Easter egg dye on chicks

[CityGirlintheCountry]

So I have 6 white silkie chicks that are about 4 weeks old. I can't even begin to tell those little suckers apart. One little white fuzzy thing looks like another. I was thinking to use a Q-tip and dap a spot of each color out of the dye kit on the chick's topknot. Can you think of any reason this would be bad for them? Theoretically the dye is food safe and if my fingers were any indication, it is relatively permanent. I don't want to hurt them for sure, but I would like to be able to identify them individually.

Thanks!
edited to add that I don't particularly want to leg band them if I can avoid it. Zip ties can be sharp and I imagine it would be aggrevating to the chicks.

 

[addicted2chicks]

I am pretty sure it would be fine since people and hatcheries dye their chicks for Easter.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Yes, it would be fine.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I thought it should be, but you just never know. I'll try it tomorrow and see if it takes. I think two of them are really friendly, but it could possibly be just one that's really zippy. I want to know who is being sweet and who is the froot loop before I get ready to rehome some of them.
Stay tuned for colored mohawks.

 

[lceh]

You probably have thought of this, but I'm guessing you should avoid using red dye in case the others start pecking at her thinking it's a wound.
Please post how this turns out! I have the same identification problem, and I can pick up an Easter egg dye kit for 75% off these days....

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Yeah, I actually thought of that this morning when I had the brilliant idea to just use some red raspberry drink mix this morning. I had it all mixed up and then remembered the whole red thing. I ended up using BluKote dots on various body parts. Seems to be working so far.

(Just so you know, they REALLY mean it when they say that BlueKote is permanent. I got it all over my fingers and even fingernail polish wouldn't take it off. I am very purple tonight.)

 

[farmin'chick]

Sugar free kool-aid works for dye, too.

 

[Mikhail]

You mean food coloring? The stuff you dye eggs with? yeah, that's fine. It isn't toxic and it stays for a pretty long time.

 

[Im4Eggcellence]

Hmmm... I hate to be a spoil sport, but I'd be cautious here. What makes you think pecking would only be a problem with a red spot. I would be concerned that ANY small spot might be an attraction for pecking.

I'd go slow, maybe try it on one chick and make sure it's removable, and watch them closely at first.

 

[Nicola]

i food colouring on my chicks jut a patch on the back of their neck one green and one blue and one with no colour.
it come off when their big feathers come in and it does fade a bit but coes off when they loose their baby feathers