Banding Question

I always start banding the babies on the 5th day, unless they're obviously too small. All babies are different, so some may grow faster and bigger, and others may not. 6 or 7 days old is good, just keep putting on the bands til they stay

maine123 said:

I banded two babies yesterday, this morning both bands were off, so then I banded this morning and then just checked and they were off so then I put them on again, and I will see what happens tomorrow. Yesterday they were six days old, today they were a week old. In my other thread people said to band on 6 to seven day. Is it normal for them to fall of, or should I wait a little bit longer?

thanks

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Just keep puttin' em on till they stay on. All babies don't grow at the same rate nor are they all the same size. I've got babies that I band at 5 days old. Just that strain of BIG birds. I've got others that I could just as easily band at 7, maybe even 8 days old, but I always try at 6. Most stay on, but not always. Don't worry about it.

Thanks Mary and Renee, I will keeping on trying!

Same Here!, I will start about 6 to 7 days and always check the next day.Some stay some dont some I find in the nest bowl some on the floor,I have heard the parents will take them out of the bowl but have never seen that happen.Just keep checking it will only take missing one and letting it get to big to band to learn a lesson.That happened to me! Jeff

luckyloft said:

Same Here!, I will start about 6 to 7 days and always check the next day.Some stay some dont some I find in the nest bowl some on the floor,I have heard the parents will take them out of the bowl but have never seen that happen.Just keep checking it will only take missing one and letting it get to big to band to learn a lesson.That happened to me! Jeff

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Well, I'm here to tell ya, I've crawled in the muck and mire under the aviaries a few times to retrieve bands.....so they WILL take them all the way outside and throw them out.

Lovebirds said:

Well, I'm here to tell ya, I've crawled in the muck and mire under the aviaries a few times to retrieve bands.....so they WILL take them all the way outside and throw them out.

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I've had that happen...so when it happens I start looking outside first.

Well, with homers, i never band at least until 7-8 days, and up to ten,(does depend on strain, to a point) you can always use a tooth pick to gentle pull the back toe through. I have missed banding too many youngsters doing it too soon.
I never was able to check up on the Squeeks i banded three or four times a day, after banding. JMHO Dave

in my opinion in a nest of just one squab you have to band on the 6th day as they grow much faster with only one in the nest and with two I usually have to do it by the 7th or 8th day unless you have poor feeders as parents ...sometimes you will have one smaller then the other due to 1hatching out first and that one is banded a day or two before the other due to it being the stronger of the two and getting more food but if yor bands are still falling off after the 8th day your pigeons are not feeding those babys enuf and if you can keep food in their nest box as Renee always sugests so the parent have it there 24/7 you will do much better

LokotaLoft said:

if your bands are still falling off after the 8th day your pigeons are not feeding those babys enuf and if you can keep food in their nest box as Renee always suggests so the parent have it there 24/7 you will do much better

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After feeding them, I leave some feed with the breeders but not too much. I want the baby's crop to actually get almost empty before the next feeding to prevent sour crops. Sorry If I'm getting this thread off track....

Are you using the correct size band?? Just thought I would askGEORGE

Two days ago I banded a nine days old baby and it's a bit of a struggle but I waited this long because on the 7th day the band came off and the parents must've pulled it...Then tried it again, two days ago day and still loose so I did it on the 9th day and that's the result...Slide right in with the help of vaseline...

To answer your quest:

They do come off but in most cases the parents pull the band off from the babies leg...

To find out if the right time to band, try to fold 4 fingers together and slide the band, (I know that's not the right way to do it) if the band can be pull out by you then the band can come off but that is how you can tell if the parents can pull it out off the babies leg...Wait for another day or a day and a ½ then put the band...

I banded my first clutch on their sixth day and had no issues with the band coming off. Everyone here is right, it'll be different for each bird. Once you get to know your birds really well you'll know which pair of breeders produce big babies and which produce smaller sized youngsters.

They were small eggs, so that could be a factor. But checked today, and the bands were on, I reput them on yesterday, so they finally must of stayed. thanks for the answers they help alot.

This is a great forum...aint it!

it sure is a great forum