Marking of chicken to ID for ......

[Mrs Bee]

Good afternoon all.
I am looking for ideas on how to mark my chickens for easy ID. Marking the claw seems easy if their claw is white/ish. O Nail polish if need to temporarily. Elastic bans I don't really like the idea of. Any more ideas I would really appreciate.

Mrs. B

 

[sourland]

Some folks use colored zip ties or removable plastic chicken bands.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I also use zip ties on the legs but you can also use food coloring on the feathers. I don't know how many you have to mark or what color they are, but food dye typically comes in four different main colors. A colored spot on the head, on the left side behind the wings, right side, or other body parts gives you a lot of options on how to mark them. A spot on the head marks one, a spot the same color on the back marks a second and a spot on the head and the back the same color marks a third. Lots of spots and colors to mark them.

You will have to refresh the color occasionally, especially when they molt.

 

[Mrs Bee]

I also use zip ties on the legs but you can also use food coloring on the feathers. I don't know how many you have to mark or what color they are, but food dye typically comes in four different main colors. A colored spot on the head, on the left side behind the wings, right side, or other body parts gives you a lot of options on how to mark them. A spot on the head marks one, a spot the same color on the back marks a second and a spot on the head and the back the same color marks a third. Lots of spots and colors to mark them.

You will have to refresh the color occasionally, especially when they molt.

That would be Ideal however, my chickens are brown all but one. The color may not show as is. I think we are going to try the zip ties., Thanks

 

[aart]

The key thing is to check them frequently, especially if your birds are growing.

Absolutely!
And replace them all once a year as they will eventually break off.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/

 

[SueT]

I use Happy Hen snap-on leg bands I got at TSC. They only come in 4 colors, but I only have 5 look-a-like hens, so the 5th hen has no band. These do come off occasionally, perhaps if the hen gets her leg caught somewhere, because a squeezing pressure opens them. But are they very easy to snap back on. I feel like this makes them a bit safer than zip ties.

 

[aart]

I find that the end-cutters are better than the regular flush cutters for getting a tightening band off without pinching any skin.

View attachment 3268070

Yep (those are shown in my article) cut right thru the lock, no need to get near the skin.

 

[SilverBirds]

Some folks use colored zip ties or removable plastic chicken bands.

This is what I do.

 

[3KillerBs]

I've been using ziptie bands and, with the exception of being unable to tell red from pink after a few months, they're working well.

The key thing is to check them frequently, especially if your birds are growing.

 

[3KillerBs]

Absolutely!
And replace them all once a year as they will eventually break off.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-banding-with-zipties.68075/

I find that the end-cutters are better than the regular flush cutters for getting a tightening band off without pinching any skin.