Can't tell them apart

DeborahLynne14

In the Brooder
Apr 6, 2015
21
1
24
Watson, Louisiana
Ok - I HATE to admit this - but I am a terrible chicken mama. I can't tell my leghorns apart.
I have 1 Rhode Island Red and 5 White Leghorns. They all have names but I don't know who is who.
I didn't want to mark them in any way so they wouldn't peck each other.
The RIR is Ruby
Somebody is Pearl - one is Jane another is Annie Laura and someone else is Hazel (all in memory of passed loved ones) The last little chickie is Bertie.
I got them on Good Friday when they were a couple days old so they are about 6 weeks old now.
If you have any tips or tricks let me know and please tell me I am not the only one.
I feel awful!
 
Don't feel bad. Many breeds (especially solid colored birds) are nearly impossible to tell apart. There are plenty of marking options that won't lead to any sort of pecking, etc - also, once you do mark them you will be able to tell who is who and then other traits - such as personality, sound of their voice, etc - will become easier to recognize and, before you know it, you will be able to know who is who w/out needing the markings to tell you.
 
I had 5 chicks that were identical. I marked them with drops of food coloring on their heads. No one pecked at each other (even the one with red dye on her head wasn't pecked--as soon as I used the red dye I thought i'd made a mistake but nope, they could care less). They stayed marked until they feathered out and now I can tell them apart by small differences in their coloring/behavior.

It is true once you mark them, differences will start to emerge. I have one total lunatic chicken. She's nuts. Without the mark I would have thought they all were prone to looney behavior from time to time. Nope, just her.
 
I just bought little mini zip-ties, in every color I could find, to put on the ankles of my lavender orpingtons. I realize I will have to change them often as they grow. I did it so that I could take pics, and then look back to figure out what traits indicate male/female, after they grow and I know which sex they are. Now I will just have to associate a name to a color somehow! I guess the red one is now named Ruby!
 

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