Leg Bands – National Band and Tag Company

Bird Bands for Lanyards, Calls, and Hunting Gear

National Band & Tag’s bird bands aren’t just for birds. They can also be used on lanyards, calls, apparel, decoys, gear, and other bird hunting accessories. Our bird bands can be customized with any information, including your company name, phone number, website, email, social media handles, and more!

Custom Bird Bands for Hunting Apparel – A Unique Branding Opportunity:

In the competitive world of hunting apparel and accessories, standing out is crucial. At National Band & Tag, we offer a unique solution that not only enhances your products but also reinforces your brand identity – custom bird bands. Whether you are branding duck calls, lanyards, rifles, business cards, trade show booth giveaways, or decoys, our bird bands offer a versatile and eye-catching solution. They are great at reminding customers where they bought a product from when it’s time to reorder. They also generate word of mouth and get people talking about your products.

How to Design Your Bands:

1.) SIZE: If you need a specific size for something like a call or lanyard, find the diameter of your item. If you don’t need a specific size, then we recommend our Style #1242-14 duck band and Style #1242-24 goose band. 2.) COLOR: After you know what style/size band you want, you can now select your color. Color options vary by size. Go to our bird band page here and click on the size you want. All the colors for that specific size will then be listed. The most popular color is plain (silver) aluminum like what you would find on an actual bird banded by the USGS Bird Banding Lab. 3.) STAMPING: Stamping limitations are also based on the band size. You can view the stamping limitations by band size here. The more text you add, the smaller the text will be. Serial numbers will be off to the side of your text unless you want a Federal Band look. You can see the difference between the two stamping set ups here. 4.) APPLICATORS: NB&T applicators are made to fit each individual size of band. Bands will arrive closed on a string, so if you plan on keeping them closed, then you won’t need an applicator. But if you plan on opening and closing the bands around your product, then we recommend getting an applicator. They are designed to close the band and keep it rounded. If you were to use standard pliers to close the band, it may deform it some. If you have any questions about what can or can’t be done on a band, contact us at tags@nationalband.com or 859-261-2035. Our customer service representatives are available to answer questions and help you find the best design for your band.

Customer Examples:

Check out the samples below provided by our customers of how they use NB&T custom bird bands on their products.

Mattamuskeet Lanyards

Lund Custom Calls

Vaughans Paracord Creations

Lookout Lanyards

Rob Roberts Custom Gun Works

Dave Smith Decoys

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with NB&T and NWTF

The NWTF Convention and Sport Show kicks off February 14^th with an evening social and live music with Country Outdoors in the Waterin’ Hole. Official convention activities commence on Thursday, February 15 through Saturday, February 17^th.

National Band & Tag will be 1 of 500+ exhibitors at the convention. If you are at the show in Nashville, make sure to stop by our Booth #1426 to chat with our team about your identification needs. Bird bands, ear tags, wildlife conservation tags, tree tags and more, we are here to help. Pick up a free 2024 convention band at our booth (while supplies last).

NB&T has been partnering with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) for 25+ years. Two of our eleven owners, brothers Brad and Fred Haas, always attend the NWTF convention. We asked them, “What is your favorite part about exhibiting at the NWTF convention?”:

Brad Haas: “There are so many people who tell us stories about our bands whether it’s a hunting story, banding birds or tagging critters. It’s always fun talking to the customers at the show who stop by the booth to say hi and talk about how our products are working for them.”

Fred Haas: “My favorite part of the NWTF convention is talking to all the great folks who attend the show and end up stopping at our booth to inquire about all of our tagging solutions. There are lots of experts from every state at the convention to share their knowledge about conservation and wild turkeys.”

So, stop by our booth, say hi to our team, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the 2024 NWTF Convention and Sport Show this week!

Wing Bands and Leg Bands for Peafowl

Whether you’re a peafowl farmer, or just raising some peacocks for pets, NB&T is here to help with all your peafowl identification needs. Numbered bands are helpful for tracking breeding birds, chicks from different bloodlines, and other important information.

Leg Bands for Peafowl

Both aluminum and plastic leg bands are a great option for those who want a temporary form of identification because they are removable. Some customers prefer leg bands over wing bands because they don’t want to pierce the wing with a wing band. If you plan on leg banding peachicks, you will need to order multiple sizes and change out the bands as the peafowl grow. Below are two videos on how to band peafowl with National Band & Tag’s plastic and aluminum leg bands.

