Jiffy wing bands

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm not the OP but I've applied almost 200 of the bands. The first hundred were the plain ones. They worked great but I wasn't really happy that they were so hard to read. The next batch I bought were green with really good contrast. They were much easier to read but they were harder to apply for some reason. I've gotten the hang of it but they just don't seem to fit in the pliers like the plain ones.
I'm going to stick with them till I discover something better but for now, it is what I'm using. At any rate, it is better overall than leg bands which I liked because now I can't read a wing band till nightfall when they go to roost.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Could it be that the colored are aluminum and the plain were brass? I use aluminum Zip style but had the option of the two materials.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't have any of the plain any more but I do think the plain are also aluminum. They just aren't painted. The wedge shape should be the same between them but I think there was something different about the dimple on the non penetrating side. I probably won't get the plain again because they are too hard for these old eyes to read at night.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is what I use.
https://nationalband.com/jiffy-893/

 

[Weetamoo93]

I use these: https://nationalband.com/zip-890/ , in purple.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I use these: https://nationalband.com/zip-890/ , in purple.

I've considered those. Is it a 2 step process to penetrate the wing web and seal them?

 

[Weetamoo93]

Correct. I wish I'd taken photos to make a tutorial because I only found one video really demonstrating the process.

You have to push the band through the membrane then seal it with the pliers. The first chick was the hardest, but the sharp end is VERY sharp and didn't require too much pressure to puncture the membrane.

 

[NNYchick]

I ordered them from pinion hatch farm. Good to know the colors are readable too. I will be banding my adult silkies and bantam Ameraucana chicks. Any tips on banding adults? I haven’t figured out exactly how I’m going to tract family and year hatch besides on paper. I was thinking of doing a different color for each year or family? With the Ameraucana it’s easier because I can toe punch at hatch or do leg bands when they grown out tracing back with using wing band number. But the silkies neither of those are visible and frankly a waste of time, but I will probably just keep them wing banded. I bought ABA leg bands for the bantam Ameraucana chicks but the male size was too small for the cockerels and the female size was too small for the pullets when I tried them last week (4 1/2 weeks old) I may use the male size for the pullets.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I know this thread is a year old. I am wondering how you ended up liking your jiffy wing bands. I just ordered some in brass with the pliers because in the pictures they looked like the easiest to read the numbers.

I really like the jiffy wing bands. If applied correctly they won’t come off. I have 3 hens to band this weekend.