Leg bands?

[cavemanrich]

Leg bands are the easiest to see. they do come in different sizes, so if your concerns are about using zip ties, here is an option. These will not kill your chickens legs.
https://www.amazon.com/001-100-Reus...773675&sr=8-2&keywords=chicken+leg+bands+16mm

 

[BantyChooks]

I agree about the "Proper Management" part of your post but so few of us have the time or the energy to do proper management over and over and over again, and before long you have enough birds on your place that you can no longer keep in your head which chick came out of which mating in what year. Then it is time to just band your day old chicks once and be done with that chore for the rest of that bird's life.

That is very true, but it sounds like the OP just has a few pet hens.

 

[aart]

I agree about the "Proper Management" part

Then why not say that, instead of

Just be prepared for your hens to loose a leg or three.

SMH.


I use zipties too....no lost legs here either.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/

 

[thudson]

Is there any other method besides putting bands on legs to distinguish birds
I have 5 barred rocks that I can't tell who's who except the one who pecks me alot lol

That is exactly what I am doing this for. I have no other ideas except for banding. I have 5 barred rocks in my flock of 20 and 2 of them are aggressive to all the other hens. So to identify the 2 aggressive hens I am going to leg band all my hens. I know one for sure she is an unusually big hen compared to the rest, and she is a "big bully" but a great layer.

 

[aart]

Is there any other method besides putting bands on legs to distinguish birds
I have 5 barred rocks that I can't tell who's who except the one who pecks me alot lol

That is exactly what I am doing this for. I have no other ideas except for banding. I have 5 barred rocks in my flock of 20 and 2 of them are aggressive to all the other hens. So to identify the 2 aggressive hens I am going to leg band all my hens. I know one for sure she is an unusually big hen compared to the rest, and she is a "big bully" but a great layer.

Other than wing bands, nothing else will work long term.

 

[Mosey2003]

Zip ties worked fine for me, until they didn't. For whatever reason, the last new birds I got, every time I put a tie on them, they were super tight the next morning. At first I thought they were pulling on the end themselves, so made sure to cut it super close. Still super tight. I don't have time to inspect them every morning and then catch one to cut the tie off, so I went with spiral ones and have not had one migrate yet.

As far as other ways to identify, you can toe punch and nostril notch, but I'm not sure you can (should) do that on adult birds, and some people find it inhumane in any case.

 

[aart]

Zip ties worked fine for me, until they didn't. For whatever reason, the last new birds I got, every time I put a tie on them, they were super tight the next morning. At first I thought they were pulling on the end themselves, so made sure to cut it super close. Still super tight.

That is very odd!
Even when clipping end off close to lock,
the end was stuck out farther and loop was tight the next day??
Have never seen that happen, sounds like a faulty ziptie.

 

[Skipper81]

I think if they pecking a zip tie it can tighten only saying this because I use them everyday at work and have put them on moving things like to hold my license plate on my trailer lol
They wind and plate swinging tightest them although I use cheap zip ties

 

[Skipper81]

Might be a stupid question but could I color my barred rocks tails somehow I thought I saw some birds in a photo with what looks like dyed or painted tails

 

[aart]

Might be a stupid question but could I color my barred rocks tails somehow I thought I saw some birds in a photo with what looks like dyed or painted tails

I've tried marking birds with blukote and despite the way it can stain feathers, and everything else, it didn't last long even on a light colored bird.
Anything you 'paint' on a bird they will try to preen off and thus ingest, so be careful.
I've seen folks use nail polish on toes and legs, didn't last long..and again, I don't want my birds ingesting that.

A guy recently cut the feathers of a cockerels tail in half to ID him, that would work until molt.