Do you mark your chick and is so how?

[OurSweetLabs]

Do you mark your chicks in any way to help tell them apart, we have chicks about to hatch and some from cackle and would love to put them together, but at the same time want to know who from our birds and who is from them.

 

[ButchGood]

I heard some people talking about a tiny drop of food coloring. Seems safe to me.

 

[AnimalCrazed]

I know some use toe punching, but if yours are a light color food coloring or a non toxic Crayola marker should do the trick! you might have to re-apply when they feather out a little. And don't use the color red, the others will be drawn to the color and might peck the poor chick!

 

[Dingo]

You could put a ziptie on the leg, or something similar as a leg band. I use colored zip ties, they work fine.

 

[AnimalCrazed]

I often wondered about that!! Good idea!

 

[tweetysvoice]

I put food coloring (blue) on the back neck of one of my chickies so I could tell her apart from the other delaware in the group. She's 3 1/2 weeks old and I've only had to reapply it once. Just used a cottonswab to apply it the second time, cuz the first - my fingers were blue for a few days! LOL

 

[heybarb]

We have 4 chicks that all look the same...so we used food coloring - blue & green. I agree with using the cotton swab, I ended up with color all over me!!

 

[UtahChickenDad]

I used colored zipties but had to change they a few times as they got older, after week 5 was able to use split ring colored bands I picked up at feed store.

 

[ButchGood]

I have 2 different breeds Buff Orps and Australorps. 6 hens of each. So Im going to get 6 different color leg bands or zip ties. The rooster will be the only rooster so no band for him.

 

[AnimalCrazed]

I just tryed it on my BO! I still have a green finger though, cause I stroked her till she was dry!