Can I paint my chickens nails?

[EggWalrus]

SPRAY PAINT THEM!
Get a spray bottle like used for misting plants (or an old glass cleaner bottle, cleaned out well),
get a couple different colors of food coloring. Catch them, get them upside down by their legs and spray paint them. I do it every Easter with our silkies and it hasn't hurt them yet. Don't forget to get under the wings or they will look funny. Last year I did a few in different colors. Pink body, blue wings,yellow tails, and purple necks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

SPRAY PAINT THEM!
Get a spray bottle like used for misting plants (or an old glass cleaner bottle, cleaned out well),
get a couple different colors of food coloring. Catch them, get them upside down by their legs and spray paint them. I do it every Easter with our silkies and it hasn't hurt them yet. Don't forget to get under the wings or they will look funny. Last year I did a few in different colors. Pink body, blue wings,yellow tails, and purple necks.

Tie-dyed chickens! Bet that slowed traffic down!

 

[EggWalrus]

Tie-dyed chickens! Bet that slowed traffic down!

I have people stopping and taking pics and others wanting to buy the pretty "Easter Chickens". The food coloring usually last a couple months (up to 6) depending on how much rain they play in. I've even had people wanting to know if it's natural once the colors start to fade some. It's always good for some laughs!

 

[EggWalrus]

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6f/50/b4/...a7578a479--silkie-chickens-fancy-chickens.jpg

https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.27509969.8170/flat,1000x1000,075,f.u1.jpg

 

[aart]

I use zipties.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/

 

[Ridgerunner]

We got two Productions Reds and one RIR. They got big and now look the SAME. I want to paint their nails with regular nail polish to tell who’s who, it shouldn’t be harmful or anything right?

I don't think it would be harmful, as others said they have done it to mark chicks. Just have then in a well-ventilated area for a few minutes until it dries. I don't know how often you'd have to repeat it as it will wear off.

Hatcheries will sometimes mark chicks for you if you are getting breeds that look a lot alike as chicks. A typical method is a spot of food coloring on the head. Food coloring won't hurt them. I don't know how well this would suit you, some people might find it unattractive. But you might mark them with different colors or mark different areas with the same color. I'd expect it to last until they molt, though you'll need to pay attention on when to reapply. I don't have experience with that.

You say they are big but they may not have stopped growing. Their legs can continue to get thicker as they age, even after they are big. I've used those colored hard plastic spiral leg bands but didn't like them much. You have to check them so they don't get tight, but you have to do that with zip ties too. My problem with these is that it can be hard to put them on or take off with my arthritic fingers. You'd need to buy a pack of a lot and there is the issue of what size to get. It is certainly not where one size fits all.

I settled on colored zip ties as my preferred method. They are pretty easy to put on and adjust for size, so one size fits all. They are not that hard to just cut off if they need to be replaced. I've used red and not had any pecking issues but you can use other colors. You should be able to find some at the hardware store. I prefer the 7" and clip off the excess but the smaller ones could work. You can get more than one color or put a band on the left leg of one the right leg of another, and either none or both of the third.

I don't know what is your best solution. Any of these can work.

 

[FortCluck]

We got two Productions Reds and one RIR. They got big and now look the SAME. I want to paint their nails with regular nail polish to tell who’s who, it shouldn’t be harmful or anything right?

You can buy leg tags for them that arecolored at a feed store or online. It will last longer than nail polish that will chip off within a day due to them digging with their nails all day

 

[Willowspirit]

Nail polish from Ella +Mika is gentle and safe as is their non acetone remover. They have all kinds of interesting colors as well.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I have people stopping and taking pics and others wanting to buy the pretty "Easter Chickens". The food coloring usually last a couple months (up to 6) depending on how much rain they play in. I've even had people wanting to know if it's natural once the colors start to fade some. It's always good for some laughs!

Anything that makes people like chickens more is fine with me. That being said, the meanest rooster I have ever had was one of those dyed Easter chicks about 50 years ago. It was a White Leghorn rooster and he was the devil himself. My sister and I could not even go outside in the yard because he would stalk us. I was not sad when some predator got him.

 

[tn_artist]

This thread brings a question to mind. If using leg bands or zip ties, do you put them on differently for feather legged birds? My Cochins have such heavy feathering, I'm not sure I would see the band without having to pick them up and search.