I was telling someone recently at a chicken swap my newest method to help me identify my chicks as they hatch, especially when I have a batch of different breeds incubating at the same time. They told me it was a good idea and to post and share it so here goes!
I have been collecting straws from various eating establishments, (each one seems to have different colored/striped straws)plus I got some plain white ones that I have been coloring with Sharpie markers in solids and stripes of colors. I cut these into small rings about 1/8" to 1/4" tall. I make a colored "key" chart to correspond to each color ring and write down which breed has which color on.
I know a lot of folks probably can tell one chick breed form another as soon as they dry off, but for some this method would make it so easy. Sometimes the bands can be slid CAREFULLY over the foot if you have experience with closed banding birds and the chick is small enough. ( I only hatch bantam breeds, so this works great for them). If you cant slide the ring over the foot you can split it and then put it on the little leg.
IMPORTANT: remember to check the band everyday because as the chick grows you dont want to cut off the circulation to the leg, or use the cut rings so it will fall off and by that time the chick should be feathered enough to identify. Another thing I try, emphasis on the owrd TRY to do is take pics on my digital camera of the chick on a piece of paper with the name written on it and update this as the chick grows till I can tell what breed it clearly is. I decided to do this with my last hathces (when I am lucky enough to get them to hatch) because it amazes me of the color changes from down to feathers! Hope this can help spmeone like it did for me!
ETA: Burger King has these large diameter straws they use for some chunky shake drink and I aksed the lady for a few for my chickens! She looked at me like I was nuts, which I think I am sometimes!!! They would work for LF chicks.
I have been collecting straws from various eating establishments, (each one seems to have different colored/striped straws)plus I got some plain white ones that I have been coloring with Sharpie markers in solids and stripes of colors. I cut these into small rings about 1/8" to 1/4" tall. I make a colored "key" chart to correspond to each color ring and write down which breed has which color on.
I know a lot of folks probably can tell one chick breed form another as soon as they dry off, but for some this method would make it so easy. Sometimes the bands can be slid CAREFULLY over the foot if you have experience with closed banding birds and the chick is small enough. ( I only hatch bantam breeds, so this works great for them). If you cant slide the ring over the foot you can split it and then put it on the little leg.
IMPORTANT: remember to check the band everyday because as the chick grows you dont want to cut off the circulation to the leg, or use the cut rings so it will fall off and by that time the chick should be feathered enough to identify. Another thing I try, emphasis on the owrd TRY to do is take pics on my digital camera of the chick on a piece of paper with the name written on it and update this as the chick grows till I can tell what breed it clearly is. I decided to do this with my last hathces (when I am lucky enough to get them to hatch) because it amazes me of the color changes from down to feathers! Hope this can help spmeone like it did for me!
ETA: Burger King has these large diameter straws they use for some chunky shake drink and I aksed the lady for a few for my chickens! She looked at me like I was nuts, which I think I am sometimes!!! They would work for LF chicks.
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