What do you mark your eggs with?

[chickenlady81]

Do you use only pencil? marker? I have some button quail and the eggs are dark so a pencil doesnt show up...any suggestions???

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't do quail, but I use a black sharpie on chicken eggs. Some people raise concerns about the solvents hurting the chick, but I get the same hatch rate with eggs marked with a sharpie as I get with unmarked eggs.

I've heard of people using crayons and such, but since eggs are porous so the chick inside can breathe, I'd tend to stay away from waxy things that might interfere with the air exchange through the shell. As long as you don't overdo it though it probably would not matter.

 

[PunkinPeep]

i use a thin sharpie. didn't notice a difference between the sharpie and the pencil as far as hatches and chick health, so i kept using marker. much easier to mark, and it doesn't fade.

 

[Bawk Vader]

I use a sharpie

 

[pkw]

I use a black sharpie

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I use a pencil on light eggs, and a silver r gold metallic pencil on dark eggs.

 

[the funny farm6615]

fine tip sharpy

 

[darkmatter]

I've used a sharpie and/or grease pencil at times, couldn't see a difference in hatch rates, only the grease pencil does wear off easier.

 

[chickenlady81]

thanks everyone, I think a sharpie will work better for me

 

[FenDruadin]

Whatever I happen to have at hand. The eggs don't seem particular. I've used pencil, crayon, marker, colored pencil, even tried a ballpoint once but it wouldn't mark. Doesn't seem to matter much--whatever works for you.