Leg bands?

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

I would like to get Cookie a leg band just in case he is to get lost. I have seen in many places that you should only get a leg band for a bird when they are very young.

Cookie is 4 months old..will it be okay to get a leg band for him?
I really want to be prepared if Cookie were to get lost so it'll be easier to find him.

Thanks in advance!​

 

[clark_conure]

I......I dunno

Clark had a cheap plastic one I just cut off soon after I got her.

Zod has one from Hawaii that actually says "aloha" on it and it's some sort of metal, the vet said if it became a problem she could remove it later on.

If you do get a band I would wonder who you register it with even?

in all wouldn't worry about it....half the people in my town would know where the parrot belongs if I didn't clip and it flew away.

 

[noodles123]

I worry about the type of metal used and the snag potential. If it isn't a closed ring, it can get stuck on things and people could pry it off if they wanted to.
I know that doesn't answer your question, but since mine didn't come with a leg-band, I haven't considered it much.

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

For those that replied (I don't really feel like quoting the replies..too lazy)

I also do worry about the type of metal used. Having a leg band will make it a lot easier to find him again if I do lose him.

Crippi also had a leg band which wasn't a closed one. We later removed it because it kept on getting caught on one of his toys..​

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Not sure about cockatiels, but I'd think Cookie is too old for a closed leg band, which is slipped on when they're still small so they grow into it.

In Western countries, the adult alternative is an open leg band which is bent into place. But because it is open, it can catch onto things, like rope or bars and cause the bird some trouble and even damage if that happens.

We are in Asia, so there are slightly different options. What I got Cairo was a so-called C-hook.

Locally people close the band with another ring so they can attach a leg chain (which I'm sure you know is quite dangerous). For us, we ultimately closed it with a nylon nut and bolt. I wanted something that could come off for a medical purpose, but that Cairo wouldn't be able to remove himself. Because it is a closed ring, it doesn't snag on anything.

For us, I just wanted to make sure that if he got lost and some kind soul found him, they would be able to see my phone number on the ring and call me. I know if it wasn't a kind soul finding him, then we wouldn't be able to get him back (when he got lost from his previous family, someone cut off his closed leg band).

Cairo is microchipped, so that's our main form of proof of ownership. But the ring is to help him get home if need be.

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

Not sure about cockatiels, but I'd think Cookie is too old for a closed leg band, which is slipped on when they're still small so they grow into it.

In Western countries, the adult alternative is an open leg band which is bent into place. But because it is open, it can catch onto things, like rope or bars and cause the bird some trouble and even damage if that happens.

We are in Asia, so there are slightly different options. What I got Cairo was a so-called C-hook.

Locally people close the band with another ring so they can attach a leg chain (which I'm sure you know is quite dangerous). For us, we ultimately closed it with a nylon nut and bolt. I wanted something that could come off for a medical purpose, but that Cairo wouldn't be able to remove himself. Because it is a closed ring, it doesn't snag on anything.

For us, I just wanted to make sure that if he got lost and some kind soul found him, they would be able to see my phone number on the ring and call me. I know if it wasn't a kind soul finding him, then we wouldn't be able to get him back (when he got lost from his previous family, someone cut off his closed leg band).

Cairo is microchipped, so that's our main form of proof of ownership. But the ring is to help him get home if need be.

We also had a c-hook leg band for Crippi but we removed it. I might just be able to get another one and use a nut and bolt to close it like the way you did..​

 

[bill_e]

I think that my 200gr Nike is too small for an RFID chip but just looking around I found this statement. Won't help them find you but might help in proving that the bird is yours. Now we need someone to write a scanning/matching program

"A photograph of the unique skin patterns on the feet is much like fingerprinting a human in that only one bird will have this pattern. However, there is currently no database for retrieving this information."

 

[bill_e]

This is also interesting, for $1/year I may have the vet copy down the band info the next time she is toweled and register her.

AFA - Exotic Bird Registry Program