Duck safe coloring for vent?

[zooweemama]

haha Weird right? I have 11 ducks. They are all 26 and 29 weeks old. I only get 5 eggs a day. Never 6. Today I kept them locked up nearly all day to see if any were a layin' elsewhere in the yard. No other eggs showed up in the coop. I would like to identify which duck is laying. So at night I would like to put something on the vent of one or two females and see if those 2 are laying. So I can rule out the layers and non layers. It would take me several days to accomplish this. Each duck is named but we have almost 2 of each breed so it's really varied and the eggs are all a cream color.

So is there anything safe that I could put on their vents so that it would mark the egg identifying which ducks were laying? I cannot think of how else to figure out who my non-layers are. Any other ideas that you can think? I cannot sit out there for hours watching to see who lays what...there has to be some way.

Thanks!

 

[Kevin565]

Down here people just use different colors of cheap lipstick. Will they have access to swimming water during your observation?

 

[zooweemama]

Down here people just use different colors of cheap lipstick. Will they have access to swimming water during your observation?

Yes- I generally let them out at 10am but usually all 5 eggs our laid before 8am. I was thinking to mark them the night before. I would hope that whatever I used would be off by the next night though lol- so I don't get any more marked eggs. Lipstick is a great idea- didn't even think of it. I was starting to get a little paranoid about my question. I was thinking surely I cannot be the first to need to vent mark! haha With chickens- I remember reading that you can have some sort of contraption that won't let the hen out after she lays her egg so you can see who is laying etc But I cannot do that with a duck.

 

[Kevin565]

Metzer's had a really great article on how to tell if someone was laying my measuring the space inbetween their pelvis. I'll see if I can dig it up.

 

[Valntyn]

Down here people just use different colors of cheap lipstick. Will they have access to swimming water during your observation?

I'm torn between laughing like an immature teenager (no offense meant to any teenagers here) or applauding the creativity of using lipstick. I have to admit though... it's late & I've had a long day...so....

Tomorrow I'll applaud. Right now I'm all a'giggle.

 

[Kevin565]

Here it is:

http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-do-i-know-which-of-my-ducks-are.html

 

[Kevin565]

I'm torn between laughing like an immature teenager (no offense meant to any teenagers here) or applauding the creativity of using lipstick. I have to admit though... it's late & I've had a long day...so....

Tomorrow I'll applaud. Right now I'm all a'giggle.

 

[Valntyn]

Here it is:

http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-do-i-know-which-of-my-ducks-are.html

Interesting! Thanks for posting this, Kevin!

 

[Kevin565]

Interesting! Thanks for posting this, Kevin!

I hope it helps someone out!

For alternatives to lipstick one person used nail polish. However, I would think that would be rather hard to get off of feathers. I would think waterproof eye shadow could be a alternative as well.

 

[KrisH]

Down here people just use different colors of cheap lipstick. Will they have access to swimming water during your observation?

Could I just put them back in my wife's purse when done? would I have to tell her?

RobertH