# wing bands won't come out of my pullets!



## Pookadoodis

Hi, newbie in distress!

I brought home 7 little banded pullets today.....the bands on the 3 black ones slipped right out.
The bands on the little brown girls WILL NOT BUDGE!!! Does this mean the brown ones are younger & the bands aren't ready to come out?[P]







[P]
If anyone has any idea what kind of chicks these are please let me know.
Thanks.......


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## Energyvet

Can you carefully snip them off with a scissors or clipper? Maybe a dog or cat nail trimmer?


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## Pookadoodis

These are bands that have been pierced thru the web of skin at the top of the wing. I could snip it but the band would still be stuck.....the band in the other birds wings moved freely....like a ring in a piercing. 
The bands on the brown chicks are frozen in position. Like they're scabbed in. 

I hate this type of banding....it's barbaric. I understand why it's done but it's awful. 
I rubbed some neosporine where the band meets the skin on both sides of the wing. I'm hoping this will help loosen it up.
I feel so bad for them.


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## Energyvet

I'd clip it in two places and remove it. It doesn't serve the bird and that's what matters. I've removed hundreds of wing and foot bands. It's really not that difficult if you have someone to help hold the little bird for you. That's my opinion. I am always an advocate for the animal and their best interests. They can't talk, and I'm not that fond of the human race. Lol


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## Pookadoodis

Energyvet~I couldn't agree with you more about the human race.LOL

Tried them again this morning, they still won't budge.....I'm snipping them on both sides & hopefully whats left in there will push out over time. I don't want any infection setting in. The little black ones are taking great care at cleaning their "peircings". I was up at 1:30am watching them..........yes, I got it bad. These are my first chickens.....I had NO idea how charming & entertaining they can be.


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## ThreeJ

I have never seen this before, I have a dumb question. Why are they banded and where excactly are they banded? Where did you get these chicks? Ok more than one question.... just really curious.


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## Pookadoodis

ThreeJ, they came from a local feed store called Atwoods. Atwoods gets them from a breeder in Texas called Ideal. The bands were only on the pullets. Ideal put them on to identify the ages & sex of the chicks. The black chick's bands were pink....the brown/red chicks are blue as you can see in the pictures below. The bands are made of a soft metal, one end is "sort of" pointed & it goes thru the skin of wing, it then folds over & the pointy end goes thru a hole at the other end of the band holding it in place....when removed it leaves a hole in the skin.
















I've only ever seen bands on the legs of fowl. When I bought these little girls(I hope they're all girls anyway) I thought the band went around the top of the wing & not actually thru it. They really get distressed when I start working on those bands..........


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## rob

that looks very unpleasant. it reminded me of the clips that go through cows ears. mine all had rings.


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## Energyvet

Now seeing the photos, I know they need to come off or you will be having some serious consequences. I imagine they are painful but like pulling off the bandaid, if you can do it quickly it can heal up and you both will be all set going forward. Really too bad you have to deal with this nonsense. Poor chicks!


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## BigECart

Is this something new that Ideal does? I was in a feed store early last summer and their chicks (from Ideal) did not have those bands. Maybe the feed store removed them when they got them? Or maybe your feed store is the one who put them on. Either way, seems like a cruel thing to do for convenience over leg bands.


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## Mamachickof14

Ouch!! I don't like it either!! Jen


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## ThreeJ

Thanks for the info... I think there would be a better way to do what they are trying to accomplish.


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## Pookadoodis

It's all good now.......I swabbed the areas with saline earlier in the day & applied more Neosporine. I gave the girls some grasshoppers b/c they looked bored.....so they had some exercise & then I was able to slip the bands out. They were still quite snug tho.
I fixed them up a little roost made from a Mulberry branch......they stared at it for a long time, then attacked it, made sure it was dead & then jumped all over it. One perched on it for quite a while. They're so funny.


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## Sundancers

Glad to know it has worked out ... congrats!

I have never had chicks with the bands but did get a pair of dove once like that... they had worked them out by the time we got home.

Maybe a note to the folks that sold them like that would help change the practice. Just a thought ...


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## Energyvet

I am so very relieved they that is over! I was very concerned about your new babies. Very very happy! Now you can exhale and just enjoy the fun! Good luck with them all. Whew!


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## rob

great to hear you have managed to remove them. as sundancers said, send a note to the sellers.


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## cogburn

BigECart said:


> Is this something new that Ideal does? I was in a feed store early last summer and their chicks (from Ideal) did not have those bands. Maybe the feed store removed them when they got them? Or maybe your feed store is the one who put them on. Either way, seems like a cruel thing to do for convenience over leg bands.


I've just recently (2 weeks ago) seen these at atwoods, I assumed they came from another hatchery. I had never seen them before, If I'm in the store I always walk by and see whats kickin chicken..


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## cogburn

They should just paint the girls nails and that would be good enough.. Reckon?


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## Pookadoodis

Cogburn, I like your idea.....much less invasive! 

I know Lake Fork! My DH used to play golf there one weekends. It's beautiful there! We lived in Diana.....near Gilmer........then we moved a little north of Tyler.....and now we's in Kansas. But I'm a Native(literally)Texan.


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