"Tagging" Chicks for identification

[Lizz9311]

Hello all! I'm a new chickie momma. Our babes are just about a week old. My husband, in a stroke of brilliance and realizing that we're both new to the whole chick-raising schtick, got us 60 chicks! Admittedly, some are slated for food early on. But still...

On to my question: at what age can you start "tagging" chicks for identification?

I want to use the colored zip ties on the legs, but I know they're still growing and will be for a while. But I want to be able to keep track of those with chronic "pasty butt" problems and any other health concerns that may cause us to lose someone or to endanger our whole flock. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Oh... and we've got a mix here of RIRs, Cornish Rocks, Brahmas, and New Hamps.

Thanks in advance!

 

[gingerly1983]

I'm not sure when you can start tagging with the zip ties, but they do grow really fast. :/ If you want to 'tag' chronic pasty butts, what about a drop of food coloring on their head? I've seen lots of people do this to identify their chicks. It stays on for a quite some time.

 

[Ixyavi]

I second the food coloring idea. Or a dot of pet-safe nail polish on their toe/foot/leg.

http://www.amazon.com/Top-Performan...e=UTF8&qid=1367041301&sr=8-1&keywords=pawlish

I even seen them at Walmart.

IMO it looks silly on dogs (as it was intended) but it seems like chick tagging could be a practical use.

 

[Lizz9311]

Thanks for the ideas folks! I picked up some nail polish to begin tagging the chicks. From everything I've read/looked at, the brand I have should be safe for them even though it is not specifically designed for animals.