Zip ties as leg bands?

[the_finch_family]

Hi!
So I've been searching far and wide for affordable and safe leg bands for my ducks, mainly my one mallard who could be mistaken for injured wildlife if she for some reason walked off after hopping the fence.

When I got my first duck, she had like 4 zip ties on her foot and I cut them off since they seemed to make her uncomfortable and she'd often pick on them. Whether that was because they were maybe too tight or too many, I'm not sure. But I did see some people using zip ties and wanted to get you guys' opinion on them.
Would it make sense to use them instead of regular bands on adult ducks?
Do you know of other options for marking ducks that I may not be aware of?
Thank you in advance! ❤

Bonus picture of my little flock after a snow storm we had yesterday

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use tie wraps to tell me which bird I have wormed so I don't do the same one again. I have twins and triplets that look just alike. lol The nice thing about tie wraps on adult birds is if you put it on as loose as you can without them getting stuck on the back toe, you don't have to worry about them cutting into the leg of your birds. When I put them on young birds I check every 3-4 t days to make sure they aren't cutting into their skin.

 

[the_finch_family]

I use tie wraps to tell me which bird I have wormed so I don't do the same one again. I have twins and triplets that look just alike. lol The nice thing about tie wraps on adult birds is if you put it on as loose as you can without them getting stuck on the back toe, you don't have to worry about them cutting into the leg of your birds. When I put them on young birds I check every 3-4 t days to make sure they aren't cutting into their skin.

And has it ever happened that they somehow tightened the tie wraps? The first thing I was very concerned about was that they would chew on it and make it tighter or something similar. How long do these last for you?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I cut the end so they have nothing to chew on. The ones on my 2 girls now have been on for a year.

 

[the_finch_family]

I cut the end so they have nothing to chew on. The ones on my 2 girls now have been on for a year.

Ooh I see. I'll give it a shot then

 

[Canadian Wind]

I have two that came with tie-wrap bands, as well as one I did myself to distinguish her from my other ducks. Works like a charm, and you can get them in a variety of colours!

 

[The Lazy Farm Girl]

I have also wondered about this. I saw something that warned against zip ties, but I didn't read the article. I would like to band one of my Black Copper Marans so I can tell her from her sister. Is a tie wrap the same a zip tie? I've never heard them referenced that way. Do they need to be thick & wide, or can small ones be used? Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes same as zip tie. I use the thicker on my Speckled Sussex, thin on my bantam.