Banding adult peacocks with an aluminum butt-end band: (Video Credit: Mr. Peacock)

Style 1242 -22 leg band is recommended for adult peahen. Style 1242 -24 leg band is recommended for adult peacocks. (Please note that National Band & Tag is not responsible for the incorrect leg band size being ordered. Measuring your bird’s leg is the best way to find the correct size leg band. Learn more on how to measure a bird’s leg here.)

Banding peachicks with plastic spirals (no numbering) and plastic bandettes (numbering 1-200): (Video Credit: Mr. Peacock)

Wing Bands for Peafowl

If you want wing bands for your peafowl instead of leg bands, the Jiffy wing bands in brass (style 893B) are a very popular option. The aluminum Jiffys (style 893) work for peafowl as well. Wing bands are a great option because you can band the peachick, and the wing band will grow with them to adulthood.

To receive a price quote for peafowl identification, email us at tags@nationalband.com or call us at 859-261-2035.

How to Find the Correct Leg Band Size for your Bird

Did you know, National Band & Tag manufacturers bands ranging in size from hummingbirds to swans? With so many band sizes to choose from, it may be confusing what size you need.

There are two different options for finding out which size leg band you should order:

Option 1: Find the diameter of your bird’s leg. The easiest way to do this is to use a piece of string. You might want to have one person hold the bird, while another holds the string and measures.

Step 1: Place the tip of a string onto the bird’s leg and hold it in place. Wrap the string around the leg until the string reaches the tip on the end of the string you are holding in place.
Step 2: Mark the point where the string touches the tip with a marker.
Step 3: Stretch the string out across the length of the ruler and then locate the mark on the string. Read the measurement on the ruler. This tells you the circumference of the bird’s leg. For this example, let us say the measurement is 34.54 mm.
Step 4: Divide your circumference measurement by 3.14. Given the example of a 34.54 circumference, the diameter of the leg is 11 mm. You can then take this diameter to our bird band page, and see that our Size 14 is 11.13 mm, and would be the best size for your bird.

Option 2: Check for your species of bird on the USGS’s Recommended Band Size chart. This is a guideline, and NB&T is not responsible for incorrect size bands being ordered. While the USGS’s list is reliable for most standard birds, your bird could be slightly different. For example, wild mallards usually wear a size 14 band, but farm-raised mallards tend to be a little fatter and may need to go up to a size 16 band.

Next Steps:

Now that you know the diameter of your bird’s leg, you can check out all our bird bands and find the band size that matches your bird’s leg. Don’t forget that each size band needs it’s matching applicator to properly seal it. If you are ordering multiple sizes of bands, you will also need multiple applicators.

Promotional Waterfowl Bands

In the Ducks Unlimited article, “15 Great Places to Hunt Waterfowl” it lists top cities and areas in the United States and Canada to hunt all different species of waterfowl, such as mallards, Canadian geese, pintails, green-winged teal, mottled ducks, and more.

If your business is in the hunting industry and located in one of these popular waterfowl areas, try promoting your business with customized, promotional waterfowl leg bands! Have your company’s name, website, phone number etc. stamped on the band and hand them out to your customers to help spread the word and get repeat customers year after year. These fun souvenir bands make great giveaways for out of town people visiting to hunt. Customers can place the waterfowl leg bands on their lanyards and always have a reminder of your business.

Our style 1242-14 is the style used for mallard ducks, and a style 1242-28 is used on geese for those who want to be authentic. Otherwise our style 1242-24 is a popular size for promotional lanyard bands. All of our sizes and colors that are available can be viewed here.

Order today to have your customized bands in time for the upcoming season!

promotional waterfowl bands

Gold Colored Wing Bands and Leg Bands

Treat your birds like royalty with gold colored leg bands and wing bands! Gold and orange aluminum, and brass, all look like gold! Below are all the options of leg and wing bands available in gold colors. Click which style you would like for more information and pricing.

Atlas Seal 305A & 305AL Adjustable Leg Bands (Anodized)

Gold Aluminum

Orange Aluminum

Atlas Seal 305ABR Adjustable Leg Band

Brass

Butt-End 1242 Leg Band

Gold Aluminum

Jiffy 893B Wing Band

Brass

Gold and Neon Green material for Wing Band Styles Zip 890, Jiffy 893, and Zip 892

Gold Aluminum

Happy Thanksgiving!

