Posted November 30, 200618 yr To move the birds overseas, they all need some form of identification. Poe's getting microchipped (I had the vet remove her band, it was bothering her to no end) and Frankie's got a closed band. My little guys (budgies and cockatiel) need open leg bands though as they're way too small to be chipped. I've found plenty of places to order the bands but what I'd like to know is: Am I going to be able to apply these myself or would it be best to have a vet do it? How easy is it to do it wrong and what should I be careful of? Is there a special tool I should buy to put them on? Also, most of the budgies are about two years old now. At this age, do birds get more annoyed with having a leg band since it's completely foreign to them? I really don't like doing this, I know open bands can be dangerous. But it's either this or leaving them here and I really don't want to do that.
November 30, 200618 yr To move the birds overseas, they all need some form of identification. Poe's getting microchipped (I had the vet remove her band, it was bothering her to no end) and Frankie's got a closed band. My little guys (budgies and cockatiel) need open leg bands though as they're way too small to be chipped. I've found plenty of places to order the bands but what I'd like to know is: Am I going to be able to apply these myself or would it be best to have a vet do it? How easy is it to do it wrong and what should I be careful of? Is there a special tool I should buy to put them on? Also, most of the budgies are about two years old now. At this age, do birds get more annoyed with having a leg band since it's completely foreign to them? I really don't like doing this, I know open bands can be dangerous. But it's either this or leaving them here and I really don't want to do that. Hi Terri Most places that sell the open rings have the tool with them or at least availible. You slide the ring up the tool which opens it, place the tool a long the lower leg. Hold the ring in place and pull the tool out form the ring. The ring closed around the leg. Some things to watch. Make sure the ring is around the leg before pulling out the tool. You don't want the ring clamping onto the leg. The bird will squirm so it could be helpful to have a 2nd person do the tool and ring while you hold the bird and it's leg. The bird will get annoyed at any age whether it is 7 days with a closed ring or 2 years with an open ring. Edited November 30, 200618 yr by daz
December 1, 200618 yr I have some soft coloured aluminium legbands that require no tool to use. You just open them and close them around the leg when in position...very easy, no trouble.....and one person can fit them alone. There are different types available so do a search and see what is available to you. I really don't think a vet is needed for something so simple. :hap:
December 1, 200618 yr Like Daz said they should come with a tool for putting them on. And they'll chew and pull at it like crazy for a while but should get over it. :hap:
December 2, 200618 yr I have traveled a LOT with my little budgie, Gilligan. We traveled on and off of cruise ships for several years, and he experienced a lot of different countries. He must have logged about 50,000 airmiles, until he passed away from old age a couple weeks ago. :offtopic: Please let me know if I can offer any help regarding international travel with your birds. Budgies are pretty easy, as compared to larger birds. They also tend to do well with the "Stress" of it all, despite what is said. In all my shipping of birds, I've only lost one budgie, but it was the middle of winter and the airlines misplaced him. Anyway, on a happier note, I ordered several leg bands at http://home.earthlink.net/~lmbird/lmcat.html. They also sell the tool to apply them, which is very easy. I did find one little tip that might help you a lot... The tool that they sell is the same width as the leg band. What tends to happen is that as you squeeze the leg ban on, it gets stuck inside the tool, and you have no leverage to pull it out. Obviously, the bird's leg is now through the band, and it's stuck to the tool. To avoid this, I don't line up the leg band exactly in line with the tool. I keep about 50% of the band sticking out the bottom of the tool so that I have something to grab at when I want to get the tool loose... this might sounds confusing unless you know what tool I'm refering to. If you happen to order the tool from this site, I'd be more than happy to help guide you through it if you need the help. May I ask what countries you are exporting/importing to/from? I might be able to put you in touch with the right authorities... I hope anyway... I'll try my best. Good luck! Dave :feedbirds:
December 2, 200618 yr Thanks so much for the tips, Dave (and the help everyone else!). I'm sorry to hear about Gilligan but it sounds like he had a great, exciting life with you. I'll be moving from the United States to England. Not only do I have several budgies to move but I'm also taking my eclectus parrot and green cheeked conure as well as two small dogs. I'm just into the first steps of doing all this so any advice you could offer would be very much appreciated!
December 2, 200618 yr Dp you have export CITES permits from the U.S. and import CITES permits for England? You will need them for the bigger birds. All of my bigger birds are microchipped (a simple process), and I have found it very useful for international travel. Have you looked into it to see if quarentine is required in England? What part of the states are you moving from? I think you will need to arrange an inspection prior to leaving the U.S. with the USDA and US Fish and Wildlife Service. I have never traveled to Englad before, but I assume you will need to have a similar authority checking out your birds upon arrival. Let me know if you need help tracking down who to talk with over there. I'm not sure how involved you already are into this process. As you can tell, it's very time consuming. I do know that there is a company out there that deals with all this for you. IF you'd like, I can try to track them down too. A friend of mine in Vegas has used the company before to handle all the shipping of his birds. Hope I can be of help for you. Dave PS- The CITES Permits take up to 6 months to get...
