How do you safely remove a wingband

[naakte]

Maya has the most hideous wingband and i hate it. I pet her all the time and my ring catches the thing. there is no reason for her to have it on there. she is a tiny serama and it is so big looking on her. I want to take it off but need to know what the safest way to get it off of her. any ideas?

Donna in Branson

 

[java girl 2]

Get a pear of wire cuter and cut it off!!

 

[ruthless]

Donna, you will want to be very careful removing the wing band. It is used by some breeders as a permanent ID for their birds. It will leave a hole in her wing if you can get it off. And you may injure the wing when taking it off.

Here is a thread about them.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=136022&p=2

Here is what they look like before being put on. There is a nub of metal that fits thru that hole and they are put on with pliers.
http://www.randallburkey.com/Initialed-Zip-Wing-Bands-Color/productinfo/21051/

All I am saying is be careful, she is small and I would not want her wing injured. Good luck.

 

[naakte]

I hate that thing Ruth. maybe i will run to the vet this afternoon and see about it

Donna

 

[ranchhand]

Gritsar just removed one last week, I think she used wire cutters. I'll point her in your direction, then you'll know for sure.

 

[gritsar]

How long has she had it? If it's been months I wouldn't attempt to remove it myself, thinking it may have grown into the surrounding tissue. If it hasn't been that long, it's a piece of cake to remove.

I bought 5 chicks with wing bands recently. First thing I did when I got them home was to remove the bands. Following instructions from one of the folks @ Ideal Poultry, where my chicks came from, I pushed the band as far to front of each birds wing as I could and simply clipped it off with a pair of wire cutters. They came off extremely easy, much easier than I thought they would.

 

[ruthless]

She has had it many months. Got her at 10 weeks and it was on her. She is over 8 months now.

 

[gritsar]

If it's been months, but the band is still freely movable (right word?) I would still remove it with the wire clippers. There's no blood and as I said, super easy.

It it appears non-flexible I would look for another way to remove it.