- Nov 7, 2013
- 19
- 2
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The easiest way I have found to identify each and every bird in my flock is to use Zip Ties. The main reason I chose zip ties is that they are very cheap. They are also available in many different colors. I personally would stay away from the striped multi colored ones as well as the magenta and other weird colors. Stick to the basic colors, white, black, green, blue, red, yellow. I went with Yellow, Red, Green and Blue for my flock. There are also many different sizes of Zip Ties to choose from and here again i went for the least expensive ones that I could find and those were 4 inch Ties which are plenty long enough to go around any chickens leg. I do not put these ties on any young birds, the birds will soon out grow the tie and the Zip Tie will become a part of the bird. If you have a small flock you can change the Zip Ties every week or so to keep up with the birds expanding leg but that's to much work for me. When I need to mark chicks I use a toe punch, It's Fast easy and does the job. Once the chicks grow up I will band them with Zip Ties simply because I can identify each bird at a distance. Leave the Zip Ties loose !!!! replace them every year, or they will rot and fall off.
The zip ties are not just thrown on the birds in any random order, they must be put on with a lot of organization and record keeping then becomes a easy task for each bird. This is how my system works.
1. Single Zip tie identifier
Always Start with the chickens Left leg. I do this because we read from left to right. A chicken in my flock with the color green zip tie on it's left leg is simply referred to as Left green. A chicken with a green zip tie on it's Right leg is called Right green.
2.Two Zip tie identifier
A chicken with a green band on his left leg and a red one on his right leg would be referred to as my green red chicken. The first color always being the left leg and the later color being the right leg. You could put two bands on the same leg but I have found that when I did that, I couldn't remember when I got back to the house which leg the bands were on. So for me I find my system better.
3. Three Zip tie Identifier
To use three Zip ties just like before I always start with the left leg. lets say we put a yellow Zip tie on the left leg and a red one on the right and green one on the left. This would be my yellow, green, red chicken. or my green, yellow, red chicken. The first two colors refer to the left leg and the third color refers to the right leg. Now it is important to say that it is very possible to duplicate colors and end up with two chickens with the same colors on the same leg. so be very careful when setting up your system so you don't have repeating colors. as in green yellow red chicken and yellow green red chicken they both would be the same chicken in my system but if used on two different chickens you would not be able to tell them apart. . In the chart at the bottom of the page i have eliminated all recurring colors and I use this chart to know what new Id to use. In the three Zip tie system I will always have two Zip ties on the left leg and one on the right.. I never have one Zip tie on the left leg and two on the right. it's just easier to remember three colors rather than which leg which color is on.
4. Four Zip tie Identifier
The Four zip tie part of the system works pretty much just like the 3 Zip tie part of the system. Always start with the left leg. So my chicken known as yellow yellow, red blue has two yellows bands on his left leg and a red Zip tie and a blue Zip tie on his right leg. The first two colors always referring to the left leg and the third and forth colors referring to the right leg.
I know where every chicken came from and its history. I can breed for egg color, I know which chickens have the best looking off springs. I know how old each bird is. AND BEST OF ALL my grandson knows which birds are his without me having to guess at it.
This chart show's all the color combinations without repeating the color pattern on more than one bird. Four colors and two legs will identify up to 164 different birds.
