# Leg ring too tight?



## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

I'm not sure what leg rings are supposed to look like on cockatiels. My budgies rings are quite loose and can turn around on their legs.

Misty's leg ring looks to be quite tight, in that i can't see any gaps between the ring and her leg. She also seems to hold that leg up quite a lot. I'm not sure if it's just nerves, as she always holds it up when i put my finger up to her, and she starts preening around it. When she's on my finger she holds it up too.

In general, her leg looks ok, in terms of it's colour. It's the same as her other leg. I'm not sure if it's swollen or not though, as i can never get a good look at the other leg to compare.

Just wondered if anyone's had any experience, or if anyone can tell me if the ring should look like it has room to move.

Thanks


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

all my tiels leg bands turn very easily on their leg 

If it is not easily moved around, You may want a vet to check it - To be on the safe side


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## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

I can't really get close enough to try to turn it, but i've just had a closer look, and it's not actually a closed ring, like the budgies' rings. There are 2 ends that meet and bend outwards, and there's a little gap between them. Does this mean i could bend it open a little, or even take it off myself?

Why would that type of ring be on her? Is it supposed to stretch open as the leg grows or something?


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Open rings are usually used just to tell apart a small number of birds, they can also be put on fully grown birds rather than just babies.  It should be quite obviously looser than what you're describing though, you can try to pry it open yourself but it might be safer to get a vet to do it, definitely have a second pair of hands to help regardless.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

It's far too easy to hurt your bird trying to do it yourself. Let the vet do it.


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## spike's mom (Aug 21, 2008)

If its a split ring I would definatly take it off whether or not you do it or you let the vet do it. it my be pinching her and it could get caught on something. I've seen horror stories of birds chewing their leg off because their leg bands get caught on something. I hate leg bands I guess they are nessesary for breeders but. if I had my way none of my birds would have them Three of my birds have them and as soon as the new chip with with the Gps comes out I'll have all my birds micro chipped and have those leg bands cut off.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would take her to an avian vet to have it checked out and removed if it is too tight.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

spike's mom said:


> I've seen horror stories of birds chewing their leg off because their leg bands get caught on something


Wow, that would make me want to get it taken off more if it were me. That'd be horrible to have to see! 

All 3 of my babies have leg rings so does Jasper, but they're loose enough.. I just wouldn't risk it getting caught on something and having an injured 'tiel... like the person I quoted above said, I bet you wouldn't want your 'tiel chewing its leg off or worse that could happen.

Hope you can get it taken off asap though, then it'll not be a worry anymore.


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## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the advice. At the moment i'm keeping an eye on her to see if it is causing any discomfort. It's not loose, so there's no worry of it catching on something. I'll get it taken off if she is noticeably in pain. I'm just not sure yet!


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## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

*Update*

We ended up removing the band ourselves. My boyfriend held her, and she had a bit of a cry and squawk. I was just going to check it, but found it was easily bent open, so i just took it off! It doesn't have much on it, just either a '6' or a '9', depending which way up it goes. She has an indentation on her leg where it was, so it must have been tight. Not tight enough to cause any serious problems, but it must have been uncomfortable for her. Hopefully it should be back to normal soon.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

since it was a split band it is possible she closed it on her own 

they advise not do use split bands on Parrots who play with their feet Like Quakers, or even ones who have strong enough beaks to close things like Quakers, Cockatoos etc because its been known they've closed it on their own only when they did it it when through the leg and not closed around it 

I just like the close banded ones better 

But glad you were able to remove it on your own - There is supposed to be a tool to remove leg bands because its possible to break their leg removing it (not sure if its the same with open /split bands but i know that's a danger in closed bands)


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## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

Thanks atv 

Hmmm, she did play with that foot/leg a lot. But i think that maybe the breeder had just been over cautious about her getting it caught, and nipped it closed too tightly.

Yeh, i did a search on here a few days ago and found a thread that said that cutting off rings that are too tight can break the bird's leg. I'm just glad it wasn't closed... and quite bendy metal! Otherwise i'd be back at the vets, or trying to track down the breeder :wacko:


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

It's good that you removed it, even if it wasn't doing any harm having an indentation on her leg isn't good.  So I think you did the right thing!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

So glad you got it off! It sounds like it could have cut the circulation off if she ever had any swelling. I bet she's a lot happier.


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## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

She does seem to be happier. She's stopped waving her foot at us anyway. I think she couldn't apply much pressure to that leg, as the leg couldn't expand at all. It just looks a little flakey at the moment, and thin.... like when you get a cast off!


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