leg bands

[jami63]

My niece sent me leg bands for my guinea fowls for my birthday.I am wondering if it is ok to leg band them.I am afraid it might hurt them???Does anyone know??

 

[GlennLee]

Welcome jami63.

I know of some who have used leg bands, but guineas are funny creatures and anything that makes them different from one another has the potential for increased pecking and aggression. I don't think it will hurt them as long as they're big enough not to cut into the leg. I'm not sure if or how far you free range, so that my make a difference if the band rubs on the leg. You could always give it a try and be prepared to cut them off if it doesn't work - but that means you'll have to catch them to do it! I thought about banding just as a way to tell them apart - but decided not to for the reasons I mentioned. If you do decide to band them, let us know how it works out for you.

Good luck! Gotta love those guineas!

 

[jami63]

Dear GlennLee,

I have decided not to put the leg bands on the guineas,They are so afraid of anything new I don"t want to stress them out.My birds were even afraid of a new water bucket..

 

[GlennLee]

Oh dear! They are a bit quirky, but you gotta love em! Hopefully, they will adjust to their new waterer soon. They usually figure that one out within a day. Transitioning to a new coop will take them a good month and a half! I do like those leg bands, but it could create new problems - anything that's different just rocks their world..

 

[R2elk]

Oh dear! They are a bit quirky, but you gotta love em! Hopefully, they will adjust to their new waterer soon. They usually figure that one out within a day. Transitioning to a new coop will take them a good month and a half! I do like those leg bands, but it could create new problems - anything that's different just rocks their world..

In my experience the leg bands do not present any problems with the guinea fowl. I use various colored cable ties such as these.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerci...sorted-100-Pack-GT-200ST-colors-100/203531919

Just be sure that you don't put them on tight. Some of mine have lasted for four years and others needed replaced after two years. I never saw any sign of the leg bands causing any unusual behavior from the guineas toward each other.

 

[GlennLee]

Thanks for the information. I think these would be a better option than the ones with the charms attached. Cute to look at, but not very practical for using with guineas. What's your reason for banding? Do you keep track of birth year or mother by color?

 

[R2elk]

Thanks for the information. I think these would be a better option than the ones with the charms attached. Cute to look at, but not very practical for using with guineas. What's your reason for banding? Do you keep track of birth year or mother by color?

Identification among the ones that are very similar in appearance.

 

[Justjered]

In my experience the leg bands do not present any problems with the guinea fowl. I use various colored cable ties such as these.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerci...sorted-100-Pack-GT-200ST-colors-100/203531919

Just be sure that you don't put them on tight. Some of mine have lasted for four years and others needed replaced after two years. I never saw any sign of the leg bands causing any unusual behavior from the guineas toward each other.

I have the same thing, multicolored zip ties..

My wonder is how tight should they be? Mine wont fall off but they are not tight by any means.. Are they okay to be loose-ish or should they be snug so they cant move? I have probably 2x the space needed for their leg (midaged chicks, so will still have some growing room left).

Thanks for the advice.

 

[R2elk]

I have the same thing, multicolored zip ties..

My wonder is how tight should they be? Mine wont fall off but they are not tight by any means.. Are they okay to be loose-ish or should they be snug so they cant move? I have probably 2x the space needed for their leg (midaged chicks, so will still have some growing room left).

Thanks for the advice.

They should never be put on tight especially on growing juveniles. I only put them on adult birds. If putting them on juvenile birds, one must keep an eye on them to make sure they never become tight. It is possible to cause the foot to fall off if the leg band becomes tight enough to stop circulation.

For juveniles, if I need to keep the keet identified, i just paint some fingernail polish on the top of their heads. Once the feathers molt it either needs to be re-applied or another method of identification is needed.

Good luck.

 

[Justjered]

I can probably stick a pinky finger in the band with their leg so definately not too tight. Silkies so they shouldnt grow into them being too tight however I will monitor them of course.