Chick ID'ing: nail polish/marker/food coloring

[Maeschak]

Does anyone have experience ID'ing baby chicks with nail polish, sharpie, food coloring, or something similar?

I have several one-week old chicks that I'd like to keep track of over the next few weeks, but decided zip tie banding would be onerous at this age/size. I only need to keep track of the chicks for about the next 3 weeks (they will be big enough at that time to band if I still feel the need).

I have 26 chicks so it needs to be able to be done quickly- I was thinking maybe nail polish on their leg (or sharpie), or nail polish/food coloring on the back of their heads (bc its the last area to lose the down).

Does anyone have any advice? It doesn't need to be bomb proof- I just had several chicks with interesting markings at birth and want to see how they express as they feather in.

Thanks so much!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

don't do nail polish! mine ate it!!!!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

don't do nail polish! mine ate it!!!!

 

[Maeschak]

don't do nail polish! mine ate it!!!!

Like, they ate it off of their legs or toes or fuzz? Or they dove head first into the nail polish bottle like they haven't eaten in a week?

Can I ask what color you used?

 

[lingon]

We used the tiny elastic bands made for making bracelets, twice around. The trouble came when they grew too big for that and we tried to have it once around and it came off and they all ate them. But so far they’ve made it OK.
Perhaps they could’ve gone longer because they are stretchy, but we were very stressed out chick mothers.
It took 2 people, one to stretch the band and one to hold the chick. But pretty fast - with nail polish you’d have to dry it somehow before releasing the chick, I think?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Like, they ate it off of their legs or toes or fuzz? Or they dove head first into the nail polish bottle like they haven't eaten in a week?

Can I ask what color you used?

off their nails. i tried using black nail polish, because it seemed the most natural and a very very dark blue and a dark green. i used dollar store thick rubber hair bands like the ones for making bracelets, so far it has worked well, you would just have to Really watch them. the only trouble is they have come off it their feet are still small enough.

 

[Maeschak]

We used the tiny elastic bands made for making bracelets, twice around. The trouble came when they grew too big for that and we tried to have it once around and it came off and they all ate them. But so far they’ve made it OK.
Perhaps they could’ve gone longer because they are stretchy, but we were very stressed out chick mothers.
It took 2 people, one to stretch the band and one to hold the chick. But pretty fast - with nail polish you’d have to dry it somehow before releasing the chick, I think?

Dang, didn't think about having to dry the nail polish... And I certainly didn't think about the chicks eating the nail polish!

Thanks for the elastic band advice, but I don't think that will work for me just bc I will be doing it alone and I'm not sure I'll be able to monitor the size of everyone's band appropriately every day.

 

[lingon]

Food coloring dye in the down? Shouldn’t hurt if they eat it. Or beet juice?

 

[Maeschak]

Food coloring dye in the down? Shouldn’t hurt if they eat it. Or beet juice?

Yeah, I'm starting to think that might be my best option-

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

i would use food dye or naturel dyes!