small enough for the "extra small" bands.

Quail and bantams come to mind!

Those are very small chicks, especially the quail!

 

[LaurenRitz]

The size 4 (listed as large) is supposed to be 1/4 inch, which McMurray says to use for day old chicks. Size 6, listed as extra large, is 3/8 inch. Meyers went straight from there to zip ties and large bands. McMurray has intermediate sizes but only in the spiral. I figured if there was a size 6 there would probably be larger sizes in the elastic style, but I can't find them.