A crazy idea for ID/tag ducks (Threaded piercing bar as nasal saddle?)

[TheDaringDucks]

I have been researching ways to distinguish my ducks from each other (I dislike leg bands because its hard to see when the ducks are swimming), and I came upon a little-discussed idea that has been used for studying wild duck populations. nasal saddling. I was thinking, if it works for wild duck without inhibiting them, maybe it could be used for domestic ducks.

BUT, I don't personally like how bulky and obnoxious nasal saddles look, so I had a bit of a crazy thought and I haven't found anyone else posting the idea, but I am curious to get other's opinions on this.

What about using bar piercings as a nasal-saddle-style tag? Something like these where the colored beads on the ends could indicate the ID of a specific duck (one could even mix and match, or choose straight, round, or semi-bent bars, for extra variation):

I have read some reviews on these piercings that indicate that the balls might unscrew or break, leading to the piercing falling out over an extended period of time, but otherwise, they are made of surgical steel and hard plastics that I don't believe would cause any issues.

Before I attempt to do this sort of thing, I am trying to research what gauge of bar would be suitable for a duck. I'm having a hard time finding research on what gauges and bar widths were used for the scientific studies of the ducks fitted for nasal saddles. If anyone knows more about that, I would appreciate whatever information you can offer.

Thoughts? Is this crazy?

 

[Rouen Mom]

My concerns would be that either the jewelry might be uncomfortable, or that a bead may get loose and the duck could choke on it . Not trying to be a Debbie Downer or anything, your post caught my attention because I too would like to come up with an idea to identify my birds. A+ on ingenuity, heck I haven't been able to think of anything .

Please let me know if you come across any other ideas, I'd be interested to hear (got to keep my bird babies safe)

 

[TheDaringDucks]

My concerns would be that either the jewelry might be uncomfortable, or that a bead may get loose and the duck could choke on it . Not trying to be a Debbie Downer or anything, your post caught my attention because I too would like to come up with an idea to identify my birds. A+ on ingenuity, heck I haven't been able to think of anything .

Please let me know if you come across any other ideas, I'd be interested to hear (got to keep my bird babies safe)

Not a Debbie Downer at all! You're totally justified in that concern, and that is the kind of feedback that can help determine if an idea is worth testing or not. It helps to know what to research!

The possibility of a choking hazard was one of my concerns as well. The most common size of the beads I have found is ~3mm in diameter, which is on the low end of the size for an adult duck for grit, per this website: "For adult ducks, grit particles should measure approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch across, or 3-6 millimeters." So it may be best to not have these barbell piercings around younger ducks, but if you have an all adult flock, the chances of it being a choking hazard may be lessened. (I would imagine a smooth round bead would pass through a duck's digestive tract far easier than grit rocks in the off chance they DO swallow it.)

As for the discomfort being a concern, I've been looking into that as well. According to the studies I can find about actual nasal saddles, they don't seem to be detrimental to ducks other than making them a little less desirable to potential mates, haha! "Conclusions Nasal saddles are an appropriate general method for marking dabbling ducks. However, saddles may not be appropriate for the study of social relationships in some conditions."

Or possibly just causing the ducks to scratch a bit more frequently. "Saddled birds spent more time in maintenance activities, less time in locomotory activities, and were less successful in obtaining mates than unsaddled birds. Nasal saddles have been used on many species of ducks without causing any recurring abnormal behaviors." However, from the same study, it does suggest nasal saddles may not be suitable for smaller duck breeds due to their smaller nasal passages. "...these results suggest that nasal saddles should not be used on Ruddy Ducks and may be a problem with other small duck species

I was able to find a scientific paper that details the sizes used for nasal saddles, (which are typically made of PVC saddles and nylon pins, because the nylon could be melted to secure it, rather than to screw on a bead, like my piercing idea. However I have seen SOME reference to metal pins as well, so it isn't unprecedented!)

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For clarity's sake, I've thrown together this quick digitization of the above diagram:

So theoretically, if I can find barbell piercings that match the above measurements, perhaps it might be feasible. But I am still trying to think of other concerns this might present if anyone has any! I would love to continue researching this!

 

[CoriM]

I would be extremely hesitant to do this. Other ducks will likely pick at them, injuring the duck wearing it, and definitely getting beads off to swallow. Ugh, I've had my duck grab my earring so I know what it might be like. How many ducks do you have that you need to go to these lengths to identify them? I guess I just don't understand the need?

 

[ruthhope]

Ducks are obsessed with picking at things! I had a hand raised duckling that tried relentlessly to pick off the microsoft logo oblongs from a key on the bottom left side of my laptop. Yes, he also went for my earrings. these little bobbles will be magnets for ducky attention!