# Can someone explain pigeon rings to me?



## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

So, do you order your own closed rings?

Is the number absolutely unique or can you just invent it? Like, start from 0001 
Or is it like chip numbers that each is unique?

Do you get them from clubs of from the custom websites?

For showing are any rings valid?

Thanks


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

So, do you order your own closed rings? YOu can buy them from online sites, or through your club.

Is the number absolutely unique or can you just invent it? Like, start from 0001 
Or is it like chip numbers that each is unique? You can order legal rings with your loft name and your own unique serial numbers. Or you can get the generic bands with unique serial numbers on them. No two bands (rings), can have the same year, initials and serial number on them They have to be unique to be valid. But different years (which is indicated on the bands) can have the same numbers a other years. The colors are usually changed from year to year, on a rotating basis.

Do you get them from clubs of from the custom websites? Yes. Both or either.

For showing are any rings valid? Depends on the show affiliation. There are a few different organizations. The biggest being the AU (American Racing Pigeon Union). The seond biggest being the IF (International Federation). You can participate in either, even if you do not have their organizations bands (rings). But there may be a very small charge to do that (perhaps one dollar per bird). I have never participated in a "show" and thus do not know the ins and outs of those.


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

A typical band will read something like this:

Year: "2011"

National organization: "AU" or "IF"

Club initials: "COV" (Covington, Kentucky club.)

Individual serial number: "876" (could be up to five digits)

Personalized bands could read: "RRLOfts" (or whatever someone orders as an individual) (those have to be ordered way in advance and cost more than generic bands.)

Some people double band, with a second band on a different leg, having their phone number in case their bird gets lost and found. But generic bands can be traced to the owner, through the national organizations, in almost all cases.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

You can order legal rings with your loft name and your own unique serial numbers. 

Or you can get the generic bands with unique serial numbers on them. No two bands (rings), can have the same year, initials and serial number on them

Thank you 

The year would have to be the year the bird was born right? So an order is of minimum 50 and I only need maybe 5 a year, what on earth do I do with the others??


re custom bands, can you use any intials/name? If you don't really have a named official loft


I saw some rings on ebay with the initials CHN which I assumed means china - these kind of rings that have other initials that are not associated to your loft or country, are they still legal to use?


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

To answer your last question. Probably not. Rings from other countries probably would not be okay in the U.S. Not for any type of competition here.

To participate in what is called "young bird competition". The rings have to be of the current year. They have to be put on baby pigeons in the nest, between 5 to 10 days old. Best around 6 or 7 days old. And yes, they have that years designation (2012 or whatever) on them. It prevents more mature older birds from being in the same competition with young birds. That would not be a fair competition.

"Old birds (any bird with a band that has a year on it that is not the current year) are only allowed to compete against other "old birds". "Young birds" compete against only other "young birds". A young bird ahs a current year ring (band) on its leg.

There is really no such thing as an "official loft'. You can call your loft whatever you want to call it. You can change it once a week if you so deem. You can order whatever you want on "specialty bands", as long as they are not something someone else ordered. In other words. If there is someone who has already ordered rings that state the initials "COV", then you have to come up with something else. Maybe "CV", or whatever. If you want to order specialty bands with "AU Lisa 2014 0001 thru 0050, you can. But if you are just raising a very few birds each year. I would strongly suggest you get generic bands, sized for your breed of pigeons. Different breeds of pigeons have different leg sizes. A Catalonian Tumbler wears a different size than a Racing Homers. Cheapest and best thing to do if you just need a few bands, is to find someone else who buys bands for your same types of pigeons, and get some "extras" from them. Generic bands (rings) should cost you about 50 cents a piece, or less. If you buy them from another pigeon keeper. If you order them, they have a $3.00 shipping charge, along with the .50 (or thereabouts) per ring charge.

Good luck with your birds.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Thank you for all the help 

I'll scrounge around here and see if anyone has extras then, before i look any further


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## dcortelazzi (Sep 1, 2020)

*2019-CHN band*

I found a pigeon in my garage with a purple band 2019-32 CHN. Is there a way I can find the owner? It looks like this band is from China and does not belong to any association.


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