Leg bands on chicks

[brendapa]

Does anyone use leg bands on silkie chicks so you can tell where they came from?
I have a few different blues & buffs that I'm not going to be able to tell apart in a few weeks. There are from different breeders, roo's etc.
What kind are the best?
Brenda

 

[midget_farms]

I use them to tell which bird they are but not to tell where they came from.

 

[schmije]

I use different colors of cable ties when I need to tell chicks apart. I just make sure they're very loose (but not loose enough to fall off), and I check them often. The chicks grow so fast that I don't want them to get too tight. When they stop sliding freely on the leg, I clip them off and replace them with a new, looser one the same color.

 

[Kittymomma]

I plan on using food coloring for the first couple of weeks and then switching to colored bands when I move them to the grow out pen. They grow so darn fast that I'm afraid the bands will have to be replaced more often then I want to those first couple of weeks.

 

[Shelly_WNC]

I just put colored 'zip ties' on mine , because they basically look a like and I want to record the individual development of them. I keep them fairly loose right now too.

They seem to be fine with them on.

 

[Brody's Broodello]

You can use Spiral bands, Zip ties are easier though. Just remember to check & see how tight they are, if they get tight, just cut off, and rezip. I use VetWrap on newborns. It has worked really well. I just cut a small piece and put it on with a little squeeze, and it stays really well. Heck if it stays on my horses, a chick is nothing!