[Ella]

I'm getting a conure soon and I'm not sure if he/she's banded or not.

I was just wondering what the benefits are of putting leg bands on parrots and whether they are really of any use at all.
Are there any risks?

Thanks.

 

[Mythara]

Bands are generally put on chicks when they're small, over their foot, so that as they grow, the band is stuck about their foot. They're useful sometimes for ID purposes, but if your bird is stolen, they can be removed, so I wouldn't rely on them. They can be used to trace breeders and for the age of your bird. Over here you can also only show a bird that has a closed ring.

You also can put a split ring on an adult bird, but these don't really carry any of the benefits above, and would only really help you tell identical birds apart - in an aviary for example.

As far as risks go. They can get caught on things, and sometimes annoy birds. If you want to have them removed, you should get a vet to do it, as they have a tool to do it safely.

 

[Jenny]

There are minimal risks, very rarely they get caught on things. Closed-bands are the safer option, and those are slipped on when they are very young and can slip over the foot. Open-bands are put on at any time or age, and pose a greater risk. Those can slip over the foot on occasion, are more likely to get caught on things, and could get crushed by the bird chewing on it too hard, since they are open and not as structurally sound as the closed bands.

Like Mythara said, if he doesn't have a closed band on now, I wouldn't bother really. If you want it off, take them to a vet :thumbsup:

 

[Ella]

Ok thank you.

I won't be putting on a band if it's not already banded, because there's no point in creating even minor risks if I'm not going to show my bird.

Thanks

 

[Solace.]

My Indian Ringneck, Quaker and one of my Cockatiels are banded.. I've never had any problems with them, nor does the leg band bother them.

I wouldn't worry unless s/he is already banded.

 

[Apple]

All my birds have bands, the closed bands are safe. On Canaries, which I used to breed, they can cause issues but otherwise, bands can be good especially if you breed your birds.

 

[Sensfan]

Millie is banded and the band is untraceable ??? It doesn't bother her but we decided we wanted it removed, the vet refused saying it was too risky. She said unless it was causing a problem it's safer to just leave it.

 

[Jenny]

On such a small bird, it can be risky, because she has to try and fit wire-cutters in between the band and their leg. As you can imagine, they have such small little legs that if she's not careful, she could really hurt them