Keeping track of specific hens

[BoPeep75]

For several years I have kept about 9 to 12 hens at any given time. I love having a mixed flock for a lot of different reasons, easy identification being one. But I had a rooster accidentally sip into an order of hens and am going to let him give us some new chicks this year. It made me start to wonder, if you have a flock of all one breed or just a flock that has naturally bred over time and several of your chickens look the same, when it comes time to cull the older ones, how do you tell them apart? Because I already have a blonde golden star and a buff Orpington that I really have to squint at to see the difference LOL.

My great grandmother just used to pick one at random, but I would like to know if I’m getting ready to butcher and eat one of my best laying hens as opposed to one that’s quite a bit older and not laying well. Not sure if there’s a secret tip that I am overlooking somewhere. I know we mark our sheep, but I’ve not seen anyone do that with a chicken. I have seen leg rings but not sure if they work well or stay on for the open kind of clip.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

I have had up to 10 SLW hens in one setting and laugh at me if you want, I raised them from chicks and I could tell them apart reliably, my mom and siblings were baffled but I could!

 

[-Kiwi-]

You can get colored leg bands, or just use zip ties to mark them. You can order them online.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Usually people use legbands, different colors for different girls or different years if you get the same breed every year

 

[LikeTurkeys]

I agree, zipties work great. Though, I can currently tell all of my adult hens apart, it's only when they are small that the bands really help.

 

[BoPeep75]

I have had up to 10 SLW hens in one setting and laugh at me if you want, I raised them from chicks and I could tell them apart reliably, my mom and siblings were baffled but I could!

I always thought that I could but then I had to do a triple take this morning of my two similar looking ones and I thought I better not take my chances with a dozen or so identical ones walking around LOL

 

[BoPeep75]

Thank you all! I will definitely get some of these.

 

[SueT]

I got a pack of the spiral leg bands, as I have several pullets that look alike. I put one on the first girl, and she reached down w her beak and easily yanked it right off!

 

[BoPeep75]

I got a pack of the spiral leg bands, as I have several pullets that look alike. I put one on the first girl, and she reached down w her beak and easily yanked it right off!

. That is actually what I was concerned about at first. I had thought about getting the open kind because I’m always wary of putting things on legs in case something gets caught or too tight. But then I wondered if they would easily get pulled off. Or possibly picked at by the other hens. I hadn’t even thought about the zip ties.

 

[aart]

I use small zipties.
Alternating leg and color to denote year of hatch.
Additional bands for other IDing if needed.
They do fall off on occasion, so replacement might be needed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/