Ringing a Budgerigar chick with a closed ring.

A lot of people today whether they are in a club which requires the ringing of birds with the persons own code number or not, like to ring their birds. This is for their benefit only. It is easier to keep records if each bird has a personalized number. Much like a car registration number, identifies the car so the ring number identifies the bird. If you are not a member of a organization that provides such rings you must tell the ring manufacturer when ordering the rings what breed of bird they are for, as there are many different sizes.

A bird can usually be rung between the age of 8 to 10 days. It is best to check after about 6 days because some chicks are larger and have a much greater growth rate than others and may need ringing a little earlier. There are two ways of ringing a chick.

1. Firstly, remove the chick from the nest and hold between your fingers and thumb on whichever hand is most comfortable. Move the chick so that the leg you want the ring on is held between your index finger and thumb. Place the three main claws forward and put the ring over these. Adjust the position of the chick in your hand so that you are now able to slide the ring over the foot. Once this is done you will see that the last claw is now trapped under the ring. At this stage you will need a matchstick or something similar. Split the end of the matchstick so that it is a lot thinner. Taking care not to damage the foot, gently ease the last claw from under the ring. The ring is now in place.

2. The second way is very much like the first. Sometimes the ring can not be placed on the foot because the chick has grown rapidly or the joint in the claw is to big. Sometimes if you follow the procedure above but put two claws forward and two claws back. This sometimes works.

If you are unable to place the ring on the chick, it is best not to force it on as the end result will be, the skinning of the chick's leg. This is not pleasant to see and when placed back into the nest, the chick is open to infection, which will most likely result in you loosing it.

After ringing the chick keep a close eye on it for a day or two. Sometimes the ring can come off if the foot was slightly to small. If this happens, then check the nest box for the ring and follow the procedure again.