# When to band the babies?



## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Hello all,

I have read on here that babies should be banded between five and seven days of age. I have two hatchlings that are five days old today. I shooed their mother off of them briefly today, and they look awfully small to band! They are now covered with yellow down/pinfeathers, but their feet don't look big enough to keep a band on. (They are Birmingham Rollers, and I have 7mm bands.) Will they grow that much in the next two days?

Thanks for any advice.

Peter


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

The 5-8 days is based off of racing homers. Rollers i don't have any experience with but i would check everyday from here on to see when the bands will stay on. With racing homers sometimes it only takes a day or 2 to determine if you have a miss band or not.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

yes they can grow alot in two days..so check every day..smaller ones can be banded at an older age than homers as they mature quicker...just have to keep checking..if they are a bit loose when you put them on..check to see if the band is still on it may slide off and you may have to reband...when you get used to it you can just eyeball them and know when to band them...


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> yes they can grow alot in two days..so check every day..smaller ones can be banded at an older age than homers as they mature quicker...just have to keep checking..if they are a bit loose when you put them on..check to see if the band is still on it may slide off and you may have to reband...when you get used to it you can just eyeball them and know when to band them...


Today is day six. I decided that they looked big enough to be banded. Good thing I did it today. Although the diameter of the band seems fine, I couldn't slide it up past their knee bones. If I had waited another two days, I may not have been able to band them! Now...just keeping my fingers crossed that they don't give the bands the slip!


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## egpigeon (Jan 15, 2008)

between five and seven days of age or may be more if the babies have a small body

Regads


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ptras said:


> Today is day six. I decided that they looked big enough to be banded. Good thing I did it today. Although the diameter of the band seems fine, I couldn't slide it up past their knee bones. If I had waited another two days, I may not have been able to band them! Now...just keeping my fingers crossed that they don't give the bands the slip!


knee bones?.... what do you mean?...lol..


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## doveone52 (Aug 3, 2009)

Wondered about that, too. Just be careful you don't catch up that back toe. Last year I had some birds shipped to me-shaksharli's with muffed legs. They all seemed well and good. Had trouble seeing the band on some because of the feathers. After a few weeks, the biggest was having trouble walking on one leg. Kept getting worse. I caught him and examined his leg thoroughly and, yep, that back toe was caught up and the entire leg was swollen. It was a metal seamless band and it took my husband and I 45 min to cut it off without cutting his leg! Cleaned it up good and it was fine in a week but he could easily have lost his leg. You can bet I will be super careful banding after that! And check it as they grow, too!


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> knee bones?.... what do you mean?...lol..


The drumstick part. The bottom is a scrawny bony thing, and above is the knee.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ptras said:


> The drumstick part. The bottom is a scrawny bony thing, and above is the knee.


you did not put the band above the elbow did you?... the band just sits on the "ankle" part.. they don't have knees...


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I cant find it but I think there is a link that shows how to band.
Dave


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> you did not put the band above the elbow did you?... the band just sits on the "ankle" part.. they don't have knees...


How could I put the band above the elbow? Elbows are in arms (or wings). Knees are in legs.

What I meant was that as I was sliding the band up the leg to get that fourth toe out, it bumped into the knee (not elbow!) Maybe my birds have short forelegs?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ptras said:


> How could I put the band above the elbow? Elbows are in arms (or wings). Knees are in legs.
> 
> What I meant was that as I was sliding the band up the leg to get that fourth toe out, it bumped into the knee (not elbow!) Maybe my birds have short forelegs?


lol.... I suppose it could be a knee... it just moves backwards more like an elbow joint..sounds like you did fine...


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## atvracinjason (Mar 4, 2010)

I went through my first banding process last week, I waited till 7 days and was almost to late...had to use veg oil to assist in sliding the bands on(birds probably thought they were about to be BBQ), on my next round I will do it at 5 days and watch for the next few days and make sure they don't houdini thier way out. The bands don't slide above the knee and I used a small ziptie to pull the thumb through the band. Man do they grow fast


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## Jaysen (Jun 21, 2010)

We did our first babies yesterday (5 days) because they are just big. 2 fell off in the night and we pulled them aside this morning. Tonight when we went to put them back on, THEY DIDN'T FIT! We managed without hurting anyone, but man that was not fun. 

The point I would make is that these suckers grow faster than you can imagine if you haven't "done this" before. I think being early would be better than being late.


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

Be surprised how much difference 24 hours makes.I band mine after 6 days checking them the following day in case they slip the ring.


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