# At what age do you band racing pigeons



## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

I am trying to work out a schedule and one of the things I will need to know is at how many days old do you band them. I know it will depend on the size of the birds, but what would be the average. Day 7 ? Day 10 ??

Ace


----------



## jack1747 (Sep 16, 2007)

I did my first ever banding about a month ago. At 5 days the bands fell off. Day 6 one stayed on. Day 7 one baby was to big to get the band on. A friend told me he could band as old as the 10th day but he was to far from me to show me how.


----------



## learning (May 19, 2006)

Hi Mark,

I would start looking at them at 5 days. Sometimes they can get big quick. I know it is a pain to get a band on a bird that is too big. I have heard of guys breaking toes in order to get bands on. I would rather band a few days earlier and check them every day to see if they have fallen off. Just my 2 cents though.

Dan


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I start looking to band at 6 days, with the exception of one pair of birds. 9 times out of 10 I can band their babies at 5 days and they'll stay on. If the band comes off, I have always been able to find it. Usually the parents take it out into the aviary and drop it. I've crawled around in poop to get a band.


----------



## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

Thank you. That is what I needed to know. 

Ace


----------



## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

If a bird gets to big to bans (e.i. 10 th day) then just run a little vic's on the foot and push... it'll slip on... but it will take a little experience.


----------

