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All About Banding Hens and Roosters

Rings for chickens 2016, color black

Question about banding chickens

Question: 05/01/2019

Message: Good afternoon, John.

I write to you because I'm looking for information on how to girdle chickens. I've noticed that your birds are officially ringed.

Currently, I have several breeds of chickens of pure breed, but I don't know what procedures are necessary to get the rings official.

I've found out that these bands are rigid and must be fitted while the chicks are still young. Right now I have about 14 tiny chicks, and I'd like to speed up the process so I can band them as soon as possible.

I would appreciate it if you could guide me through the necessary process and all the procedures I must follow to have my hens and roosters banded with the official bands for this year.

I await your prompt response. Best regards.

Thank you very much, Robert.

Answer:

Hi, Róber, first of all, thank you for visiting my page, and I'm glad you like it.

Now, let's get down to business.

First, you need to register as a member of a poultry association. The choice of association will depend on the breeds you raise, and their annual fees usually start at €35.

Subsequently, the association will contact you, usually at the end of the year, for you to make the order of the rings that you need for your birds the following year.

To obtain the rings official Spanish Federation FESACOCUR,which are printed with the letters EE–E; these are essential requirements if you wish to participate in the Championship of Europe and in the Championship of Spain.

This year, the cost is €2.60 for every ten rings, plus €5 for shipping; there is no insurance, unless you contact breeders who have a surplus.

The rings that have the letter “E” are perfectly acceptable to participate in any exhibition, both European and Spanish, except for the ones organized by Fesacocur, the European Championship, and the Championship of Spain. For the exhibitions, the only requirement of the authorities is that the ring be numbered and closed. This year, the price is €1.90, ten rings more than €5 for shipping, and they are always available.

The color for this year 2020 is gray.

Another option is to purchase them from wholesalers or product suppliers, although they will only offer you rings marked with an E. For example, they are available at Finca Casarejo and other locations. Check the breeds you have and the corresponding table for the difference in ring sizes between males and females.

If you don't plan to officially enter shows in the near future, these will serve you well; and later, when you select your birds, you may decide to enter them, in which case I would recommend the Fesacocur shows, EE.

The process is quite simple; just make sure to wait until the bird is at least two months old—it all depends on the breed and its growth rate. I’ll provide you with a guide so you know how to proceed. It’s very important to apply a generous amount of petroleum jelly to the bird’s legs and toes before placing it in the cage, to help it slide in easily and prevent any injury to the bird.

I hope this clears your doubts, and don't be swayed by the opinions of others, who in reality do not understand the situation and only fail to generate confusion among all. Below, you can find additional information.

Ring 2011 yellow

Ring 2012 blue color

Ringed hens

Rings 2013 green color

Rings of Colors is not official

Support rings, wood

Support for rings in metal

Why should we band our chickens?

All poultry, including hens and roosters, that arise or are on display in any jurisdiction, poultry should be properly identified.

This is important for several reasons. When birds such as chickens, pigeons, ducks, and turkeys are vaccinated by a veterinarian for certain diseases, the veterinarian usually issues a vaccination certificate. This document specifies which birds have been immunized and their respective identification numbers, i.e., the ring placed on their legs. This identification serves as confirmation that the bird has received the required vaccine.

During the fairs and competitions, it is essential that each bird has its identification number, which is unique for each specimen, at the time of evaluated and classified.

This code of the ring is useful for the breeder because you can use it in breeding to easily identify the offspring of several specimens, as well as for the monitoring of the production, the development, and the aesthetic defects, which provides additional support to the controlled breeding, especially by applying lines or crosses.

The individual number assigned to each hen or rooster is also recorded in the listings of the control of the breeder. For example, when we buy, sell, or transfer birds, this number in the ring serves as a means of checking on the animal.

It is essential to remember that a ring does not provide information about the breed, lineage, or characteristics of an individual.

All the specimens exposed must be banded with an official ring that is closed so that it cannot be removed or opened.

Banding is performed at an early age, approximately 45 days after birth, where the band is inserted using the three forward-facing toes of the foot. The band is brought close to the fourth toe, which must be bent over the tarsus, and the band is slid until it passes the toe; below are some descriptive photos.

As the animal grows, the ring may not be withdrawn. It is important to verify in the young specimens, which all keep the ring on the leg, as in some cases it could occur that the ring will slide because the foot has not made sufficient growth. You can also place a flange in plastic, which will be removed when they are no longer at risk of exit.

What is the meaning of the letters, numbers, and colors in a ring?

When using the official rings for the first time EE – E, is likely to arise various questions about it.

The color of the ring changes each year in accordance with the following scheme of colors, spanning a period of six years:

2017: yellow
2018: blue
2019: green
2020: gray
2021: white
2022: black
2023: yellow
2024: blue
2025: green
2026: gray
2027: white
2028: black

This color is uniform for all the nations associated with the Entente europea,. In consequence, he has no particular meaning, while it facilitates the breeder to determine the age of a bird from a distance, without the need to manipulate it. In addition, the rings have a series of alphanumeric codes (cover image of the post).

As an illustration:

Ring 10131 – EE – E – 18 – 16

What do these letters and numbers mean?

EE it refers to the Entente europea, and warrant to us that it is a ring official, a federation recognized by this and attached to the same.
E denotes the nation, in this case, Spain. The rings of France are marked as FR, the German D, and so on.
10131 represents the unique number of the ring of this issue.
16 corresponds to the last two digits of the year.
18 indicates the size in millimeters of the ring.

Each breed of hens presents a thickness of the legs is different, both in males as in females. For this reason, it is necessary to use the appropriate size for the ring, in order to prevent that you can lose or be uncomfortable due to being too small.