What do you use to tell your chickens apart?

[TheOddOneOut]

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 use mine’s faces to tell them apart.

 

[aart]

Here are photos of the needle showing the size. They use wool thread.

Thanks.
Hard to believe that the hole with thread in the skin doesn't get infected.
Could be a 'handle' for males or any bird.

 

[Naisha]

Easy, all my girls are different! Hahah, not a challenge at all in my case

 

[Byrd gal]

I use bands I have multiple of the same breeds so if in doubt I can look at their legs but usually I can tell. I only have 11 right now. Pecking at the bands stopped in a few days.

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Easy, all my girls are different! Hahah, not a challenge at all in my case

Same! Mine are all different!

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

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.

Good idea!

 

[Show Sebright]

Let bands! You can also do wing bands if you want. I do a ziptie with a plastic bead on it.
Some birds have markings I remember/ like Yawn is the largest and has a look to her. She also has a pink bead.
My Cochins-> one has a black toe nail.

 

[Show Sebright]

You can toe punch the babies. There are 15 different combinations.

Provided by fl state fair is our skill a thon. We are learning ID as one part. Hers the link if you want to see the types and how to do it. https://secureservercdn.net/198.71....ds/2020/07/poultry-skillathon-manual-2022.pdf

And here is all them done on chicks

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

The shapes of their combs for one. Sometimes, just little tints in their feathers. Right now, I have a mixed flock, so who is who is pretty easy for me.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

Just buy the way they look, the only birds of mine that look similar are all the white leghorn crosses.. however they have some small details that make em stand out, weather thats comb size, tail feathers, ect... there four that look very similar...so with a lot more birds it could get difficult. I only have four birds that look very similar to be a matter a fact.. my flock is quiet a mixed flock now so there is a few diff breeds.. the next generation of these birds is on the way..