I use a few different bands. Some birds will get a couple bands on each leg and toe punched to boot.

I breed hen lines and use a seperate color spiral band for each pen, all females always go back in that pen. each bird gets a numbered band. They are toe ounnched at hatch to show which hen they are from. Cocks are shifted to the nest pen each year times 3 pens per breed. Every year the numberd colored bands are changed to designate the year of hatch.

A simplified system could just use the colored sparal bands or just the numbered and colored boil bands. At some shows you might see chickens with 4-5-6 different bands. nobody who shows uses wing bands but some do for non show breeeders.

Bands aid in keeping breeding records,a plain ol farm flock probably wouldnt need to be bothered with it all unless you do some hatching and keep records, pedigrees etcetera.

yes it is a plain ol farm flock *L* (96) I will be getting Welsummers (8 hens and 1 Roo) in May-and they will not be free ranging but will have a coop and run of their own. I have been giving some thought to hatching and selling the eggs/baby chicks from my Welsummers next spring and summer-I know nothing about banding but would like to keep records. what is toe punching?(ounnched?)

Nelda

If you are only getting 8 hens, you should be able to ID them on sight pretty easily--they will each have different personalities, comb structure, feather patterns--certainly enough to tell them apart at maturity.

If you want to keep track later of baby chicks and their mamas, a simple paper record might do, or band the newly hatched chicks--but then you'd have to know what egg came from which hen, and mark the eggs beforehand. THAT'S where the problem will lie if you are cooping them all together. :) The eggs WILL all look alike, most likely! *L* You'd have to have some kind of setup where you were certain which hen laid which egg.

In subsequent hatches over the years, it's handy to know who came from who, and that's where the banding will really be neccessary--or if you expand your flock and include more roos.

I've got 39 chickens and none are banded (mine are named instead). Granted, mine are all various breeds and very easy to ID. I do have the colored spiral leg bands on hand for hatching baby chicks so I can keep track of which chick came from which egg (in the case of eggs that look alike), but I've never needed them so far (I got the things 4 years ago) since all of the chicks have had different markings at hatch and I just made notes that way. It figures! :) I use a spreadsheet in Excel to keep track of ALL my chickens, including chicken mamas and babies over the years--mine goes back to 1995.

If you get the spiral bands, I'd suggest buying the pliers to place them with, too. The spiral bands can be tricky to place on a struggling, easily injured chick.

Velvet ~:>

Velvet,

What if at the time I were to want to incubate eggs from a particular hen-could I just isolate her in the same coop? yes mine are all named *L* I do visual better than numbers and I could do a spread sheet for who is who--I use a spreadsheet to keep track of all my supplies,food,sells,charity and eggs per month,discounts, etc.. If I were to keep a roo that has hatched would I be able to breed (not sure if that is right term)to any of the existing hens or would that become a problem genetically or would I want to purchase a new roo baby?

I am just getting started on this new venture and since it will not be until next year before the hens start laying with any regularity--just trying to gather information on the how too and if there is really a market for this-I would not be doing this on a large scale-but may increase later and add more different breeds of chickens.

Nelda

When you band the baby chicks do you do so by description,dates or numbers? Or do you use all three?

if you are just keeping some for yourself and to give to friends any system can work just fine. when you begin to sell to the general public there is an assumption that you are breeding and not just reproducing. You should have a good knowledge of the breesd you are working with so a standard of perfection is a great help. they have certain qualities to be bred for such as type, color weight, comb type and so on.

Toe punching is done between the toes on the web, a toe punch tool is used, or you can just use a razor blade or small scissors to make a cut in the webbing. Each breeding pen could use a different color band, all chicks from that pen would retain that color. There are many different ways to keep your breeding organized. a good chicken site could help you,.probably the best forum is " Thje Classroom at The Coop". 2nd might be "the poultry connection. Some forums are just for pwet type poultry, some are more for those who are interested in breeding and genetics of poultry. if you are interested in more depth re: breeding send me a pm and I will try to explain a few basics.

I was under the impression you had to change the bands on chicks as they grow? How often, approximately, would that be?
Thanks,
Brendasue

I never have. I did underestimate the size needed for Muscovies tho and had to reband. It is a legitimate concern tho at least until you know what size bands to order. keep an eye on them as they can outgrow the bands and that is a serious problem with the spiral and solid closed bands. bandettes will expand.