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Leg Ring

Romi

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Hi ! My green cheek conures are going to be laying eggs quite soon and I was wondering if I should band the chicks or not ?

I am already aware of the dangers and benefits of rings - but Im just wondering on everyone's opinion on rings
and their personal experience on em : )
 

BrianB

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I don't band my birds. In speaking with a local avian vet, she said that she cuts so many of them off that she wishes breeders would just stop using them. For the larger birds I breed, I get them microchipped.
 

April

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But I personally remove all my birds leg band at their first vet visit. It's just not worth the risk to me of something happening. I know millions of parrots have leg bands their entire life and nothing ever happens but I just can't bare the thought of something tragic happening that could have been avoided if it had been removed beforehand.

One of my birds constantly picked at the band even though it seemed to be the proper size and once it was removed his skin was red under it.

My newest bird was just hatched in March but had a split leg band that already had a sizeable gap and I was horrified that it would become hooked on the cage bars and had it removed ASAP none of my other birds ever had that kind of band so it was extra upsetting and nerve wracking that he did.
 

Romi

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Thank you both for answering :)
I dont think I'll end up banding the chicks especially after hearing all those horror stories abt leg rings !
its def understandable why so many dislike rings
 

Matto

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I recommend banding. Leg bands are important in that they keep track of bloodlines and allow you to identify the different birds for DNA purposes. I've had several occasions where people wanted to buy linnies from me to breed with one they already had. When I asked them to check the leg band, it turned out it was one of mine and a close relative of the other linnie. They had gotten it from a bird store I used to sell to.

Closed leg bands that are the proper size rarely cause problems, and aluminum ones can be easily and quickly removed if they do.

Of course, I also sell leg bands so I am not without bias.
 

Romi

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Thanks for the response matto!
yeah ive been thinking that they would be really helpful with identification - keeping track of which parrots are mine .
but despite if the ring is proper sized for the parrot - Ive just heard so many owners having to cut off their parrots ring because it managed to get caught on a loose piece around the house or that it really irritated their parrot .
really not too sure now
 

Matto

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Well, I think we tend to hear the stories where something went wrong rather than the thousands where nothing happened. But I wouldn't stress about the decision, I'm sure it'll be fine either way. If you were a large breeder or breeding rare birds it would be much more important to band.
 

Romi

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i see :shy:

@Matto which one do you prefer ss ( stainless steel ) or aluminium? and which size do you recommend for a green cheek conure
If I do decide to get leg rings then I would probably get them from parrotsupplies .com.au . The size they recommend for a GCC is around 5.33 - 5.00 depending what material the ring is made of
 

Shezbug

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If you are banding macaws or any bird with a decent bite pressure you would definitely want SS bands so the band can't be crushed.

In Australia in my experience I have found that only the serious, show or full time breeders band their birds, backyard breeders or hobby breeders generally do not, those breeding for the odd pet stores that still sell live animals do not. Some only band their native baby birds to prove they were bred in captivity and not wild caught. Banding is mostly really just for your records so I guess the decision to band is likely to be more about what works for you.

Does your bird have a band?
 

Romi

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I would like to keep track of the chicks - that really is the main reason
I suppose if the ring is the correct size and is made out of ss theeen . Still thinking about it but now I'm leaning more on banding the chicks

my male conure does have an open ss ring ( not my choice ) and so far it hasn't caused any problems + he's not bothered at all thankfully so i don't plan on removing it
 

Shezbug

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I had my birds band removed which looked perfectly well fitted (confirmed by the vet) - the skin underneath and the little indent even though the ring was loose tells me that I never again want a bird to have a band on its leg.
Microchipping is a much better option as far as I am concerned and any future birds I may acquire that may be banded will have the bands removed asap.
 

Romi

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would the indent get worse or affect the birds someway?
and right I agree that microchipping is so much better , but when it comes to chicks - rings are a cheaper option and when young it'll be easier to identify

wondering , where did you get your birds microchipped ? I happen to live in VIC too and would love to get my cockatoo microchipped
 

Matto

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i see :shy:

@Matto which one do you prefer ss ( stainless steel ) or aluminium? and which size do you recommend for a green cheek conure
If I do decide to get leg rings then I would probably get them from parrotsupplies .com.au . The size they recommend for a GCC is around 5.33 - 5.00 depending what material the ring is made of
I prefer aluminum for green cheeks simply because it is easier to cut off if you ever need to. And they don't really need stainless steel, green cheeks can't crush a closed aluminum band. I recommend 5.5mm or 6mm for a green cheek.
 

Romi

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Alr thanks!
 

expressmailtome

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There is also another side to this issue, which is legal requirements. In some jurisdictions, such as the state of New Jersey in the United States, captive bred birds bred in the state must be banded using seamless bands pursuant to New Jersey Administrative Code § 7:25-4.20. Also, birds bred outside of the state must be banded using either a seamless band or a seamed band. The only exception is if the bird is microchipped with a chip from "manufacturers expressly authorized by the Department".
 

Matto

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There is also another side to this issue, which is legal requirements. In some jurisdictions, such as the state of New Jersey in the United States, captive bred birds bred in the state must be banded using seamless bands pursuant to New Jersey Administrative Code § 7:25-4.20. Also, birds bred outside of the state must be banded using either a seamless band or a seamed band. The only exception is if the bird is microchipped with a chip from "manufacturers expressly authorized by the Department".
Not to mention the USDA is considering mandating that every bird bred in America should have a leg band or microchip. And microchips just aren't realistic for the vast majority of birds.
 
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expressmailtome

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Not to mention the USDA is considering mandating that every bird bred in America should have a leg band or microchip. And microchips just aren't realistic for the vast majority of birds.
Yes. My veterinarian will not chip anything smaller than a conure. Even then she prefers then to be one of the larger conure species.
 

Mizzely

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I have been to several vets and none have recommended chipping, even for Ripley who is 200 ish grams. So I am a fan of bands.
 
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