How To easily identify individual chickens?

[DENALI]

I am thinking i might have an egg eater I caught all the hens in the coop midday yesterday and thought something was going on so i went out and checked to see them all fighting over an egg shell, what was left of it anyway. I am hoping that maybe one just got broke accidentally and they all partook in a one time treat. But if not i want to stop it right now. Anyhow is there something out there that i can mark the chickens with that is highly visible besides a tiny leg band? I am going to move one of my home surveillance cameras to the coop and aim it at the nest box's and see if i can find the one who is doing this if it is indeed a re occurring thing.
Thanks for any input

 

[Katy]

Once it gets started it's almost impossible to get them to quit. Collecting the eggs frequently sometimes helps. I've heard some people rotate isolating hens to see if it stops when certain ones are penned up.

 

[DENALI]

Well i am going to catch her/them on camera. I just need to identify each one individually first. They are all RIR's so basically they all look like the same RIR except baldy with her bald head. I have been checking for eggs every hour or so today to try to keep it from happening again. Out of sight out of mind hopefully. I am also going to raise my nesting buckets up off the floor tomorrow to just above their eye level so they cant see an egg in there without hopping up into the nest. Again hopefully out of sight out of mind comes into play.
If i cant come up with anything i am thinking of painting one feather on each wing of each bird a different color to identify them individually.

 

[DENALI]

Anyone else have any input?? Thanks

 

[llamatrnr]

Try different colors, toes, feet, bright toenail polish. left foot, 2 toes red, right foot, 1 toe blue, inside toe, outermost toe etc. Don't know how long the colors would last, but that"s what I'm going to try with my10 idendtical chicks...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Try different colors, toes, feet, bright toenail polish. left foot, 2 toes red, right foot, 1 toe blue, inside toe, outermost toe etc. Don't know how long the colors would last, but that"s what I'm going to try with my10 idendtical chicks...

Welcome to BYC!

Wow, this thread is really old.. but you got some good ideas.

I'm gonna suggest something a little simpler and a lot safer for chicks.. try food coloring, it's non toxic (unlike most nail polish) .. just a drop.. some can get it on the head or some on the back.. or any combination thereof.. and as they start to molt it out just a simple refresh. Probably easiest with with white or light colored chicks/birds.

Hope you enjoy the community and that your chicks thrive!