Someone Stole My Best Silkie Hen At a Show Today :(

[twinlights]

OMG, I thought something would have been done to change things by know and make those cages more secure.
When I was a kid (loooooong time ago) my favorite call duck was stolen at a show. She won and someone decided to upgrade.

I haven't shown a bird since.
Sorry this happened to you. They definately need to make some changes.

 

[FrChuckW]

Wing bands, tatooes are both good ideas. Also permanent leg bands are good. I know that in my cage birds they have to be put on by a certain age, don't know how it would work for poultry though. Also the fact that every breeder who bands their birds are assigned a band number by the National/International organizations, which has their breeder code, number and year on them. In order to enter the bird in a show, they have to include the band number on the entry form.

Now it may be an additional pain for the host show committee, but before any birds are taken from the building, the exhibitor has to have a release slip from the show stewards. This would apply to birds that are sold to another exhibitor or visitor of the show also.

And zip ties and locks are also good ideas. I sure hope you get Betty back.

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
That's why I suggested it might be useful for those showing expensive birds to develop a reliable ID system -- tattooing, the chicken version of fingerprinting (leg scales?), or whatever -- but the idea has been roundly pooh-poohed on this thread as somehow pointless <shrug>

Pat

I think bird skin is too thin for tattooing. HOWEVER, I know that pigeon breeders sometimes use iris photos to ID their valuable birds, so that ought to be a possibility.

And for cheaper ID, you can always do toe web punching.

 

[MoodyChicken]

I'm going to start tattooing my birds under their wings. A thief can remove a band, but he can't remove a tattoo.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Perhaps microchip the more valuable ones? And invest in the necessary scanner. How close do you have to be to scan for the chip? Could you do it from outside the cage?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
In grad school one of my labmates was tattooing *salamanders*, 4" long plain ol' mountain salamanders. Salamanders have WAY WAY thinner skin than chickens. I am positive you could tattoo chickens.

I'm not sure you mightn't even be able to tattoo silkies, arent there UV-fluorescent tattoo inks? (for animal tattooing, not necessarily for people)

Pat

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
In grad school one of my labmates was tattooing *salamanders*, 4" long plain ol' mountain salamanders. Salamanders have WAY WAY thinner skin than chickens. I am positive you could tattoo chickens.

I'm not sure you mightn't even be able to tattoo silkies, arent there UV-fluorescent tattoo inks? (for animal tattooing, not necessarily for people)

Pat

Ooo, that's impressive! I agree -- if you can do a salamander, a chicken shouldn't be much of a challenge!

 

[farrier!]

Ok Pat....

Why was he tattooing salamanders?????

 

[M@M@2four]

farrier! :

Ok Pat....

Why was he tattooing salamanders?????

Doesn't everybody tattoo their salamanders?!?!?!

 

[kees]

M@M@2four :

farrier! :

Ok Pat....

Why was he tattooing salamanders?????

Doesn't everybody tattoo their salamanders?!?!?!