Marking Babies?

[mrweaw]

Good Evening!

We are expecting our first babies any day now and I am waiting most impatiently. I am wondering how people mark their babies so that they can tell them apart. If 2 babies are the same sex and color I can see where it might be hard to tell them apart until they get a bit older and start to develop their own personalities etc. I have no desire to tattoo them like I used to to with our rabbits and they will be too small for ear tags even if I had gotten them ordered already. How does everyone feel about marking the inside of their ears with a non toxic marker? Any better suggestions?

Thanks Much!
Erin

 

[AZChins]

Well, I've used a Sharpie pen to mark chins on the backs of their ears so that I can tell them apart. Normally it isn't too tough because the babies come out looking so different...but there are times when there will be brothers or sisters that are nearly identical. The sharpie doesn't seem to hurt them at all, but it does wear off and you would need to reapply every week or so.

 

[Diamond Dreams]

As long as they're gaining weight it doesn't really matter if you can tell them apart. If you must though, you can cut the hair off of the tip of one of their tails.

 

[aznmexaggie]

If I need to tell kits apart, I normally trim the tail hair or use a Sharpie to mark the ears. On adults, I use ear tags because it is required for our sanctioned shows.

 

[menagerie]

I mark with different colored Sharpies inside the ears. It doesn't need to be reapplied as often as it does on the outside of the ear.

 

[Godins Chinchillas]

I too do the sharpie thing.

 

[6Dusters]

Me too. I used a red one on my standards because I can't see in dim light.

 

[mrweaw]

Thanks everyone! Using a marker would have been my first inclination but I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be a problem. Now I am just continuing to wait...very impatiently I'm just as impatient when my first chicks of the year are born

 

[jags]

The marker will have to be redone and if you get a mom who over grooms you may end up with no marker on either of them one day. I trim the tail fur square at the end and it lasts until they are weaned. Make sure you hold your finger tips over the meaty part of the tail so you only shorten the tail fur and to avoid cutting to much off.

 

[starleomach]

I use Marker. I have trimmed the tail as well

 

[RDZCRanch]

I trim tails. I've used marker but switched to tail trimming when I heard about it. To me, less chemicals on my babies is better.

 

[Cuddlebug]

My mommas have all groomed the marker off of the ears. I use tail trimming now.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I use markers in the inside of the ears. I never had a problem with the mother grooming the markers off. You do have to redo every week. I also write down which chin has the mark so the wgts go with the chin.