How big will my chickens' legs grow?

[PunkinPeep]

I have been wanting to mark my 2 month old b.o.'s since i have such a hard time telling them apart.

The leg bands aren't available in our area, so i decided to try using zip ties that i colored with permanent marker.

I was thinking that i could put them on loosely to give them room to grow.

How much more should i expect their little legs to grow?

Can i put the zip ties on loose and reasonably expect to keep from having to replace them for a few months?

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

you know as chickens legs grow the zip ties will eat into the legs and ruin the leg if not watched closely
it is a lot of work to pick them up every few days

at maturity they will them be left loose so it doesn't eat in to the leg

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
right, i understand that they will grow. but that's why i want to put them on loosely.

i edited my original question so maybe it's more clear.

how much are they going to grow (their legs)?

and how loose can i afford to fit the zip ties?

thanks, beth

 

[Tala]

Well I put them on so lose that I could have pulled them off if I put their toes in, but the chicks never lost them.

I put em on when they were less than 2 weeks old, they are over 3 weeks now and I'm going to change them just as soon as I can get DH to hold them down for me (he's asleep right now)
Since I only have 2 chicks wearing them, and my chicks are more like pets I handle them a lot, it's no problem for me to check them every day.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
they're now 3 years old? or 3 months?

 

[Tala]

3 weeks! sorry!

photo dated 4/20 chicks were 10 days old:

pretty loose

Today they looked like this (top legs) photo dated 5/3 chicks are 23 days old:

Pix taken only 13 days apart so in the beginning you have to change them pretty often.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Oh!

Thank you very much, Tala!

That is very helpful information.