Leg bands

[6Happiness]

Oh probably 30-some birds, but I'll use the left overs in the following years for the next generations.

 

[deerman]

Go with the bandettes....they may sell something to spred them....don't need one. I use them for pigeon to mark pairs. plus have number for record keeping.

 

[bantyhen'sfriend]

I also use the bandettes for my bantams. You can use colors for identifying pairs or lines, and they are really easy to put on by hand. No applicator required.

 

[6Happiness]

Oh good, glad no applicators is needed. I'll give them a try.
Thanks!

 

[Luke13:34]

I use the spiral bands. Not tricky to use and easy to replace as they grow into the next size. I buy mine from Cutler http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_88&products_id=562 I get the assorted size./color bags.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Luke13:34 :

I use the spiral bands. Not tricky to use and easy to replace as they grow into the next size. I buy mine from Cutler http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_88&products_id=562 I get the assorted size./color bags.

I got my spiral bands from Cutler Supply. That size chart is for grown hens. They are too small for grown roosters of the same breed. I've never had any problem with them coming off, but they do need to be properly sized. They need to be able to slide up and down easily.

With your joints, those spiral bands might be hard to apply. You have to be able to separate them to get them over the leg. With my wife's arthritis, she couldn't do it. Depending in how bad your fingers are, you might be able to use a flat-tip screw driver or such to get them open enough to grip, but I'd really suggest you look at other methods first. I've never tried the metal bands, so I can't comment on them. They sound easy but you never know until you actually have to do it. I have used zip ties and those were pretty easy to put on. You do need to cut them off before they get too tight. It's a little harder to take them off if the zip tie is too tight. You don't have room for your cutting tool, especially with bad joints.

Consider the color of your chicken legs when deciding on color. Darker colors do not show up real well on dark legs. Light colors are not necessarily a great choice for some light legged chickens. You can see them, but sometimes they are a little hard to spot. I got yellow, blue and orange. I can pretty easily tell the difference in yellow and orange, but if I were doing it again, one of them would probably be a more contrasting color. That way it only takes a glance instead of actually concentrating.

You really don't need that many different colors to mark several chickens. Say you choose yellow and blue. You can do left leg bare, yellow, blue, or both yellow and blue. You could even go three bands on one leg if you wanted to. Then you can do any of these combinations on the right leg with each of the separate combinations on the left, say left yellow with right blue. I use three different color bands and mark the brood they are out of by what is on the left leg and individual chicken on the right leg. If you have different breeds, you can use the same color combinations by breed. It's not real hard to tell a left blue, right yellow Black Australorp apart from a left blue, right yellow Delaware. The more different color bands you have, the easier it is, but you really don't have to have that many different colors.

Hope you get something out of this that helps.​

 

[Unclebean]

I recently purchased wing bands and bandettes from Cutlersupply.com . Due to a medical condtition my fingers don't work the best but I was able to apply the bandettes to one of our chickens. You may want someone to hold the chicken while you apply the bandette because I wasn't able to apply them myself while holding a chicken. I actually got these for turkeys (which I don't even have yet

) for keeping breeding records. I went with yellow since the black numbers would stick out the best. Good luck!

 

[6Happiness]

Quote:
Hope you get something out of this that helps.

Yes, just the kind of personal experience feedback I was looking for, thank you!

 

[har]

I am thinking about going with the metal bands that have three different sizes on the band. That way I have to keep just one leg band around the house. I have never used them. Does someone have a opinion on them

 

[corancher]

I like the ideal of using the wing bands and putting them on when the chick is a day old. I have looked at the instructions and still can't figure out how you put them on the chick. I don't understand the pushing the band through the wing web being careful not to puncture flesh or the wing tendon. Maybe the video is more helpful but I have to wait until I can get on a better computer.

Can anyone explain this better? How well do they hold up and how easy is it to see them when the bird is an adult?