The Buckeye Thread

[gootziecat]

I've been wanting to get these, but have only seen them on ebay in small sizes, in GB, or I can't figure out what size is being sold. Hiddenacres, guidance would be appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[007medic]

At our place, we usually just use toe punch and colored leg bands until we go through final selection as to who stays, who goes and who gets eaten. Once final decisions are made, the lucky bird graduates to an NPIP band that is numbered and gets entered into the flock book.

 

[A Nonny Moose]

When they hatch we toe punch. As they get a little older we use color coded zip ties that reflects parentage. It is necessary to replace ties as chick grows but we have never had one come off... yet. The choice of color, which leg, etc, give you almost an endless choice of possibilities for accurate record keeping. The only real draw back we've encountered is... they do have to be replaced as the bird grows.

Some of ours looks like walking rainbows... a red and blue on one leg and a white and yellow on the other or some other wild combination of about 6 or 7 different colors... but it works for us.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I've always used the colored numbered plastic leg bands. Sometimes the birds do get them off, but I put one on each leg so I've never had them get both of them off at once. I just replace them when they fall off. I've had two birds get them down to the foot but not completely off, and one bird get it stuck up high on the leg, so I check every bird every day to make sure the bands are in place properly. None of these three birds were seriously injured by the band getting stuck in the wrong place, but would have been if it had not been removed soon. I probably wouldn't use them in birds that weren't individually observed daily, or birds that can't be easily caught, for that reason.

The only other problem I've had with those bands is that I don't always get them placed right the first time. The bands have overlapping ends, and have the same number printed twice on the band. If you overlap the wrong end on top when you place them, the second number is hidden and you can only read the number from one direction. That can be inconvenient at times. I have found that they are a lot harder to take off than put on, especially if you're doing it by yourself, so I make an extra effort to place them properly the first time.

Here is a size chart for bands:
• 4: Baby Chicks, Quail, Small Pigeons (1/4")
• 5: Medium Pigeons, Pheasant Hens (5/8")
• 6: Large Pigeons, Homers, Month Old Chicks, Pheasant Cocks (3/8")
• 7: Bantams, Half Grown Chicks, Ring Necks, Mallards, Wild Ducks, Hamburgs (7/16")
• 8: Call Ducks, Water Fowl (1/2")
• 9: Large Leghorn Hens, Wild Ducks, Ancona Hens, Campine Hens (9/16")
• 10: Chickens, Pheasants, Ring Neck Cocks, Wild Turkeys (5/8")
• 11: Plymouth Rocks, R.I. Red Hens, Wyandotte Hens, Leghorn Cocks (11/16")
• 12: Jersey Giant Cocks, Turkey Hens, American Breed Cocks, Geese (3/4")
• 14: Turkey Hens, Geese, Swan, Cornish Game (7/8")
• 16: Turkey Toms & Geese (1")

 

[poltroon]

Putting two on a bird is such genius that it never occurred to me. Some great suggestions here.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I do find that the bandettes can be pulled/knocked off, and mostly by Buckeyes. I use zip ties, which stay on better than the bandettes. I used numbered zip ties last season from Stromberg's. They are a heavy duty plastic.
BUT I think all the extreme cold we have had contributed to a problem of some of them breaking off. I have some plain zips that have fallen off this winter too. I do use different colors of zips also as it helps to keep track of which year/pairing/etc the birds came out of.

 

[007medic]

If there's anyone out there who'd like to trade their snow for my ice, I'm game. (welcome to the 'Sunny' South)

 

[Minniechickmama]

If there's anyone out there who'd like to trade their snow for my ice, I'm game. (welcome to the 'Sunny' South)

If you take ALL my snow, sure, why not?

 

[AinaWGSD]

If there's anyone out there who'd like to trade their snow for my ice, I'm game. (welcome to the 'Sunny' South)

Only if you take all the ice under the snow with it

The chickens seem less bothered by the ice than the snow. At least as far as coming out of the coop anyway.

 

[poltroon]

We in California will take precipitation in any form. (Fortunately, my tiny corner got enough out of that last storm that I think we'll make it to next season okay, even people with lots of livestock.)

If you use zip ties, how many do you go through on a bird from chick to adult? Do you find removing them to be difficult/dangerous in terms of risk in hurting the bird when you cut them?