Marking hens to tell age

[glenolam]

So.....if I'm the only one who has issues telling hens apart then

But when we get up to 40 birds at a time I loose sight over who's who. Since a winter massacre took place we're down to 8 layers (although we're only getting 3 eggs/day), 4 roosters and some guineas and so I'm getting back to knowing my peeps. I'm going to hatch out some chicks and was starting to think about how I'm going to tell them apart from the older gals once everyone starts feathering out and laying. I frequently take in freebies as they come and don't know for the life of me which hens are this year's layers or last year's destined for the freezer. And if I take in any freebies this year I'd like to make sure I know which ones they are so I'll know if I'm only going to get one year of laying and freezer camp the next.

Does anyone put little necklaces or bands or clips or something like that on their hens? I'm not looking to tell them apart from each other - more like separate them by year so I know who was a 2011 chick, 2010 layer, etc.

 

[MsPony]

Bands aren't a bad idea, in the domestic bird world we use those to tell parentage/age/etc. If you do it on chicks though, you have to keep putting bigger ones on as they grow

 

[glenolam]

True...I was sorta thinking necklaces made of string but I'd be afraid of them getting caught on something or each other.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

go and get one of those tubes of zip ties - the ones with multi colors... then band everyone of the same generation the same color



ps i can tell my hens apart - most of them anyway, ha!
;-)

 

[MsPony]

Necklaces will get caught, also have you put your hand around a hens neck? They freak lol.

Bans won't get caught, won't bother them either.

 

[colowyo0809]

go and get one of those tubes of zip ties - the ones with multi colors... then band everyone of the same generation the same color

ps i can tell my hens apart - most of them anyway, ha!
;-)

that was going to be my suggestion! we are going to do this as well, it will be nice to have this in our barnyard mix flock right now we can tell our hens apart, but as the mixes get older that's going to be harder!

ETA: this is also good for figuring out which roos are good for the freezer camp! first in first out!

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah, I have trouble telling my speckled sussex apart except for the few with particularly unusually shaped combs. I wait til they're mostly-grown (like around 14 wks or so) and then use zip ties. Last year for instance was green on the left leg for home-hatched, green on right leg for purchased chicks. Previous year was blue, same system. This year I'll use red, but only have home-hatched.

I do not know how the colored zip ties hold up long-term (like more than 3 years) but so far they seem fine. I try to get them snug enough to be unlikely to catch on anything but the risk is probably not *quite* zero if you are free ranging your birds.

Another traditional option is clips in the webbing between the toes. But I think you have to do that when they are tiny chicks; also you pretty much have to catch the bird up to identify its mark, unless it is standing on just the right surface I guess.

Or in research flocks they sometimes use different dubbing of combs to indicate different ages/flocks/whatever.

Pat

 

[freemotion]

I know a guy who gets a different breed/color each year and then knows who is who. I have a mixed flock, so that doesn't help me!

 

[glenolam]

So, am I weird because when I read OFG's suggestion of using zip ties I was thinking "Now how the heck are those gonna stay on wings?"

Then I read Pat's comment about legs and I was like

What's even worse is we have parakeets that have those leg band thingys from the store (anyone want some parakeets???) and still the thought never occured to me as I was wondering how I could do that to my hens...

Good Grief.

Thanks a bunch for the wake me up slap in the face...I needed that!

And....we already have the multi colored zip ties in the "man cave" er, "utility room" so I'm A-OK to go! Thanks!!!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

"Now how the heck are those gonna stay on wings?"

baby you are SLAYIN' me! ha ha ha ha

no - please put them on their legs. i'm not sure a necklace would be a good idea. some of our turks have had the zip-bracelets on for several years. and you can always take a day to re-do them if you are worried about them fading or falling out