To celebrate Turkey Day, we are featuring our leg bands and wing bands for both domestic and wild turkeys.

Rivet Bands – Style # 1242FR9 (7/8” diameter) for turkeys, and wild turkeys. Style 1242FR9A (1” diameter) for turkey toms.

There are different types of wing bands that can be used as well. If you prefer plastic, we offer a larger polyurethane wing band. If you prefer metal we offer a self-piercing wing band.

Customize your bands with your logo!

Looking for a metal leg or wing band with your logo stamped on it? We can make a custom hardened steel stamp of your logo! There is a one-time charge of $200 to $500 or more (depending on the detail of the logo) to make the stamp block. We will keep your logo stamp block on file for future orders that you would like to have stamped with your logo.

For a quote, please submit your logo in black and white line art to tags@nationalband.com.

Example:

Why use leg and wing bands to identify your poultry?

For chickens, ducks, quail, pheasants, peafowl, turkeys, and more, the correct type of id band can make all the difference when it comes time to sell or breed your birds. Identification is helpful for multiple reasons including, but not limited to:

Keeping track of the number of birds you have
Helping lost or stolen birds are returned to the proper owner
Tracking pedigree
Tracing generations
Recording when birds were born and keeping track of the ages of your flock
Meeting requirements for shows/competitions
Tracking migration patterns
And more!

There are multiple types of identification such as wing bands and leg bands available to meet your needs, from color-coding, blank bands, custom stamped bands, numbered bands, stamped sequential numbering or even laser etched barcodes.

Wing Bands

Leg Bands

For example, you could use a different color every year to track age, barcodes to track pedigree, or sequential numbering to track the number of birds you have.

Not sure where to get started? Learn more about What Type of Poultry Identification Is Best for You

What type of poultry identification is best for you?

Wing Bands
Wing bands are a permanent type of identification with a high retention rate that will stay with the chick for life and grow with it. Wing bands will not bother the bird and may be covered with feathers when they are older, making it more difficult to read. Wing bands are usually put on chicks, anywhere from a day old to a few weeks, but can also be put on adult birds.

Learn more about: Which Wing Band is Best for You

Leg Bands
Leg bands are aluminum or plastic band that wrap around a bird’s leg and must be fitted to their leg size. Leg bands are more commonly used on fully grown birds, but when used on a young bird, the band must be constantly changed as the bird’s leg grows. Leg bands can be a temporary source of identification or a permanent one. Plastic leg bands will fall off easier than metal ones due to the bird pecking at it or excess exposure to weather. Leg bands are the best option for those who do not wish to pierce the skin with a wing band or toe punch.

Learn more about: Which Leg Band is Best for You

***Try a combination of leg bands and wing bands for guaranteed identification***

Peepers / Blinders
Plastic Peepers and Blinders are used to stop cannibalism amongst birds, such as chickens and pheasants, by hiding other birds from view. These are considered the modern version of chicken glasses. Some people will only use Peepers on birds that cause problems, while others will use them on their whole flock as a preventive measure. Try using different colors to track different ages or flocks of birds.

Toe Punches
Toe Punches can be used to mark the webbing between the toes of baby chicks. This option works for those who don’t need colors or numbers to achieve their ID goals. Toe Punches create a small 2mm hole in the webbing, and there is a total of 16 different markings possible (one hole, two holes, left foot, right foot, etc.). Toe punches can also be used to pre-punch a hole in the wing webbing for wing bands.

Other Poultry Identification Options:
Neck Tags – Plastic tags that can be hung by the neck of a baby chick.

Wing Badges – Large plastic badge that attaches to the wing and has large visible numbers.

Bird Bits – Plated steel or plastic bits that are placed in the bird’s nostrils to help stop pecking. Special/deep feeders are needed so the birds may continue to eat.

Click Here to View All National Band & Tag’s Poultry ID Products!

Which Leg Band is Best for You?

Which Leg Band is best for you?

The first step to finding the right leg band for your needs is to determine what size you will need. Sizes are based on the inside diameter of the band. Not all leg band styles are available in all sizes.

