How to tell them apart

[dashonna82]

I love the coloring on the eyes and back of my red star chicks. Will they still have the black eye and back markings when all their feathers come in? How do you tell your chickens apart?

 

[3riverschick]

I love the coloring on the eyes and back of my red star chicks. Will they still have the black eye and back markings when all their feathers come in? How do you tell your chickens apart?

No they will not. This chipmunk striping in the chicks means they are based on the e+ locus. It's also called wildtype. Lovely chicks! They will be some tone of red or brown when they grow up. A locus is the basic "canvas" upon which the color and patterning genes paint and modify the color which make the adult pattern. e+ is the original color of chickens. That's why it is called the "wildtype". It's my favorite locus too. The other chick looks to be yellow? If so, it may be based on the eWh locus ( Wheaten) . It will turn a bunch of colors depending on what other color genes you can't see while the chick has chick down. either white , yellow , some kind of brown or red tone when it grows up.
You can buy small leg rings for them. Most folk just buy some kind of ID ring which slips over their foot and encircles their leg. The chicks don't mind. You replace them with bigger sizes as they chicks grow.
Just search this forum for "leg rings" or "identifying chicks" and you will get a bunch of articles.

Enjoy your chicks, they are cuties!
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[dashonna82]

Thank you so much Karen for the explanation. The yellow one is a buff orphington, so I will be able to identify her. I was sure hoping some of the chipmunk coloring would stay. Gonna look into some rings for my red stars now.