# Question About Bands



## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

Et All,

I've got a question about bands...

Sooner or later my birds are going to produce some youngsters. I'm thinking that when that happens, I should band them at the appropriate time after they've hatched.

The thing is (question) I am not a member of a club, nor do I really plan to join one... so, where can I get bands that will be numbered and track-able to me?

I've seen in JEDDS where you can order personalized bands (i.e. with your name and phone number), but I'm not sure if they're also numbered sequentially or could be? I'll call JEDDS tomorrow and see.

Anyway, any other thoughts or guidance on what to do?? Anyone?


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

*Bands*

I'm not sure about trackability, but you can buy NPA bands from Foy's. Or you can join the NPA and order bands through them. Doesn't cost much to join and I suspect they can be tracked to you. 

But if you REALLY want missing birds back, I'd recommend phone number bands through Jedd's or whoever else sells them; I got mine from Global. I've gotten a couple birds back that way and it was well worth the cost of the bands. The average person won't know how to track a permanent band number. I band all my pigeons with a permanent band as chicks and then add a snap-on phone number band when they are old enough to fly. The only drawback with phone number bands is that the numbers are printed on and eventually wear off. I think they are meant to be used for homing pigeons at specific races, not left on for the bird's entire life.


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## DaveD (Jul 9, 2001)

I ran into the problem of banding birds I purchased as adults with my name and phone number. Found this site and ordered imprinted bands from here, was very happy with the results. It's a great way to mark all birds as your own. They apparently carry imprinted bands for many diffrent kinds of fowl, including pigeons and doves. A bit pricey, but the bands are metal and shouldn't fade out over time. Best of luck!!! 

http://www.strombergschickens.com/

Dave


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thanks for the tip, Dave. Those sound much better than the ones I have--I'll look into that.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Jedds sells AU bands. They have jedds on them but are Au bands they will track back to jedds pigeon supply. where jedds can look up the person they sold the bands to. Personlized bands are ok also. they mostly do not have year on them. just your info. I would get the au bands and personal band if you wish.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Check out this web site. We order labels from them every year for our new young birds. We have birds that are 3 years old that still have the label on their chip ring and you can still read it!! Best we've found so far......

http://www.allpigeons.com/

PS: We found that the red ones are the hardest to read.


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## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

*Question about Bands and more*

You are correct in thinking that sooner or later your birds are going to have youngsters. Normal banding of the youngster is 5 to 7 days after hatching, you have 10 days from the pairing to your first egg, 21 to 23 days to hatch date, 5 to 7 days to band, and 28 to 35 days for weaning, when the youngsters are aproximately 18 days old the parents will lay another set of eggs.  

I am not sure why you do not plan to join a club, or at least try to associate with some of your local flyers as they can be very helpful when starting out, there is nothing like having the person there to show you the way around pigeons, mentors when starting are very helpful, visualization is much easier for most people. 

You do not have to join any club to get bands you can join the AU and get bands direct from them and they will track who purchased the bands if you should loose a pigeon and it is found. The AU has a lot of good information available to new flyers, as well as a annual year book, updates and lots of support for the pigeon flyers. If you choose to you can also purchase bands from Jedd's or one of the other pigeon supply places. I do suggest that you band the birds with an AU band though as it is my understanding that you have homing pigeons, if you should ever decide to show the pigeons, compete the pigeons or anything of the sort they will not be accepted unless they are banded with one of the Affiliated Organizations. Now as far as using personalized bands that is ok also, but they sell a label that you can put over your AU bands, the problem with using both on the pigeons is that if you plan on racing them and you use an electronic clock to time your birds in, you will end up having to cut the personalized bands off, this is not an easy procedure and you are risking injury to the pigeons leg if you slip with the cutters. The other problem I have seen is although the personalized bands appear to be the same size as a homing pigeon band they are slightly smaller and fit a little snug for my likings.  

I hope the information I have provided you will help, and if I can be of further assistance please feel free to let me know, also if I can help with setting up a mentor for you in your area please let me know.  

Ellen


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

*Join A Club*

" I am not a member of a club, nor do I really plan to join one... so, where can I get bands that will be numbered and track-able to me? "

Zig,

I agree, I think you are missing out big time, by avoiding a club. Some will be more helpful then others. I personally really look forward to the social aspects of meeting and talking with other pigeon people. It has helped me look at things with a different perspective. 

Besides, there is power in numbers, organizations such as the AU, go a long way in promoting and protecting our sport.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Hi Ellen!*

Hi Ellen .. it's great to see you here and posting!

Terry


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

How do I join the AU?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

> =ZigZagMarquis: How do I join the AU?


Go to the AU site: http://www.pigeon.org/ and click on the link at the bottom to see the application and instructions for joining.

Terry


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## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

*Hi Terry!*

Hi Terry,

 Yes I am posting here, I usually just stay as a silent member and read lots, I like to learn about people that way, I stay in cognito.  

Well I Figured I would jump in and see if I can help get ZigZag started with all possibility of success and lots of local help, if he will allow it.

