What do you use to tell your chickens apart?

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

Hi!
I bought these little different colored rubber band type things to use for my 5 wk old pullets. But I noticed they peck at them... their own and the other girls too. So my question is, what do you use, if anything? And will they eventually stop pecking at each others legs? I dont want them to injure each other. For now I took them off.
Thanks!

 

[Weeg]

I don't need anything to tell mine apart. The rest of my family just calls them "the yellow ones" or "the fluffy one" haha! I'm able to tell mine apart by comb size, personality, and usually some kind of difference in there feather pattern. Oddly, if you spend enough time with them you'll eventually start to see a difference.
I have no experience with leg bands though.

 

[SueT]

I use these, they are easy to snap on and they STAY on. I tried the spiral ones and the girls pulled them right off.

 

[Ponypoor]

Hi!
I bought these little different colored rubber band type things to use for my 5 wk old pullets. But I noticed they peck at them... their own and the other girls too. So my question is, what do you use, if anything? And will they eventually stop pecking at each others legs? I dont want them to injure each other. For now I took them off.
Thanks!

I have not use leg bands but I am sure they will get used to them, remember to ensure they don't out grow the band's.

My chickens all have different colours so it easy for me, but if u have all white hens I bet it's hard!

Would like be to see pictures of your chickies

 

[Aunt Angus]

I just don't have any 2 who look alike!

 

[SueT]

Wow pretty bird what is this breed?

She’s a cross between Sebright and Spitzhauben. (I call them Sprights). I have 5 of them and they ALL look just alike, thus the need for leg bands.....

 

[NatJ]

I can often tell chickens apart by appearance, especially after they finish growing up. Even when they are the same breed, there might be one hen with skinnier points on her comb, another with wider points, another with a comb that slightly flops, feather color might be lighter or darker, patterns in the feathers might be a bit different, and so forth.

For telling apart two chickens that look the same, I like to cut some of the tail feathers shorter on one of the two. (The feathers need to be cut again every time the chicken molts, so it happens frequently as the chicks grow. Adults only need re-trimming once a year.)

I think a chicken looks a bit ugly with the feathers on the tail cut short, but I like that I do not have to change legbands as the chicken grows. If I forget to trim the feathers, I lose the identifier, but the chicken is not injured. If I forget to change legbands, the too-tight band can badly injure the chicken's leg.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

In each breed, I have different bands for each individual. Usually that's enough to get the translation of the fluffy yellow one with the red band or the grey and tan one that's tiny with the purple band to know who is being talked about

 

[Egg Snatcher]

They’ll quit pecking at them

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I don't have really any tips that would help you, unfortunately. All my hens look different (they are either different varieties or breeds)