Size Guide

Leg Band Size Guidance Chat This chart should be used as a guide only. The most accurate way to find the correct leg band size is to measure your bird’s leg. We are not responsible for incorrect sizes being ordered based on this chart.
Inside Diameter of Band	Breed of Poultry, Small Birds, Gamebirds, Etc.
3/32”	Sparrows, Swallows, Warblers, Goldfinch, House Wrens
1/8”	Canaries, Chickadees, Quail (1 day – 2wks), Evening Grosbeak, Titmouse
5/32”	Quail (2 wks – 4wks), Canaries (Yorkshire & larger breeds), Parakeets, Love Birds, Budgerigar
3/16”	Doves, Pheasant Poults (1 day – 5 wks), Cockatiels, California Valley Quail, Mexican Quail (adults).
7/32”	Quail (4 wks – average adult), Mississippi Quail, Massachusetts Quail, Bobwhite Quail.
¼”	Baby Chicks, Small pigeons (squabs, Archangels, Nuns, Tipplers, Rollers, Turbets, Fantails) Doves, growing Pheasants (4 – 8 wks), Quail (adult Northern or Southern extra-large birds)
5/16”	Wild Ducks (1 day – 6wks), Medium Pigeons, Wild Geese (1 day – 6wks), Woodduck, Pheasant females, (golden & fancy breeds, adults), Blue Winged Teal, Hungarian Partridge
3/8”	Growing Chicks, Large Pigeons (Show Homers, English Carriers, Carneaux, English Pouters, Hungarian Kings, White Kings, Mondaines, Feather Legged Toys); adult Ringneck Pheasants, Wild Ducks (6 weeks to adult), Wild Geese (4-10 weeks), Woodducks, Ruffed Grouse (female); Chukar Partridge, Gadwall Ducks, Pintail Ducks, Prairie Chickens, Chinese Pheasants.
7/16”	Bantams, Largest Pigeons (Giant Runts, Crosses, Tiger Swallows, Runt Crosses, Trumpeters, Bantams), Pheasants (males all breeds), Wild Ducks (mallards, adults – all breeds), Sage Grouse (female) Peacock Pheasants, Ringneck Pheasants, Mallard Ducks, Baldpate & Pintail Ducks, Ruffed Grouse (male).
½”	Grouse, Geese (6-12 wks.), Wild Ducks, English Call Ducks, Ringneck Pheasants (male)
9/6”	Leghorns Hens, Ancona, Silkie, Gamebirds
5/8”	Minorcas, Wyandottes, Crossbreeds
11/16”	Leghorn (Cocks), Rocks, Reds
¾”	Orpingtons, Canadian Geese (small race), Wild Geese, Wild Turkeys
13/16”	Brahmas, Langshans, Large Ducks
7/8”	Turkeys, Hens, Large Male Chickens, Geese, Wild Turkeys, Canadian Geese (large race, Honkers)
1”	Turkey Toms

Butt-End Leg Bands

Style 1242
These aluminum leg bands are available in multiple colors and are one of our most popular styles of leg bands. Sizes are available to fit almost any species of bird all the way from a hummingbird up to a swan. The applicator is required for opening and closing the leg bands (exception size 24 and up – you can use slip joint pliers)
New – 1242-22S has been made in a shorter height for roosters.
Federal band sizes and hard metal Butt-End Bands are available for those who require it.

Adjustable Leg Bands

Atlas Seal Style 305A & 305AL (Aluminum) and 305ABR (Brass)
- Our most popular permanent sealed leg band, can be adjusted before closing to three different sizes.
Other adjustable leg bands are available for small species such as quail. Click the Adjustable Leg Band link above to view the styles available.

Plastic Leg Bands

Spirals (Styles 2104 – 2116) and Bandettes (Styles 905-914)
Both are made from a plastic material and they will coil around the leg.
Bandettes are available numbered,
Sizes 7, 9, 11, 12: Numbering from 1 to 200
Sizes 5, 6, 14: Numbering from 1 to 100

Other Leg Band Styles

Lock-On Bands
- Aluminum lock-on bands have a tab that folds over and can be sealed using pliers.
- These bands are usually used for birds of prey such as vultures, bald eagles, and raptors.

Rivet Bands
- Use pop rivets and a pop rivet gun to seal the rivet band around the bird’s leg
- These bands are usually used for birds of prey such as vultures, bald eagles, and raptors.