Pigeons as we all know are a responsibility that we take on when we decide to bring them home, it is very important (my personal opinion) that the birds are banded with every possibility if lost of being returned home. The Large Organizations are the best way to go as they go all out to help you and will track your birds should they become lost.

Message for ZigZag - One of the main steps in deciding on what our plan is when we get pigeons, first decide what we are looking for in our pigeons - is it racing, rolling, showing, competition, or companions. Once that decision has been decided you need to find a mentor that will help you through the steps to be successful should you decide to be active in a pigeon Competion.

Homing Pigeons - Start by joining one of the Organizations like the American Racing Pigeon Union at www.pigeon.org as Terry advised, now this time of year you should have your breeders setup and already on eggs, if you don't you need to, if you plan on racing your pigeons, we personaly setup our breeders on Thanksgiving weekend or the 1st monday following and the lights are turned on in the loft for 14 hours a day 2 weeks prior to pairing them up to kick in the spring hormones, the youngsters are normally hatched approximately 5 to 6 days before New Years day, the American Racing Pigeon Union sends out the bands on the 1st of each year, so when the bands are received you are ready to band your youngsters, most breeders like to get their youngsters bred early and that allows them the maturity come time to start training and racing them. So right now please setup with an Organization and consider the local club it is very helpful and start breeding if you have not already started them, this will give you a head start for young bird season. In the Devore area I highly recommend that you contact Roger Mortvedt at 909-887-4468 he is a great flyer and if able to mentor you, he will give you some winning advise.

Please let me know if I can give you any further information regarding our great sport.

Ellen
www.relofts.com


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

Ellen,

Thanks. I really don't plan on racing pigeons at this time. I've just got them for "birdie buddies". The ones I have now will be prisoners as when I got most of them (6 from Foys) they were too old to loft break or from other lofts (3 from RisingStormLofts, 2 from FlyHomeLofts). I'll try to train and fly their young around my house is the plan.

As of this morning... I've got a pair sitting on their first egg(s)... well, the Hen (Honey) is sitting on the egg, the cock / her mate (Big-B) is alternating between bringing nesting materials up to their box & hitting on other hens in the loft...  ... he's doing both with much gusto!  

If I do my maths right, and the eggs are fertal and survive and all, they should hatch sometime between 8 & 11 Jan 05? Of course I'm on travel 10 to 13 Jan!  I suppose I really do need to get some bands sooner then later. Can't remember if I posted this or not... but I talked to Jedds and they said they would have 05 AU bands in come next week or the first week of Jan and I can order some then. I'll surf over to the AU website and look up the info on joining there too.

What do I do when joining the AU, but not part of a club? or won't they let me?? I'm wondering, because part of a band number is the 1 to 3 letter identifier for the club name... but what do they do about us "wildcat" pigeon fanciers that don't belong to a club? What do we get on our bands, or don't we??

Anyway, thanks again Ellen. Say "hi" to Tanya for me.


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## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

*Question about Bands and more*

Tim,

Congratulations on the new youngsters soon to be hatched, make sure to hopper feed your breeders durring the breeding season, do not ever let the parents go without food, if one feeding is missed for the youngsters in the first 25 days it will stunt their growth pattern. You should have no problem flying their young around your house, you will want to wean the youngters as I stated before at 28 to 35 days, if you have seperated sections and can move the young to section of their own that is good, after the young have spent a couple of days in their new section learning about feeding their self, drinking (you may need to dip them 1 or 2 times), and perching like a big bird  , then you will want to put them out on the landing board and teach them first thing how to enter the loft, this needs to be done before the go airborn, best results are get them used to the same feeding time everyday, put them out prior to their feeding on the landing board, you may have to coax them in a little the first couple of times but they get it fairly quick, then once that is accheived you need to teach them how they will exit the loft to go out, with in no time at all your youngsters will be up flying.

Now for joining the AU, yes you can join the AU as a lone person and they will allow you to buy bands, rather then have a club affiliated band you will have a ARPU band for the American Racing Pigeon Union and it will have numbers to allow tracking of the bands to the owner and that is your birds registered band numbers, you can actually call the AU and handle this so they can send you the bands out as soon as possible, call them at 1-800-755-2778. I did further searching and I was able to actually locate someone closer to you there that is a member of the AU, his name is Gary Johnson, he is right there in the same town and his number is 760-375-0013, please advise him that you were referred through another member of the AU.

Hope this helps you,

Ellen


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

Ellen,

Thanks. I wish I could have a seperate young bird loft... actually, the way the cocks were acting today, I wish I could have seperate cock and hen lofts too! 

Anyway, I'll work the "training" thing when the time comes. Thanks for the advise and numbers on when to start things. So, basically, once the little ones hatch, I need to keep feed out all the time instead of just putting feed out in the morning and evening and then taking it up after they've eaten for about 30 min? I was thinking of putting a small cup in the Honey & Big-B's nest box so they would have feed right there and wouldn't have to leave... is that a good idea?

I'll give the AU a call tomorrow and see what's up.

--- edit ---

You say to "wean" them at 25 to 38 days... is there anything special to be done to do that? I've heard that around that time, you can or should put the youngsters on the floor in a shallow box or pan with some bedding and that way they'll start moving around the loft and looking for feed and water on their own. Is that right? / A good thing to do? Isn't that about the time when they'll start hopping out of the nest and trying to fly too??