December 2, 200618 yr I'm currently working on the CITES permits for Poe and Frankie (ekkie and green cheek). Poe's microchip arrived a couple of days ago, I had to order it myself as the vet didn't carry the type that I was told was needed for travel/living in Europe. I got the 15 digit crystal chip and the needle is massive. Frankie has a closed band and is quite small even for a green cheek so I'm going to just leave her banded and use that for I.D. I also had to get Frankie sexed and won't have the results in for a couple of weeks. Once that's taken care of, I'll be sending off the CITES forms. I'm in contact with a woman in Reading, England named Nancy Doweling but sometimes she is hard to reach and the information can be a little vague. I'm still not sure how to go about getting the import CITES permits for the bigger birds. Do you know much about the health certificates that are required for exporting birds? I was told that quarantine can take place in our home in England but a vet will have to come visit after I arrive and then at the end of quarantine. Thanks again for your help. So far, you're the only person I've found who seems to know a lot about this! I've had such a hard time reaching the right people even when I'm given phone numbers. One number always leads to another! Edited December 2, 200618 yr by eterri
December 9, 200618 yr Sorry it has taken me a while to respond, I'm actually writing a book right now, along with a half a dozen other things! I have no experience traveling into Europe at all, but it sounds like your in the right direction with it all. Be aware that there may be multiple agencies to get in touch with in England. I had a difficult time with the US for the first two years of traveling with my birds, and still have issues! They actually re-wrote two laws here in Saipan so I could come in with my birds. Anyway, back to the point; double and tripple check everything with every agency you talk with! When LEAVING THE US, you need to do the following list (and there might be more, I haven't done it since May): * Make sure you leave through a designated USFWS port. They will need to inspect your birds, and take a fee, prior to leaving the county. You must book your flights according to these ports. You can apply for a designated port acceptance permit so you can leave from anywhere, but it's not worth the trouble, time, or expense. The ports and numbers are as follows: Anchorage, AK P.O. Box 190045 Anchorage, Alaska 99519 907/271 6198; 907/271 6199 fax Louisville 601 Broadway, Suite 115-A Louisville, Kentucky 40202 502/582-5989; 502/582-5981 fax Atlanta, GA 4341 International Parkway, Suite #104 Atlanta, Georgia 30354 404/763-7959; 404/366-7031 fax Memphis 3150 Tchulahoma Ave. Suite #6 Memphis, Tennessee 38118 901/544-3694; 901/544-3696 Baltimore, MD 40 S. Gay Street, #223 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 410/865-2127; 410/865-2129 fax Miami, FL 6601 N.W. 25th Street, Rm. 134 Miami, Florida 33172 305/526-2994 or 2620; 305/526-7480 fax Boston, MA 70 Everett Avenue, Suite 315 Chelsea, MA 02150 617/889-6616; 617/889-1980 fax New Orleans, LA 2424 Edenborn, Room 100 Metairie, Louisiana 70001 504/219-8870; 504/219-8868 fax Chicago, IL Wildlife Inspection Program 10600 Higgins Road, Suite 200 Rosemont, IL 60018 847/298-3250; 847/298-7669 fax New York, NY 70 E. Sunrise Hwy. #419 Valley Stream, New York 11580 516/825-3950; 516/825-3597 fax Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 1717 West 23rd, Suite 105 DFW Airport, Texas 75261 972/574-3254; 972/574-4669 fax Newark, NJ 1210 Corbin St SeaLand Bldg, 1st Fl. Elizabeth, New Jersey 07201 908/787-1321; 908/787-1334 fax Houston 16639 W. Hardy Houston, Texas 77060-6230 Cargo Office 281/230-7225; 281/230-7227 fax Portland, OR 7000 NE Airport Way, Rm C2732 Portland, Oregon 97238 503/231-6135; 503/231-6133 fax Honolulu, HI 3375 Koapaka St. #B296 Honolulu, Hawaii 96819-1867 808/861-8525; 808/86- 8515 fax San Francisco, CA 1633 Old Bayshore Hwy., Ste. 248 Burlingame, California 94010 650/876-9078; 650/876-9701 fax Los Angeles, CA 370 Amapola Ave. #114 Torrance, California 90501 310/328-6307; 310/328-6399 fax Seattle, WA 2580 South 156th Street Seattle, Washington 98158 206/764-3463; 206/764-3485 fax * You must contact the USDA and let them know you are leaving. They sometimes require an inspection as well. The USFWS agent may or may not have a contact number for them. I have a few numbers still: Sarah Kamen (301) 734-8364 Sheila Miller (301) 734-8364 (Just realized those are the same numbers) Also, here is number to the main guy for the USFWS in Washington State. He's very helpful, as long as you're willing to work with his personallity! Phil Knudson 425-883-8122 That's about all I can do to help you get out of the U.S. Other than that, I'd suggest you contact Englad (sounds like you're ahead of me on this), and make sure you tripple check everything. Doing it wrong can cause so much stress! I hope you get your CITES Permits in time! Good luck, and let me know if you have any other specific questions. I will do my best to help you out. I HATED dealing with this for myself, but find it rewarding to pass on what I've learned. If I don't know it, I'll try to find the answer for you. Good luck! Dave I missed a question: Do you know much about the health certificates that are required for exporting birds? My vet had two different kinds of health certificates. Since I always travel with poultrty (doves), I require a completely different permit. The permit I did use as a "health certificate" was stamped and sealed in Olympia, WA. If you have any questions about it, I'm sure you can contact my vet, she's a pro at it now! Her name is Julia Lease (509) 922-6191. She located in Washington State. Her employees know just as much about it as she does. Please feel free to tell her that I refered you. I have a great working relationship with her. Again, good lucK! Dave
