Do your Featherlegs need banding?

[Smoky73]

I leg band the birds I show, but other than that, I wing band all the birds. My state does not band birds at testing.

 

[PamB]

Ok, so if the bands are simply used for breeding lines, etc., why would they be required at shows?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

It's an effort to assist in identifying birds with owners. If there's a dispute between two people as to which bird is who's then they can look at the paperwork and see which banded bird goes with who. Most don't require a band number though, so the owner needs to keep up with their birds, especially during coop-out.

 

[PamB]

Ok, that makes sense. So, I guess my next question is how do they know that the paperwork I show them regarding the health testing for my chicken actually applies to the bird I am bringing? How is the paperwork connected to the bird?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Most people are NPIP nowadays. It makes showing easier. With NPIP all birds in the flock are tested. They are taking you at your word that the birds are tested because they can and will trace diseased birds.

 

[robin416]

Quote:
Whether the entire flock is tested or not depends on the state you live in and whether or not they have had positive tests. Here they do 25% of the flock.

As to knowing whether or not the flock has been tested to be entered in to a show your NPIP certificate must accompany you to the show. It will be given to the Show Secretary to verify you are participating in the NPIP program.

 

[PamB]

Quote:
Whether the entire flock is tested or not depends on the state you live in and whether or not they have had positive tests. Here they do 25% of the flock.

As to knowing whether or not the flock has been tested to be entered in to a show your NPIP certificate must accompany you to the show. It will be given to the Show Secretary to verify you are participating in the NPIP program.

I am in the process of becoming NPIP. I have had birds tested so that I can show, but next week, my entire flock will be tested. However, if I don't have an NPIP certificate by the next show (which I won't), wouldn't I then have to leave the metal leg band on because the number matches the number of the bird tested on the paperwork? If your answer is no, then they are basically taking me at my word as you said. For instance, I've had two birds tested so far. For the last show we attended (which was our first), they both had the metal legbands with a number that matched the two numbers on the paperwork. The paperwork just says "blue silkie cockeral" and "splash silkie pullet" with the numbers after that description and then it says they are P-T and AI clean. So, what I am suggesting is that without the legband with the corresponding number, I could take a different splash silkie pullet (for example) and show it with that paperwork.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
Whether the entire flock is tested or not depends on the state you live in and whether or not they have had positive tests. Here they do 25% of the flock.

As to knowing whether or not the flock has been tested to be entered in to a show your NPIP certificate must accompany you to the show. It will be given to the Show Secretary to verify you are participating in the NPIP program.

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. Generally speaking, the first year your entire flock is tested (of birds that are over 3 months of age) after each year that you participate, only 25%, depending on how long you have stated you would like to participate in the program, will be tested.

Yes, the NPIP certificate COPY (don't send the original) can be sent to the show secretary, but I would also keep a copy on your person in case you are pulled over and questioned as to what the heck you are doing with 10+ birds in your car.


As for the show you are getting ready to enter, as long as I have been doing the NPIP program, I have never had them band my birds. They never ask and I never tell them to as I have my own banding system. I would only go through and clip the bands off anyway. Pam, what you are describing is what happens. Many people, since their birds are in the NPIP program will simply swap bands from the birds. I personally don't because I chose that bird for a reason and don't see the point in taking a bird that is lesser and is only breeder quality. That's just my philosophy on it. Others do swap leg bands on birds in order to take something to the show. The metal leg bands fall off all the time, they are not made with a strong metal, so bands are lost in transit, etc. It would be a shame to turn away all the birds that had broken leg bands, lost leg bands or have someone who wrote down the wrong number at the time of testing.

 

[PamB]

Quote:
Whether the entire flock is tested or not depends on the state you live in and whether or not they have had positive tests. Here they do 25% of the flock.

As to knowing whether or not the flock has been tested to be entered in to a show your NPIP certificate must accompany you to the show. It will be given to the Show Secretary to verify you are participating in the NPIP program.

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. Generally speaking, the first year your entire flock is tested (of birds that are over 3 months of age) after each year that you participate, only 25%, depending on how long you have stated you would like to participate in the program, will be tested.

Yes, the NPIP certificate COPY (don't send the original) can be sent to the show secretary, but I would also keep a copy on your person in case you are pulled over and questioned as to what the heck you are doing with 10+ birds in your car.


As for the show you are getting ready to enter, as long as I have been doing the NPIP program, I have never had them band my birds. They never ask and I never tell them to as I have my own banding system. I would only go through and clip the bands off anyway. Pam, what you are describing is what happens. Many people, since their birds are in the NPIP program will simply swap bands from the birds. I personally don't because I chose that bird for a reason and don't see the point in taking a bird that is lesser and is only breeder quality. That's just my philosophy on it. Others do swap leg bands on birds in order to take something to the show. The metal leg bands fall off all the time, they are not made with a strong metal, so bands are lost in transit, etc. It would be a shame to turn away all the birds that had broken leg bands, lost leg bands or have someone who wrote down the wrong number at the time of testing.

Thank you very much for the information. I've emailed the state tester coming out next week asking if CT requires these legbands. I told her if they don't, I didn't want them put on the birds. They are testing all of my birds, so I don't want to have them all metal banded if it isn't necessary.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I band all the silkies, generally they all get wing banded at 4-5 days old. Once I decide who I am keeping they may get a leg band, but if I am showing them they will get one. I use size 9 plastic bandettes for silkies.


Here in NY they band the birds when they NPIP test them. I had about 80 birds last year when I first got NPIP tested and they tested 30 of them.