Finding my birds age

[Vahe]

hey guys need help decoding this. i'v read somewhere long ago about the last 4 digits on the leg band that it can be the birth date of my conure the last 4 digits of her leg band are 1705 does that mean she is born in Jan 7 2005? i'v searched everywhere on google to find that page again where it said the numbers can mean her birth date but i can't find it anymore. i just wanted to see if someone in here would have any knowledge about this.

 

[SilverSage]

I doubt it. Leg bands are ordered long before the chick hatches in most cases, and have to be applied in the nest while the chick is still quite young. I have never heard of a band having the actual date on it. My bands include the year, my breeder code, the state, and a number. The closest you will get to a hatch date in the band is usually the year, and even that can be off if lazy breeders re use bands from the year before. It is most likely that the number on your band has to do with how many chicks were produced either gat year by that breeder, or by that breeder ever, rather than the date, judging by the format. Often the year will be tipped sideways. There is no national registry of bird leg bands, but some clubs have registries. You can also look up leg band suppliers and give them a call; some of us leave permission to contact if someone calls inquiring about a bird wearing our band.

 

[SilverSage]

How did you squire your bird? Sometimes there are clues in that.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

It really depends on where you live and where/how you acquired your bird I believe.

Skittles band number was CEW-ME-10-14. The first three letters are the initials of the breeder (CEW). The second two initials are of the state he was born in (ME, Maine) and the (10) is for the year he was born (2010). I'm not sure what the (14) is for but I do know it has something to do with licensing.

Not sure if this is true for each state or just mine.

 

[Vahe]

actually this bird flew away from her owner and we found her at my uncles house in the back yard and took her in. her leg band only says BBF 1705 and i have searched a lot online but all the leg bands where branded differently. I live in California. So do you guys think at least she is born in 2005?

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Well, this is just a guess - and by that I mean guess. LOL. It could be that 'BBF' are the breeders initials and 05 is the year. But I couldn't begin to guess what the 17 is for.

It could all be random. Are there any pet stores or breeders in your area? Perhaps you could inquire with them - maybe they will know. That's what I did.

 

[SilverSage]

Unless the "05" is in a separate number from the 17 I would say that it is highly. Unlikely that this means 2005. Skittles, the 14 on your band almost certainly refers to your specific bird produced that year. Each bird should have a unique band to help with the breeder records and identification. Not every breeder chooses to use the same format, and many find it easier not to include a year or state. Unfortunately for the OP, his band does not include a year.


Did you try to find the owner of the bird? I'm sure they are heartbroken

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I wasn't sure but that makes sense.

I think the best thing to do is contact the breeder directly. The pet store I got Skittles at - one of the breeders they use encourages sharing her contact info with those who buy her birds from that store.

I wondered what the 14 stood for.

 

[SilverSage]

Sounds like your guy was likely the 14th bird she produced that year, or the 14th sun conure bands are generally ordered with a sequence of numbers. For example, mine include my breeder code, state, year, and then start and 1 and progress from there. Each baby has their own number which I use for absolute record keeping and identification.

 

[Vahe]

ty for your feedback guys. this was a great help, gave me a better understanding on what i should do. i will definitely give some calls around.

unfortunately there where no sign's posted around my uncles house, So i really could not return the bird to the owner. But needless to say She loves this home and she is a very happy bird. Spoiled little thing is only in her cage when she goes to sleep xD

 

[SilverSage]

Please post on Facebook, Craigslist, and other places that you found the bird. Fliers are pretty out of date. Call local vets, shelters, and rescues. Losing a bird is devestating. It happened to me over a decade ago and I still get sick just thinking about it.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Good ideas SilverSage.

I'd also call local pet stores as well. Maybe even an ad in the local paper.

I remember when I was a kid, my first bird was a parakeet named Sandy. I was showing him off to my friends in the neighborhood and I forgot to close the cage door and he flew out.

For two weeks I was miserable. Waiting by the window and hoping he'd come back. I had kept his cage where it was when he got loose and had food and water in it, just in case.

I told everyone I knew about him getting loose. My ex-stepfather's girlfriend saw an ad in the local paper and told my mom about it. Then she went to get him and then when he was back home she had my sister come find me. Turns out, Sandy had flown only a few streets over and landed in the yard of a nice older couple. The man saw Sandy in the tree (Sandy was blue & white) and he went right up to Sandy and he climbed right onto the old mans hand. Him and his wife concluded that such a pretty and friendly bird must belong to someone.

 

[SilverSage]

Unfortunately for some reason people don't think of birds quite like dogs; beloved family pets that should be returned. I have heard people use every excuse in the book to keep a found bird. Claiming it must not have loved its owners, or they must have been careless people, things like that. When truly this is not necessarily true of any of them, and the owners are likely out of their minds with grief. It is interesting that many people will keep a parrot who would never think of keeping a lost wallet.