Bird Rings

[E Orix]

More of a statement rather than a question.
I am a little concerned about what and where people are buying their bird rings.
Before you buy and use cheap rings are you doing the best thing for your birds.
Cheap rings are thick walled,may have a limited life span,have can be poorly cut or have rough edges.
If I could do away with rings I would because they can get caught up and the bird either dies or ends up less a foot.
If its a metal ring and of cheap quality the bird can squash it on its own leg,same result,loss of a foot.
There is no short cut,good rings are more expensive and make sure you use the correct size.
Plastic Rings, I use Hughes(UK) rings they are thin walled but strong.
Metal Rings are the pre split type that are applied with a small pair of ring pliers.The pliers make sure that
the ring goes on perfectly round and is far stronger that way.
When it comes to the size of Orange Breasted W/B's and African Fires etc.the normal plastic rings are TOO big and can be caught up on a twig.
For these you can buy the ultra small plastic ring or us the tiny metal ring with the tabs on them. They are hard to get but are worth getting them or try
and get the smallest plastic ring.
There are clubs that sell good plastic rings,Chapmans sell Hughes rings through the Bird Sales and I got mine from those two in the past,
These days I get them from Allan Tully, I simply order them by phone. If I want a special one he orders them and they arrive in the post.
Just think before you buy cheap quality

[gomer]

Totally agree with you EOrix with points mentioned.Also leg rings don't enhance the look of a bird but rather do the opposite. But we need them to keep track of who is who in each aviary.So why put a leg ring on that is twice the size in thickness of a good quality leg ring, with no benefit and looks like a set of shackles more then anything.The 50 cents extra to ring a bird or what ever is the difference is a saving in the long run.I have bought a few birds with these cheap rings fitted and they are taken off as soon as i get home and a new one put on.

[djb78]

How do you remove a plastic ring without hurting the birds legs/feet. I'm also looking at get a few plastic rings off Allen tully just got to go around and see him and I would like to replace a few rings on my keepers.

[jusdeb]

The tool you put the plastic ones on with is also how they come off ... Done it myslef but very fiddly with those skinny little finch legs , really need 2 people and a calm bird .

[nswchainsaw]

Any one used this Mob before. plastic finch split rings 10c each
http://www.birddealer.com/birdlegbandslegrings.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[finchbreeder]

I use the cheap plastic rings. For those birds that I have lots of. And the better quality rings for those I have less of. I hear and understand the concerns expressed. The most important thing re birds loosing feet etc is to eliminate potential hazzards. No I do not claim to have succeeded. Just to having been very careful and lucky. Plastic rings are fairly easy to remove with the tool designed to fit them. The bigger rings may not look as nice, but they are easyer for those who have vision problems to see.
LML

[E Orix]

Sorry I can't agree with you.
It doesn't matter if it is a Zebra Finch or a Blue Gouldian both deserve the best rings possible.
It is very very hard to eliminate possible traps and hazzards in a planted aviary.

[Netsurfer]

Metal Rings are the pre split type that are applied with a small pair of ring pliers.The pliers make sure that
the ring goes on perfectly round and is far stronger that way.

Agree with everything except this! What's the purpose of "Metal Split Rings" in Aviculture? If they are metal then they better be closed. Metal split rings are the ones I hate, I take them off the moment I see them. Often not aligned and a recipe for disaster. Ornithologist often use metal split rings, I would ban them if I could.

[spanna]

But how do you apply a closed metal band to anything other than a chick still in the nest? Therefore, how do you ring plumheads, stars, cordons, double bars or any other species that don't tolerate nest inspections? I know people can do it, but it takes a lot of practice and can still damage an adults foot. I know E Orix has spoken of his bands before, and pays a premium for the highest quality split metal bands to ensure that both ends do meet cleanly.

As with all things, you need the right tool for the job. I have used the large, cheap, plastic bands (2.5mm internal diameter?) on birds such as painteds, diamonds and gouldians, but am still not happy with it. The diamonds and gouldians seem to be okay with them, but they just appear clunky, and do have a bit too much space around the leg for my liking.
I use the smaller split, thin plastic rings (2.3mm internal diameter?) on most of my birds.
I am currently looking at buying a bulk supply of the small metal bands with the tabs on them (around or less than 2.0mm internal diameter??), as these seem to fit much better. That said, a couple of weeks ago I found a double bar with just such a small bands on that had it caught on a piece of brush. His leg is now held permanently up to his body and seems useless, so even the better fitted bands can cause problems. It's a risk we're all aware of, but as said, it's necessary so we can keep records of our birds.

[Tiaris]

I've just received in the post today a heap of split metal aluminium rings with tabs which I've been using for over 20 years and they are no more of a tangle hazard than any other ring I've used. These ones are made by an old bloke at Cessnock & they are far superior to the Aristopet ones which when separated have sharp edges which are extremely hazardous to finch legs. Taking an extra second or two to close up rings properly & ensure that they rotate around the leg freely as well as slide along the shank freely is the best hazard reduction measure. This applies to both metal & plastic rings. Whenever I close split plastic rings I firmly squeeze them shut, hold them firmly for a couple of seconds, then rotate them around the leg whilst applying even closing pressure. The slightest gap left open is a disaster waiting to happen.