Bands (or marking) for baby chicks

[redinator]

I currently have 5 baby chicks (2 weeks old tomorrow) and 3 are giving off rooster vibes. I'd like to band the ones I believe to be male so I can still identify them after they get more feathers. The problem is I have 2 pairs (a pair of black and cream chicks, and a pair of chipmunk stripped chicks) and a single (the 5th chick is a the only yellow one). The two with chipmunk stripes I can tell apart pretty easily because one is friendlier than the other. The two black chicks look almost identical except one is a tiny bit smaller and has fewer feathers coming in and neither one likes being handled. In a week I may not be able to tell the two apart.
Any suggestions on how to mark one of the black chicks for easier identification would be great, also nothing that would stand out and cause it to be harassed by the others.
Thanks in advance.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I currently have 5 baby chicks (2 weeks old tomorrow) and 3 are giving off rooster vibes. I'd like to band the ones I believe to be male so I can still identify them after they get more feathers. The problem is I have 2 pairs (a pair of black and cream chicks, and a pair of chipmunk stripped chicks) and a single (the 5th chick is a the only yellow one). The two with chipmunk stripes I can tell apart pretty easily because one is friendlier than the other. The two black chicks look almost identical except one is a tiny bit smaller and has fewer feathers coming in and neither one likes being handled. In a week I may not be able to tell the two apart.
Any suggestions on how to mark one of the black chicks for easier identification would be great, also nothing that would stand out and cause it to be harassed by the others.
Thanks in advance.

I use colored zipties... 4" for the littles. My birds don't pay attention to any colors including red.

 

[redinator]

I use colored zipties... 4" for the littles. My birds don't pay attention to any colors including red.

I actually have some Velcro ones that might work and it will be easier to resize as it grows. Thanks

 

[NatJ]

Any suggestions on how to mark one of the black chicks for easier identification would be great, also nothing that would stand out and cause it to be harassed by the others.

As a temporary measure, you could put food coloring or permanent marker on a light-colored area of the down. For black chicks, that would probably be in the chest/belly area. For chipmunk chicks, the light stripes on the back are also a possible place to put it.

For longer-term marking, I agree with the suggestion of zip ties. Just remember to check them occasionally, and change them before they get too tight. If you re-home a chick, I would probably take off the zip tie so there's no chance of it getting too tight at the new home.

 

[redinator]

As a temporary measure, you could put food coloring or permanent marker on a light-colored area of the down. For black chicks, that would probably be in the chest/belly area. For chipmunk chicks, the light stripes on the back are also a possible place to put it.

For longer-term marking, I agree with the suggestion of zip ties. Just remember to check them occasionally, and change them before they get too tight. If you re-home a chick, I would probably take off the zip tie so there's no chance of it getting too tight at the new home.

It's mostly the two black ones I have trouble telling apart and can barely handle because they're so skittish. I ended up using a bread tie fit loosely... I tried the velcro ziptip but it came loose. I didn't want to use an actual ziptie since these chicks are so difficult to handle trying to cut it off later could be an issue. The bread tie is a thin wire that I can snip quickly and easily.

 

[Slothinc]

With my last batch of chicks I had several that looked identical, and tried several different things. I hate using zip ties because I always have a hard time cutting them off and being scared I will cut the chick on accident. But this time I found the best solution. Braces rubber bands! I bought these ones, and I got the medium weight 3/8” size. https://a.co/d/6L9lWTq

They were only $3 and have held up amazingly well. The only thing I didn’t love is that there are only 4 colors. Purple, green, orange and red. But if you don’t need more colors than that, it has worked super well for me.

 

[Slothinc]

Here’s a pic showing the band on the chick. They are about 8 weeks old now and only like 1 or 2 bands have fallen off during that time. And super easy to take off when needed.

 

[NatJ]

Here’s a pic showing the band on the chick. They are about 8 weeks old now and only like 1 or 2 bands have fallen off during that time. And super easy to take off when needed.

That's a good idea!

If they occasionally fall off, one workaround is to use extra bands. Instead of just one band on one chick, put bands on both legs of that chick (same color) or on one leg of each chick (different colors for different chicks) or even both legs of each chick (again, different colors for different chicks.) That way when one band falls off, you can look at the others to see which band is missing and replace it, and you aren't wondering which chick is which.

 

[AusHen]

I use flat coil bands. easy to put on and take off and since they are coiled they can expand with the chick, meaning I can go week's before needing to upsize (I still check regularly). I use them from hatch to adult

 

[NatJ]

I didn't want to use an actual ziptie since these chicks are so difficult to handle trying to cut it off later could be an issue. The bread tie is a thin wire that I can snip quickly and easily.

Maybe practice cutting zip ties a few times? The thin little ones are pretty easy if you use the right tools.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/
This article has a photo of what one person finds useful for cutting zip ties.

I might be more worried about the bread tie having sharp ends, or getting pulled tighter by mistake. Being thinner, it would be more of a problem if it does get too tight. As long as you cut off the loose end of a zip tie, they do not seem to get pulled tighter.