identification tags

[FreeRange Drulie]

We don't have a large flock, but we have enough barred rocks to not be able to remember each.

So we were thinking about identification bracelets. But I don't know much about them so I wanted some advice.

The questions I have

What is the best type? I don't want them to hurt or even effect my hens, I want to just be like a bracelet

Size?

How much I should be paying?

How do you get them on?

ect

 

[patandchickens]

the plastic spiral bandettes might work for you.

I am cheap, though, and I use multicolored plastic zip-ties

I wait til the pullets are well-grown so I don't have to worry about cutting 'em off and replacing with larger sizes. I leave them a little bit loose, not so much they could get it stuck on something (note: these are not free-ranging chickens, which may make a difference) but enough that it can move freely up and down the ankle a little bit. I have not had any problems so far, and lots of people have been doing this for WAY longer than I have and say it works fine.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[AmyRey]

We have plastic zipties on our four girls, because we have the same issue you do... all the same breed.

Since we only had black, I have one chicken with a band on her right foot, one with a band on her left foot, one with bands on both feet and one with no bands.

They're loose enough that they slide up and down the leg, but not loose enough that something could get under them and catch. I check them about once a week, but haven't had to replace them yet.

They work like a charm and the girls haven't minded a bit.

 

[Pathfinders]

You can buy numbered bandettes at any number of poultry supply places. My favorite is Poultryman Supply, and you can get bands from him here:

http://www.poultrymansupply.com/2007Legbands.htm

Scroll down to the numbered bandettes.

 

[adkchickmama]

We had the same trouble when we got our first babies. One BO one Redstar and easy to tell apart but 6 were Blk Australorps and all looked the same. I looked at many websites but they had 100 in a bag or all the same color and I only needed a few. Once they were about 16 -18 weeks old I banded them with different color hairbands. These were the plastic ones for little girls, solid colors, yellow, pink, purple, green, white, blue. They came in a package of 3 sizes and the middle siize was just right for their legs. loose enough to move up and down , and bright enough to tell which bird I was looking at. I caught each bird and held them on their sides. Stretched the elastic around 3 of my fingers and slipped it over their foot. It shrinks back up to stay on . It made for easy ID when I needed to pick up a particular bird for care. I bought them at Wal-Mart.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I just received some new adult buckeyes... they have the wing bands on them. They are very small and they stay hidden, easy to put on, and don't fall off like leg bands do.

Also leg bands if they are not rugged will take a beating from the birds daily activities.

 

[Pathfinders]

Congratulations on your new Buckeyes! Will you be showing them? From whom did you get them? Tell all.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I got them from Jeanette Beranger, there was a seminar held here in Ohio and she brought them for me to start raising....

As far as show, I will leave that up to the pros. I intend to breed them for broiler use... will be trying to get them ready in about 12 weeks (3.5-4 lbs)

Here is a link of the article:

http://www.cleveland.com/taste/index.ssf/2009/06/local_farmers_want_to_bring_bu.html