Leg tie removal?

[mandelyn]

One of the game hens I bought has a metal leg "thingy" that I think was used to tie her out. I want to take it off, but have no idea how.

I was looking at it this morning, and it looks like it has a rivet on it where the longer tab folds over the short tab. She moves to fast to get a good photo of it, so I'll describe it the best I can.

It's about a 1/2 in, maybe 3/4 inch wide, thin aluminum. Short tab, wraps around the leg, longer end tab is folded over the short tab, with a hole through the resulting 3 pieces. This hole appears to be a rivet, making it look impossible to remove without some sort of power tool.

Anyone know how to get it off?

She's really quite happy to be cooped and allowed to free range, she acts like my happiest chicken, shooting out of the coop when I open the door, flying around the yard, dancing around like some sort of crazy thing. This morning she flew up onto the back of my chair, which is when I grabbed her and checked out this band thing. She doesn't need it, and it looks so bulky, it can't be comfortable when she's roosting.

I have no plans of breeding game birds and filling the yard with barrels to tie them to, so I'd really like to get this thing off!

 

[WalkingWolf]

If it is like the ones I had on my hens I just pulled the tab and it came apart. You should be able to cut it with kitchen shears.

 

[NYREDS]

Game hens aren't tied out, Game cocks are & they're not tied out by metal bands on their legs.
Does the band have numbers &/or letters on it? It sound to me like an identifying band that would indicate that the bird has been blood tested as part of the NPIP program.

 

[mandelyn]

The way it's looped on the back just made sense that it would be used to tie.

ETA: She was easy to catch a minute ago, and was way calmer about it than the first time the day I got her.

Under the tab was a number, #28. I was able to bend it into a circle and just slip it off her foot by pulling her toes together.

The holes in it I guess were for sizing, the last one for a really large bird, not for hooking a tie onto.

I also saw a wear mark on the back from where it must sit when she's roosting, on her back short toe. So I'm sure she feels much better having it off!

So with the number, does that mean NPIP testing?