Procedures for Banding with Closed Metal Bands


The important thing to remember when banding chicks is to do it over a counter or table so if the chick is dropped it doesn't fall to the floor. The age to band varies depending on type of canary and how well it has been fed in the nest, but between 7 and 10 days is general rule of thumb
Have the bands, a toothpick (or other small blunt instrument) and some lubricant ready. 


If you have problems with the parents removing recent banded chicks from the nest you might try banding just before the parents go to roost in the evening . This sometimes helps to keep the parents from picking at the bands. By the next morning they may have forgotten about them. Another option is to wait until the chicks are about 10 days old. By this time the legs have moved into a position more underneath. This makes the bands less visible. Also, by this age the chick are starting to develop their grasping reflex in their feet and it is much more difficult to remove them from the nest
banding 1 Hold the chick in the hollow of your hand, firmly but gently. Remember, their bodies cannot tolerate compression. Hold the food gently between your thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand.
If needed apply a little bit of lubricant on the chick's foot and slide the band over the three front toes and finally over the ankle joint. banding 2
banding 3 Make sure that the backward pointing toe is pulled forward from underneath the band. If needed, a toothpick can be used to pull that toe forward.
This is what the foot should look like when properly banded, with the band between the elbow and ankle joint. banding 4

 

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