Labeling Chicks

[AutumnDreamer]

We currently have 6 chicks, 3 are considerably larger so we are guessing those are the meat birds. The girls want to name the other three (which are the leg horns) but we are looking for a way to tell them apart. They are all yellow and look the same, can we tie a little piece of yarn around an ankle? Or a dab of non toxic nail polish on the head? Anything? Or do we just have to suck it up and wait for some sort of telling mark to come with their big feathers?

 

[hennyannie]

Paint their toenails, just dont use red as this could get them pecking each others toes. (pink may not be good either)

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can paint their toenails, but I'd stay away from red. They seem to like to peck at red. With your three, maybe no polish on one, polish in the left foot for one and polish on the right foot for the last. Keep an eye on them and be ready to redo the polish when it starts to wear off.

You can use food dye in the middle of the forehead or about anywhere really. They shed their down pretty fast so again be ready to redo it. And they go through a couple of molts as they grow, so keep an eye on it.

You can use zip ties on their legs. They grow real fast and you need to keep cutting the old one off and putting a new one on as they grow. Unless you can tell them apart otherwise, this is a real good way of permanently marking them. I'd suggest food coloring and redoing it regularly until they get pretty good size, then switch to the zip ties.

You can get spiral plastic rings, but for only three, I'd suggest you just go with zip ties.

 

[New2TheCoop]

These Velcro strips work. Paid a little I paid a little over 2 bucks.

You just give each chick a different color leg band & name them.

 

[Higins00]

I use these rubber band leg bands size 4 to start with. I got them on ebay for 7$ 100 of them. By the time they grow out of them I can usually tell them apart by a certain characteristic . They are so easy to use too

 

[galanie]

Sometimes I wish we could just stick name tags on their chests that say: "HELLO My name is: Penny"

 

[emys]

Sometimes I wish we could just stick name tags on their chests that say: "HELLO My name is: Penny"

Tried that; they kept switching tags when I wasn't looking!​

 

[galanie]

Quote:
Tried that; they kept switching tags when I wasn't looking!

ROFL!!

 

[AutumnDreamer]

Quote:

Tried that; they kept switching tags when I wasn't looking!

LOL! Thanks ladies you have given me some great ideas!​

 

[acnava4]

Awesome ideas! I think I'll start with the food coloring