ISSUE WITH BAND ON LEG

[BooBaby]

Hi everyone!

 

My husband and I have had our TAG for about a month. On the 21st of this month he'll be 5 months old. He's getting a little more rambunctious but he's still mostly quiet. He seems to be healthy and hasn't really had any problems. However, I noticed today that several of the little feathers on his leg are missing. The breeder had asked us if we wanted a band on his leg and we said yes. We had later changed our minds, but she had already put it on. It isn't tight, but he does bite at it a lot. I'm not sure if when he bites and chews it, it's gradually rubbed those feathers off or if he's pulled them off himself. I am a little concerned over this and I'm curious if anyone has had similar problems? Is there anyway of removing it safely??

[Dave007]

""""""Is there anyway of removing it safely?? """""

Only vets or professional bird handlers should be the ones removing bands.

If he's biting and chewing the band then he's most likely also scrapping the band against the leg which can cause some feathers to fall out. If the band is metal and has a color on it, expect that color to be eventually scraped away. Many times, it's the bird's natural nervousness to everyday things that causes a reaction to the band. Some birds are very high wired and some are just the opposite. Many people here and on other boards have had the bands removed for various reasons. If the band has specific info on it, simply ask the vet to give it to you. In the meantime, it's a good idea to periodically coat those raw leg areas with some aloe gel. The gel will be absorbed by the skin within a few minutes and it's not toxic, just slightly gooey will disappears quickly.