Bird # left leg left leg right leg right leg
1 yellow
2 red
3 green
4 blue
5 yellow
6 red
7 green
8 blue
9 yellow yellow
10 yellow red
11 yellow green
12 yellow blue
13 red yellow
14 red red
15 red green
16 red blue
17 green yellow
18 green red
19 green green
20 green blue
21 blue yellow
22 blue red
23 blue green
24 blue blue
25 yellow yellow yellow
26 yellow yellow red
27 yellow yellow green
28 yellow yellow blue
29 yellow red yellow
30 yellow red red
31 yellow red green
32 yellow red blue
33 yellow green yellow
34 yellow green red
35 yellow green green
36 yellow green blue
37 yellow blue yellow
38 yellow blue red
39 yellow blue green
40 yellow blue blue
41 red red yellow
42 red red red
43 red red green
44 red red blue
45 red green yellow
46 red green red
47 red green green
48 red green blue
49 red blue yellow
50 red blue red
51 red blue green
52 red blue blue
53 green green yellow
54 green green red
55 green green green
56 green green blue
57 green blue yellow
58 green blue red
59 green blue green
60 green blue blue
61 blue blue yellow
62 blue blue red
63 blue blue green
64 blue blue blue
65 yellow yellow yellow yellow
66 yellow yellow yellow red
67 yellow yellow yellow green
68 yellow yellow yellow blue
69 yellow yellow red red
70 yellow yellow red green
71 yellow yellow red blue
72 yellow yellow green green
73 yellow yellow green blue
74 yellow yellow blue blue
75 yellow red yellow yellow
76 yellow red yellow red
77 yellow red yellow green
78 yellow red yellow blue
79 yellow red red red
80 yellow red red green
81 yellow red red blue
82 yellow red green green
83 yellow red green blue
84 yellow red blue blue
85 yellow green yellow yellow
86 yellow green yellow red
87 yellow green yellow green
88 yellow green yellow blue
89 yellow green red red
90 yellow green red green
91 yellow green red blue
92 yellow green green green
93 yellow green green blue
94 yellow green blue blue
95 yellow blue yellow yellow
96 yellow blue yellow red
97 yellow blue yellow green
98 yellow blue yellow blue
99 yellow blue red red
100 yellow blue red green
101 yellow blue red blue
102 yellow blue green green
103 yellow blue green blue
104 yellow blue blue blue
105 red red yellow yellow
106 red red yellow red
107 red red yellow green
108 red red yellow blue
109 red red red red
110 red red red green
111 red red red blue
112 red red green green
113 red red green blue
114 red red blue blue
115 red green yellow yellow
116 red green yellow red
117 red green yellow green
118 red green yellow blue
119 red green red red
120 red green red green
121 red green red blue
122 red green green green
123 red green green blue
124 red green blue blue
125 red blue yellow yellow
126 red blue yellow red
127 red blue yellow green
128 red blue yellow blue
129 red blue red red
130 red blue red green
131 red blue red blue
132 red blue green green
133 red blue green blue
134 red blue blue blue
135 green green yellow yellow
136 green green yellow red
137 green green yellow green
138 green green yellow blue
139 green green red red
140 green green red green
141 green green red blue
142 green green green green
143 green green green blue
144 green green blue blue
145 green blue yellow yellow
146 green blue yellow red
147 green blue yellow green
148 green blue yellow blue
149 green blue red red
150 green blue red green
151 green blue red blue
152 green blue green green
153 green blue green blue
154 green blue blue blue
155 blue blue yellow yellow
156 blue blue yellow red
157 blue blue yellow green
158 blue blue yellow blue
159 blue blue red red
160 blue blue red green
161 blue blue red blue
162 blue blue green green
163 blue blue green blue
164 blue blue blue blue
The zip ties are not just thrown on the birds in any random order, they must be put on with a lot of organization and record keeping then becomes a easy task for each bird. This is how my system works.
1. Single Zip tie identifier
Always Start with the chickens Left leg. I do this because we read from left to right. A chicken in my flock with the color green zip tie on it's left leg is simply referred to as Left green. A chicken with a green zip tie on it's Right leg is called Right green.
2.Two Zip tie identifier
A chicken with a green band on his left leg and a red one on his right leg would be referred to as my green red chicken. The first color always being the left leg and the later color being the right leg. You could put two bands on the same leg but I have found that when I did that, I couldn't remember when I got back to the house which leg the bands were on. So for me I find my system better.
3. Three Zip tie Identifier
To use three Zip ties just like before I always start with the left leg. lets say we put a yellow Zip tie on the left leg and a red one on the right and green one on the left. This would be my yellow, green, red chicken. or my green, yellow, red chicken. The first two colors refer to the left leg and the third color refers to the right leg. Now it is important to say that it is very possible to duplicate colors and end up with two chickens with the same colors on the same leg. so be very careful when setting up your system so you don't have repeating colors. as in green yellow red chicken and yellow green red chicken they both would be the same chicken in my system but if used on two different chickens you would not be able to tell them apart. . In the chart at the bottom of the page i have eliminated all recurring colors and I use this chart to know what new Id to use. In the three Zip tie system I will always have two Zip ties on the left leg and one on the right.. I never have one Zip tie on the left leg and two on the right. it's just easier to remember three colors rather than which leg which color is on.