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## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

*Question about Bands and more*

Tim,

You will want to look at splitting the loft eventually so you can seperate them or you will have youngsters year round. You also stated that you can not let the ones that you got out, so you will want to setup a way that they are held in but the youngsters are able to get out so they are located to their home, I know it sounds like a lot but you can put up an aviary type loft with shelter at the end maybe to the loft you have for the ones you are going to use as breeders. There are pictures of our loft at www.relofts.com but keep in mind our loft is pretty big, but it will give you an idea of the averies we use and the landing board, we release through the front of the avery.


You will definately need to keep feed out all the time instead of just putting feed out in the morning and evening and and do not take it up the most important time of the youngsters life is the first 25 days, if you miss a feeding or they don't have feed there when they need to feed them it will stunt your youngsters. We keep a small feed cup on the fronts of breeding boxes now, and feed in the individual breeding sections all the time as well as feed in the feeders so in their out time they can nibble there as well, I think it is a very good idea for you to put the feed cup in with Honey & Big-B's, also make sure that you keep grit there all the time and this time of year watch moisture and change if the grit gets moist as grit has a tendancy to grow the aspergilla germ which is very bad and hard to treat, if need be you can bake your grit for 30 minutes at 250 degrees to kill the bacteria.

I am glad to hear you are calling the AU, if you talk with Deone and tell her that you need any literature that she has and tell her Ellen told you to ask for her she will take care of sending you out some great information, make sure to get the 6 pack of info from her it has lots of good information for you.

Weaning at 28 to 35 days is probably going to be best for you, I determine by looking under the youngsters wing, if the feathers have grown out and you see very little skin and hardly no pen feathers then they are ready to be weaned, when I know they are getting close I put feed in the nest box in a little pile and the parents start teaching them to eat, you will see them start working at it and they shoot the peas around like little marbles it is really funny to watch as they chase them, kind of like when they get a little older and you give them raw peanuts for the first time. Make sure when you wean though that you are home and can dip their beaks in the water the first couple of times so you know they can drink on their own, it usually only takes a couple of times and then they get mad at you for doing it. I have never made a special box for the youngsters on the floor but I have put them on the floor to learn to eat and drink with everyone else, but you need to use caution doing this as the older cock birds will try to mate the youngsters and the youngsters will chase the older birds around trying to get them to feed them and can get injured during that process, I only do this if I can be there to keep an eye on things and it is usually short lived if the parents don't go down to help protect them. They will hop out of the nest box if you wait to long to wean them but like I said you could find some injured heads from the older pigeons so it is best to wean to their own section, sometimes a youngster just gets out of the nest on their own a little early and I put them back but if they continue deciding they want to jump out I go ahead and wean them to avoid injury to them and put plenty of small seeds in so they can eat and I always start by putting the feed on the floor in the weaning section and then graduate them to the feeder after a couple of days and then they will teach the later youngsters also.

Ellen


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

Thanks Ellen. A lot of info there. I've been thinking on how to split my loft. I think I can do 2 sections, but that's probably it. I have a really small back yard, basically its not existent. Guess I need to go and buy a house and move so I have more room for my pigeons...


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## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

Sorry, I didn't mean to give you to much information, I was only trying to give you the basics, I guess I have a tendency to get a little detailed, but if it gets to much just let me know. 

In my opinion at the minimum that someone should have would be a old cock section that could also be used for breeding with nest boxes and perches on the front, a hen section with only perches, and a young bird section perches only. This does not need to be that large just don't plan on getting more birds then your sections will allow, 1 bird per square foot. 

My plan in a loft setup like this would be, to wean the youngsters to the one section for training, once maturity is reached you will have to seperate the sexes so the hen section you would want only perches, when the season for flying or breeding is over you can move the hens into a center section to stay so you avoid over breeding. Eventually you would want to faze out the prisoners, sell them or pass them onto new flyers, then you will be able to open loft all the sections once that has been completed, otherwise you will always have sections that will never be opened up. 

Now keep in mind that the birds that are there that you received later you can settle some by putting a small rubberband on the last 4 flights allow them in a settling cage for a week or 2, open the settling cage with the last 4 flights banded together on both wings let them out, keep things calm and do this early morning so they have all day to figure it out, you could end up loosing one but that is the way I have settled mine, also letting them have youngsters there helps.

Ellen


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

No worries. Thanks Ellen.  I'm going to call the AU right now.


---- edit ---- 0916L ----

Well, just got off the phone with the AU. Joined up and ordered some 05 bands.


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## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

Great, I am glad to hear you joined, did you talk with Deone and ask her to send you some information? I think you will be happy that you did.

Please let me know if there is anything else that I can help you with, keep in mind this is my experiences and other's I am sure could give you their own experiences.

Ellen


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## Dove_girl(Emily (Dec 20, 2004)

hello guys!


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## Dove_girl(Emily (Dec 20, 2004)

Dove_girl(Emily said:


> hello guys!





I am so sorry!!!!! I am so imature!!!!


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