what is safe to mark eggs with?

[rparrny]

Planning on hatching a few chicks au natural, I want to keep the eggs I'm hatching from the ones I'll be harvesting for eating, what is a safe medium that I can mark the eggs with? Is permanent marker okay?

thanks,
Rivka

 

[Eifelhexe]

dont use a permanent marker

i think best is leadpencil or waxpencil ( hope these are the right words in english )
you might haave to remark them cause they wear of after a while but its the safer way

 

[cochins1088]

I personally mark my eggs with a number 2 pencil for the incubator just because it makes me feel better. But there are tons of people who use sharpie with zero problems. If you are letting a hen hatch, use the sharpie. The pencil wears off like every 3 days but the sharpie stays and is more noticible so that you won't miss it.

 

[cochins1088]

sorry, I'm used to calling them sharpies. Stupid brand names hahaha, any permanent marker should be fine. Like I said, I personally feel safer with pencils for the incubator, but I use permanent markers for hen's eggs with only good results.

 

[Eifelhexe]

i have never tried it with a permanent marker because i would be to afraid it would go through the shell because they are so chemical
i rather take the work of remarking with wax pencils every few days but maybe i am toooo carefull

 

[CarolJ]

I've used a water-based marker before (kids' washable markers) to mark eggs under a broody - and it works great. I felt it was a little less chemical-ly than a Sharpie. I just used a lead pencil for ones I put in the incubator.

 

[yo burrill]

I read on a thread on here that someone cover a whole egg with sharpie other than the air sack and the egg hatched fine with no issues.

 

[yo burrill]

I read on a thread on here that someone cover a whole egg with sharpie other than the air sack and the egg hatched fine with no issues.

 

[rparrny]

Thank you so much for all the answers! You guys are great!! I'm in the process of getting a variance for my barn (I just purchased my family home I've been living in as my mom died in November and the barn was not legal) and the expiditer saw my coop and said she had always wanted chickens but was afraid to get started for lack of knowledge, I told her about this site and how great everyone is....she is now planning on getting started...
I have a sharpie around so I will try it...when I think of pencils, all I think about is LEAD pencil and it makes me nervous, being medical and having seen the results of lead poisoning...
I have a second coop ready to go and want to fill it before the weather gets too cold. I was also considering getting some Golden Sex linked hens as I'm told they will lay in the winter when my RIR's won't. But when I called Meyer, the cost of shipping hens was over $100 and didn't seem cost effective, that and the fact that the beaks are clipped makes me worry that my RIR's would bully them too much. I checked around locally but no one has any left.
Does anyone know of a source for GSL within a reasonable distance from Long Island? I would travel 6 hours or so to get them?

Rivka

 

[yo burrill]

Pencil "lead" has been made of graphite for years. Not even any lead in them anymore. So no issues with using pencil to mark eggs.