Marking kits to tell them apart

[averydeadbird]

My very first litter of meat mutts is almost 3 weeks old now. I plan on keeping the two friendliest females to replace their mother, who is skittish. But 3 of the kits are all black and 2 have the same agouti color. I need to differentiate them so that I can tell who is consistently friendly/calm. What is a safe way to do this?

 

[shazza]

you can use a sharpie, or food dye in the ear to differentiate them. i find that these only last a day or so before i have to remark them. so i usually will tattoo them if i need to tell individuals or litters apart.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I also tattoo kits I an thinking about keeping [and record the tattoo # information]

 

[Nymphadora]

Personally we wait to tattoo until they're about 8 weeks (it's just easier to work with more ear surface area), but until then we mark ours with sharpie. Blue for boys, black for girls. A number or simple shape (X, O) has been plenty for our purposes.

Good luck!

opcorn: <br /><br /> __________ Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:29 am __________ <br /><br />

you can use a sharpie, or food dye in the ear to differentiate them. i find that these only last a day or so before i have to remark them.

And shazza's definitely right, you'll need to update the sharpie marks every day or so... between mama cleaning them and everyone climbing all over each other those marks disappear right quick if you don't keep an eye on them!

 

[Homer]

I use a red sharpie. It seems to last longer than the black.

 

[averydeadbird]

Thanks, everyone! I totally hadn't thought of sharpies. I'll look for a red one!

 

[WVForestGirl]

I use the really big chisel point sharpies. Just blobs of color in both ears to tell them apart when they're really little. Newborns I just put a big blob of color right on top of the head if I have to mark them for some reason. At around 5 weeks I write numbers really big in both ears. Between the two sides I can always figure it out a week later and then I can refresh on weigh days.
I use different colors for litters from different does so I know who's who in the growouts cages.

 

[averydeadbird]

That's great that it lasts that long! I will do the same!

 

[Dood]

Most of my rabbits are chinchilla or black chin and I tattoo a mark in the ear - line, triangle, circle etc.. sometimes at a day old if I have to even out litters, but usually at 4-6 weeks when I start weaning

 

[michaels4gardens]

Most of my rabbits are chinchilla or black chin and I tattoo a mark in the ear line, triangle, circle etc.. sometimes at a day old, if I have to even out litters, but usually at 4-6 weeks when I start weaning

I also tattoo fostered newborn, from does I keep replacements from, like that -- but, with a letter representing the Doe... in the left ear-- later, I will tattoo a number in the right ear , - if they are still being considered for future breed stock.

 

[allyb]

Most of my rabbits are chinchilla or black chin and I tattoo a mark in the ear - line, triangle, circle etc.. sometimes at a day old if I have to even out litters, but usually at 4-6 weeks when I start weaning

how would you tattoo them what would you use and is it permit?