How can I seperate eggs for the hatch??

[Mom2Munchkins]

Quote:
ok, now you really have me thinking.... I couldn't ever "toe punch" but if I marked a foot or leg with a sharpie, would it really stay for awhile??

 

[Tailfeathers]

Hi,

I recently encountered the same problem. I am hatching Ameraucanas from four separate breeding pens in a Sportsman 1502. I called all over the place looking for some of those things that come in cardboard boxes as dividers.

You know the type. They fold flat but they open up in an accordian-fashion and create a bunch of little boxes when open. Well, I have yet to find anything so I wound up fashioning one myself using strips of cardboard and duct tape. As Red says, "Finished the job the Handy Man's way!" Worked like a charm too except that I was a bit concerned about a couple of the connections giving way and letting the chicks get mixed up so I pulled those out before they could.

Now I am having a friend of mine from church fabricate me a similiar thing out of metal so I can just place it in the hatching tray and not worry about it.

Hope that helps.

God Bless,

 

[catwalk]

I sexed some white rabbits for my niece last summer, and we marked the male with a Crayola marker. Just colored some of the fur on his back. I don't know how long it lasted because he got loose and ran away. Sharpie should last at least long enough to get them into separate brooders. The trick is whether or not it will stick in the first place.

What about a dot of nail color on their backs? Just on the tip of their down.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
I'd recommend doing some research into toe punching. I just toe punched 30 some chicks. It doesn't hurt them at all, there is almost never any bleeding, and it's a sure fire way to keep them easily identified no matter what their age is without having to worry about changing leg bands as they get older or having one come off. I've never had anything pierced but I imagine it ain't much different than having ones ears pierced.

Also, this may already be understood but marking the chicks after they've hatched doesn't solve the problem of keeping them separate in the incubator or hatching tray until you can mark them.

God Bless,