4. Four Zip tie Identifier
The Four zip tie part of the system works pretty much just like the 3 Zip tie part of the system. Always start with the left leg. So my chicken known as yellow yellow, red blue has two yellows bands on his left leg and a red Zip tie and a blue Zip tie on his right leg. The first two colors always referring to the left leg and the third and forth colors referring to the right leg.
I know where every chicken came from and its history. I can breed for egg color, I know which chickens have the best looking off springs. I know how old each bird is. AND BEST OF ALL my grandson knows which birds are his without me having to guess at it.
This chart show's all the color combinations without repeating the color pattern on more than one bird. Four colors and two legs will identify up to 164 different birds.
Bird # left leg left leg right leg right leg
1 yellow
2 red
3 green
4 blue
5 yellow
6 red
7 green
8 blue
9 yellow yellow
10 yellow red
11 yellow green
12 yellow blue
13 red yellow
14 red red
15 red green
16 red blue
17 green yellow
18 green red
19 green green
20 green blue
21 blue yellow
22 blue red
23 blue green
24 blue blue
25 yellow yellow yellow
26 yellow yellow red
27 yellow yellow green
28 yellow yellow blue
29 yellow red yellow
30 yellow red red
31 yellow red green
32 yellow red blue
33 yellow green yellow
34 yellow green red
35 yellow green green
36 yellow green blue
37 yellow blue yellow
38 yellow blue red
39 yellow blue green
40 yellow blue blue
41 red red yellow
42 red red red
43 red red green
44 red red blue
45 red green yellow
46 red green red
47 red green green
48 red green blue
49 red blue yellow
50 red blue red
51 red blue green
52 red blue blue
53 green green yellow
54 green green red
55 green green green
56 green green blue
57 green blue yellow
58 green blue red
59 green blue green
60 green blue blue
61 blue blue yellow
62 blue blue red
63 blue blue green
64 blue blue blue
65 yellow yellow yellow yellow
66 yellow yellow yellow red
67 yellow yellow yellow green
68 yellow yellow yellow blue
69 yellow yellow red red
70 yellow yellow red green
71 yellow yellow red blue
72 yellow yellow green green
73 yellow yellow green blue
74 yellow yellow blue blue
75 yellow red yellow yellow
76 yellow red yellow red
77 yellow red yellow green
78 yellow red yellow blue
79 yellow red red red
80 yellow red red green
81 yellow red red blue
82 yellow red green green
83 yellow red green blue
84 yellow red blue blue
85 yellow green yellow yellow
86 yellow green yellow red
87 yellow green yellow green
88 yellow green yellow blue
89 yellow green red red
90 yellow green red green
91 yellow green red blue
92 yellow green green green
93 yellow green green blue
94 yellow green blue blue
95 yellow blue yellow yellow
96 yellow blue yellow red
97 yellow blue yellow green
98 yellow blue yellow blue
99 yellow blue red red
100 yellow blue red green
101 yellow blue red blue
102 yellow blue green green
103 yellow blue green blue
104 yellow blue blue blue
105 red red yellow yellow
106 red red yellow red
107 red red yellow green
108 red red yellow blue
109 red red red red
110 red red red green
111 red red red blue
112 red red green green
113 red red green blue
114 red red blue blue
115 red green yellow yellow
116 red green yellow red
117 red green yellow green
118 red green yellow blue
119 red green red red
120 red green red green
121 red green red blue
122 red green green green
123 red green green blue
124 red green blue blue
125 red blue yellow yellow
126 red blue yellow red
127 red blue yellow green
128 red blue yellow blue
129 red blue red red
130 red blue red green
131 red blue red blue
132 red blue green green
133 red blue green blue
134 red blue blue blue
135 green green yellow yellow
136 green green yellow red
137 green green yellow green
138 green green yellow blue
139 green green red red
140 green green red green
141 green green red blue
142 green green green green
143 green green green blue
144 green green blue blue
145 green blue yellow yellow
146 green blue yellow red
147 green blue yellow green
148 green blue yellow blue
149 green blue red red
150 green blue red green
151 green blue red blue
152 green blue green green
153 green blue green blue
154 green blue blue blue
155 blue blue yellow yellow
156 blue blue yellow red
157 blue blue yellow green
158 blue blue yellow blue
159 blue blue red red
160 blue blue red green
161 blue blue red blue
162 blue blue green green
163 blue blue green blue
164 blue blue blue blue
Last edited:
God job!!
