why do people use leg rings?

[my3jsons]

I'm going to band my older hens before my pullets get old enough to lay. That way I can get my favorite breeds again and retire the older girls that might not lay as well. I plan on keeping my flock young. That way I can keep my egg/feed ratio up high. The bands will help me keep them straight.

 

[backwoodschick]

Where do you purchase your bands? I have checked the local TSC and they dont have them, I have not checked the CO-OP yet.

 

[juliawitt]

I use leg bands to identify my pullets by age. The oldes have pink leg bands and the youngest have white. However, I noticed one of my older girls limping two weeks ago, and found where the band had hurt her leg!! She is 3 years old and the band had lost any elasticity. So, I cut all my bands off. She is fine from the experience, but her little foot was swollen and her leg bled when I removed the band. Even though I think this was an isolated experience, I'm not going to use them anymore......

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
I ordered plastic numbered bandettes and metal numbered bands online at Poultryman's Supply. If you just want something quick, use colored zip ties.

 

[galanie]

Another thing that works great is these velcro ties they sell to organize cords with. I bought a nice pack of assorted colors. Now, if only I knew where I put them...

 

[silky_3699]

for breeders to quickly identify thier chooks and for track records...

 

[kuntrygirl]

I use leg rings (zip ties) when I dust and de-worm my chickens. I have about 165 chickens, so I have to be able to identify who is dusted and de-wormed and who is not. As I catch them and dust and de-worm, I place the zip tie on their leg and go to the next. Any chicken without a zip tie is a chicken who has not been dusted and de-wormed. The next cycle of dusting and de-worming is cutting off the zip ties. Any chicken who is still wearing a zip tie has not been dusted and de-wormed. This is done every time. Keep everything organized.

 

[rittert3]

Quote:
Was just browsing, I love your food coloring idea to keep track of egg production!

 

[silkielover5]

Quote:
Any old food coloring? How much? How do you apply?

if your planning on putting food dye on a white silkie hen, make sure you have no plans to show her any time soon, i put blue dye on my white silkies vent she still has a blue butt 3 months later i had shows lined up for her that i couldnt bring her to

 

[Don P]

No not isolated. I started using those "expandable" leg rings 3 years ago and I have constantly had hens limping, or swollen or the leg grown into the ring. They are horrid.

They should make sure people know only to use them on broilers or something that does not grow or live long.

I saw a hen limping this morning and her band looked fine but I know enough now to know that is it. So I tried to turn her band and sure enough it was stuck. So I tried to stretch it out so there would be more room to see if maybe I should have been doing that in the beginning. But it just broke into pieces. Thankfully it is about the last of those rings I have left.

In the beginning if they were too loose the hens would peck them off. So its just not a good product for hens you will keep a year or more.

I am using multi colored zip ties now. That way I date my purchase purchase and can identify each bird if I want. Blue for one date, Red for another, left or right leg or no band, or long or short tail on the zip, or two zips, but I seldom use 2 zips.
The real tiny ones for electronics are best but hard to find multicolored batches, so a little bigger wire bundlers are ok.

Or one color for each bird all on right leg for one date, and all on the other leg for another date. Which ever you prefer.

Some say not to use zips because they can get caught. I have never got a hen caught and I leave them real loose so that they have room to grow and they never get tight and they don't get dirt stuck behind them and nothing gets caught. The hens don't peck them for long.

Haven't had a problem with any bird I have purchased with zips or the ones I have put on over the years. Except one I put on too tight that I could see was as she grew was getting tight on a big Gold star so I cut it off and put on a new one.