Leg Bands - All Flock

[Beccatrix]

With having 7 week old goslings, ducklings, and chicks, and 6 week old turkeys and chicks, I'm thinking ahead to banding. I'd like to do the year and sex, individual IDs in my turkeys and some chickens, and then likely something about watching for keeping or eating as appropriate?

With such different sizes across species, and lots of growth to go, what ages do people start doing adult bands?

I'll definitely look at old posts about options, but for this post I'm most curious about ages and sizing. Thanks!

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

I am able to tell all my 10+ Barred rocks apart due to their combs. They are all different. But if you don't have the time to learn each individual, (and ducks are especially hard to spot a difference in) I use zip ties. They have different colors and different patterns and I mark down which is which. You will really only have to band them when they move into the coop, unless your going to name them and want them apart or something of that sort.

 

[Beccatrix]

I am able to tell all my 10+ Barred rocks apart due to their combs. They are all different. But if you don't have the time to learn each individual, (and ducks are especially hard to spot a difference in) I use zip ties. They have different colors and different patterns and I mark down which is which. You will really only have to band them when they move into the coop, unless your going to name them and want them apart or something of that sort.

I'm not sure why I added the ducks and geese in that post; I have different breeds for each bird, and they're all female. Most of the Swedish Flower Hens I can tell apart, but 5 are nearly identical. I'm planning to expand my Orpington and SFH flocks, so I'd like a system in place as we add or hatch them. I'm pretty comfortable with 90% of the birds, but my husband is not, and we'll be raising about 100/year over time for eating. The turkeys will be harder; we got them at 6 weeks and they'll eventually free range. Unfortunately, I can't sit with them much as I'm in post-op recovery for several weeks.

Are zip ties at 8-10 weeks going to accommodate growing chickens? Any ideas on turkeys?

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

I'm not sure why I added the ducks and geese in that post; I have different breeds for each bird, and they're all female. Most of the Swedish Flower Hens I can tell apart, but 5 are nearly identical. I'm planning to expand my Orpington and SFH flocks, so I'd like a system in place as we add or hatch them. I'm pretty comfortable with 90% of the birds, but my husband is not, and we'll be raising about 100/year over time for eating. The turkeys will be harder; we got them at 6 weeks and they'll eventually free range. Unfortunately, I can't sit with them much as I'm in post-op recovery for several weeks.

Are zip ties at 8-10 weeks going to accommodate growing chickens? Any ideas on turkeys?

Go ahead, but you will need to change them as they grow.

 

[aart]

Are zip ties at 8-10 weeks going to accommodate growing chickens? Any ideas on turkeys?

I've always used zipties. Yes, you have to keep any eye on them and change out when they start to get tight....and good to change yearly because they can break and fall off.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/

 

[adgcountrygirl]

With having 7 week old goslings, ducklings, and chicks, and 6 week old turkeys and chicks, I'm thinking ahead to banding. I'd like to do the year and sex, individual IDs in my turkeys and some chickens, and then likely something about watching for keeping or eating as appropriate?

With such different sizes across species, and lots of growth to go, what ages do people start doing adult bands?

I'll definitely look at old posts about options, but for this post I'm most curious about ages and sizing. Thanks!

I banded all of mine today. My youngest girls were hatched 4-5-22 at Murray McMurray.

 

[LizGio]

With having 7 week old goslings, ducklings, and chicks, and 6 week old turkeys and chicks, I'm thinking ahead to banding. I'd like to do the year and sex, individual IDs in my turkeys and some chickens, and then likely something about watching for keeping or eating as appropriate?

With such different sizes across species, and lots of growth to go, what ages do people start doing adult bands?

I'll definitely look at old posts about options, but for this post I'm most curious about ages and sizing. Thanks!

Different colors zip ties are best you don't have to worry about sizes

 

[Beccatrix]

Different colors zip ties are best you don't have to worry about sizes

I banded all of mine today. My youngest girls were hatched 4-5-22 at Murray McMurray.

I've always used zipties. Yes, you have to keep any eye on them and change out when they start to get tight....and good to change yearly because they can break and fall off.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/

Thank you all so much, and thank you for the link. It seems common sense to change them out frequently as the ties age, but I don't know that I would have thought of it right away!