Trying to keep chicks identified...

[staciecypress]

I am going to be a new chick mom next week. My whole family is excited and I told my nephews and my sis they can all pick out a chick and name it. Is there a safe way to keep them easily identified? String or something to put loosely around their leg? If not I won't do anything at all, I don't want to hurt them in anyway...they are gonna be 3 days old when I get them.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

How many are you getting? If your aren't getting to many I always look at every one. Look at the beaks color, leg color, fluff color. There is bound to be some difference between them all. You could take pics and title that pic there name so if you loose track, look back at the pics to see who is who. I hoped this helped! (I don't know if its safe to put string on them. I am not able to answer that part, sorry)

 

[staciecypress]

I'm getting 7 chicks to start, hoping all goes well, I will probably order more in the spring.

 

[angel8035]

Some people use colored zip ties or specifically made poultry leg bands. It shouldn't be all that hard to tell them apart, though, unless they're all the same breed.

 

[BantamLover21]

I am going to be a new chick mom next week. My whole family is excited and I told my nephews and my sis they can all pick out a chick and name it. Is there a safe way to keep them easily identified? String or something to put loosely around their leg? If not I won't do anything at all, I don't want to hurt them in anyway...they are gonna be 3 days old when I get them.

Usually, as long as you don't have too many, chicks all have different characteristics that can help identify them. A different comb, blotchier/different colored markings, size, personality, etc. are all ways to tell them apart. Or course, if they are all the same breed or color (like white), these different characteristics may be non-existent. Some people put tiny, different colored zip ties or rubber bands around their chicks legs. Make sure when doing this, though, that the bands don't get too tight.

The thing that I do when I am identifying chicks is put a drop of food coloring on their belly or head. Obviously, this doesn't work well with dark colored birds, but it is a safe, easy way to identify them. Just use a Q-tip or cotton ball to apply a very small amount of food coloring to a portion of each chick's fluff. Be aware when doing this, though, that if immediately after the application they get wet, the food coloring can run and make the brooder (and other chicks!) very colorful.

Good luck with your chicks! What breed(s) are you getting?

 

[staciecypress]

I am getting a samon faverolles, dominique, a buff laced polish and a golden laced polish, an easter egger, a golden campine, and another surprise chick of a rarer breed. So excited and hoping everything goes well when they hatch so I get the ones I want. There are a few more breeds I want but have to wait until spring...

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I never did anything to mine for multiple reasons. The first day we got them we were all excited to name them but after a little bit we realized that it really was't that big of a deal for us and didn't name them until they were around 10wks old. Also I felt that naming them might have caused too much of a bond with them and my young daughter. She's never had a pet die and she'd just 4 years old. Thankfully though that never happened and she's bonded with them just fine now Also chicks will happily peck at anything different, I didn't want to create anything that could cause them to peck each other

 

[jdoane]

I would say since you are getting different breeds you'll probably be able to note more differences. When I first got mine I took pictures of each chick and then went back to the hatchery catalog and website and matched up which chick was which breed and that helped the names and faces stick better for me.

 

[donrae]

I am getting a samon faverolles, dominique, a buff laced polish and a golden laced polish, an easter egger, a golden campine, and another surprise chick of a rarer breed. So excited and hoping everything goes well when they hatch so I get the ones I want. There are a few more breeds I want but have to wait until spring...

You do know that surprise bird is likely to be a rooster?

 

[chickarooo]

you don't need to do anything you will identify them when they are older, but if you won't to tell the sex it's easy pull out their wing and look at the feathers sticking out if there is two rows of different sizing it's a female if it has one row of straight it is a male enjoy your chicks and have lots of fun with them while there young