It looked as if the wire ties were directly on the birds tarsus. I have seen ppl do that and have to remove it and go to a leather bewit. The plastic wore a sore spot on the leg. I found a rememdy for that called the "D Be Wit" They work well.
Ya'll try this for waterproofing/conditioning your jesses. I use them on the jesses i make and Zach's, made last October, Look and feel like new. These products are sold by REI for use on hiking boots. I use it all the time and my boots last for years and they never leak. Nickwax conditioner and Nickwax waterproofing.http://www.rei.com/online/store/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=4501302&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1&seq=1&sort=1