How to tell chickens apart??

[Folly's place]

That's right, don't use red. Watch that the bands stay in place and don't get too small, whatever type you use. One of my cocks had a band go up over his hock and cause a serious wound; not a reason to not use them, but make sure no issues develop. Mary

 

[ShockValue]

After reading pros and cons, I decided to try the cable/zip-ties. I'm cheap, and if it didn't work out, I was only out a couple bucks.
They've been on for a couple months now and have had no problems. No pecking, nothing getting caught, etc.

Here they are on day 1 of their new anklets




Blue - Etta
Yellow - Tori
Orange - P.J.
Pink - Nina

I CAN tell them apart if they hold still and I'm close enough to study them. But with the bands I can look across the yard and see who is coming out of the coop at just a glance. I like them. Sometimes the orange and pink are hard to tell apart, but the green/yellow was worse in the package I got.

 

[Rainier]

We use neon zip ties. We found it easier to tell some colors apart from a distance with the neon. So far everyone has left theirs on and no one is picking at them. We use them on chicks as well.

 

[Blooie]

I resorted to pony tail hair ties......not being able to tell the girls apart was driving me crazy. Surprise, surprise - they work great, stay on, come in lots of colors and are easy to snip off if I need to.

 

[Studio2770]

I use zip ties, much cheaper and easier to find then leg bands and you don't have to buy different sizes. The chickens, ducks and turkeys don't peck at them, but I read not to use red bands.

One of my hens has a red leg band and no one pecks at it. I mean, their combs are pink to red sometimes and they don't go after each other's comb and wattles. Our leg bands are the same size, we just tightened them to how thick each hen's leg was.

 

[Janis R]

glad to hear that chickens don't peck at red bands

 

[Chickem707]

Anyone tried nail varnish?

 

[Killer Tomato]

Anyone tried nail varnish?

No, but I love it! lol!

We used a green Sharpie, and drew a big dot on one of the two Leghorns, on her tail. We called it her "Tramp Stamp". Before that we just called them, "Brittany or Tiffany, I dunno, one of the White Chicks."

 

[Chickem707]

No, but I love it! lol!

We used a green Sharpie, and drew a big dot on one of the two Leghorns, on her tail. We called it her "Tramp Stamp". Before that we just called them, "Brittany or Tiffany, I dunno, one of the White Chicks."

Good idea! Unfortunately wouldn’t show up on my Cream Legbars!

 

[Killer Tomato]

No, a Sharpie tattoo wouldn't work for the Cream Legbars! They need a little bling on their ankles, I guess.