1st Time Raising Baby Chicks

[Nyboy]

Great site need to read later when i have time

 

[Nyboy]

Just got email chicks are on there way

 

[canesisters]

 

[Nyboy]

Setting everything up. What is good I purchased chicks from 2 different lines, seed asked if they be marked. They are sending lines at different times, so age is how I will be able to tell a part

 

[canesisters]

.... until they are all about 5 months old.
Plain old plastic zip ties around one leg are great identifiers.

 

[Nyboy]

great idea i dont understand why chickens are not banded like pigeons. Baby pigeons get a band thats for life has year bird was born. Not just race birds

 

[Ridgerunner]

One thing to be careful with the leg bands is that the legs continue to grow a long time, some after they are a year old. I also used zip ties, the color of the band on the left leg told me what year they were hatched, different colors and combinations on the right leg told me individuals. If you do use leg bands or zip ties on the legs regularly check so they don't get too tight.

Are you talking about wing bands on the pigeons? You can get those for chickens too. I've never used them but understand they never outgrow them. A lot of show birds have those.

A way to temporarily mark chicks is to put some food dye on the down or feathers. A spot of yellow or green on the forehead or somewhere else should show up well. They shed down and feathers as they grow so you have to maintain that, but it might work to keep them separately identified until you are ready for zip ties, leg bands, or wing bands.