What do you use to tell your chickens apart?

[NatJ]

Oh! I know of folks who put food coloring on their heads to tell them apart until they can recognize them individually. It obviously works well with lighter breeds, but I thought I'd mention it.

it might work with OP's Barred Rocks, too. The food coloring could show on the white barring, even though it won't show on the black.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I can tell mine apart because no two look alike lol I do have two speckled sussex but one has more mottling then the other

 

[Banana01]

Do the threads go thru the skin on their heads?

Wow that is unique. Curious to hear any additional details you may have.

Do you just poke it through with a needle when they are babies? Any special needle or thread?

Here are photos of the needle showing the size. They use wool thread. Any color works i suppose.

Chicken lasso directions

Double thread a needle with enough thread to do all the chickens you need. Using your thumb and index finger, pinch the skin on the back of their neck and lift it a little bit, similar to how the skin lifts on the back of a puppies neck to pick them up. Just a small amount of skin though. Pull the doubled thread through the hole until you reach the end, and then tie three knots with the threads over the skin and cut your thread. The needle is still ready to go on to the next chick, and the string should last their entire life.

The photos show a sample finished knot in blue. I can get photos of chicks later when they arent so skittish.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I have nine and some are easy to tell apart and others not so much. Here are some pics. There is one with quite a personality she is the one in my lap.

It's harder at that age, too. Just when you've got them all sorted out, they'll molt!

 

[aart]

My neighbors put a piece of colored thread through their chickens head as a baby. They grow up and always have a colored thread on top of their head. It's kind of cute, i will try to get a picture tomorrow so you can see it.

Definitely need to see pics of this @Banana01

 

[Kellyjenny]

I named all of mine Sasha, Daisy, Molly, Laverne, Shirley, and Queenie. I only know Molly but when people come over and ask me their names I just remember the names, and I pretend which is which.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

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.

Mine are still young so their combs all look the same. I am attempting to tell by feathers but sometimes that is hard. I have 3 that look different so they are obvious and my 6 rockers pretty much look the same. They are hard to tell apart.

 

[Aunt Angus]

one runs around like her fluffy butt is on fire

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

 

[raingarden]

I use the snap-on bands in lieu of being able to remember anything more than a day or two.

 

[Banana01]

Definitely need to see pics of this @Banana01

S

Definitely need to see pics of this @Banana01

Here are some adults with the thread in their heads. These arent very good photos, they were skittish. I will go for clearer photos of babies later when they are all standing together.