When we raised saanen (an all white goat) kid ID was fun lol. We did use collars...cheap dollar store ones that broke away easy. Each kid got the same color as mom and we wrote babies name on them. They also make paper kind for color ID you can write on. Other wise Chalk markers work. Just need to redo from time to time until you learn whose who.
Ideas to 'mark' babies when they look alike?
This year I've had multiple kids born from different dams that look a lot a like. When there are 15 kids running around and 5 of them look very similar it's difficult to make sure that the kids get put with the right momma at night when they are all put into separate kidding stalls. I realize that the momma's and babies quickly let you know if they are not in the right stall but to save mistakes - do any of you have a system of marking kids so that you can quickly tell who goes to who?
I won't use collars but have thought about spray paint on their rump or something of that nature? It needs to be something that is safe and easy to see and not permanent.
I won't use collars but have thought about spray paint on their rump or something of that nature? It needs to be something that is safe and easy to see and not permanent.
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Would a really large marker (Sharpie) work for you?
Some people shave a little spot of hair on each kid. Say this set of twins has a spot shaved on their left shoulder, this set of triplets has a spot on their rump, etc.
Livestock marking paint is very widely used in the sheep world and I can’t see why it wouldn’t work for goats as well.
Livestock marking paint is very widely used in the sheep world and I can’t see why it wouldn’t work for goats as well.
livestock chalk, like they use to mark cows on dairy farms or pigs at the butcher would work..it would wear off eventually but its easy to mark em again. i use collars tho.
When I use to raise rabbits, a dab of fingernail polish on the ear worked well.
I use spray paint if I don't tag their ears. It's especially handy for marking them after vaccinating or worming them. I use different colors for different shots. Like red for first cd/t blue for second. Maybe green for good famacha....orange for fair....black for wormed. Just a small line or spot on the rump. Stays visible for a couple of weeks and allows me to identify them easily and see what I have done to them.
Thank you all SO much - I knew you'd have the good ideas. 
There are those paper wristbands (that you get at parks) that people order and use as collars and can write the kids info on them. I have some in case we had too many kids or too many that looked alike but so far hasn't had to use them.
The people we bought our sheep from use a spot of spray paint on the bum.
The people we bought our sheep from use a spot of spray paint on the bum.
If they are large breed and will be tagged then you can tag them. I don't like tagging young kids myself, but I know a lot of herds do it for this very reason.
I’ve tried it all and marks get rubbed off and depending on how many kids one has you run out of colors and body parts. So I ear tag them. I write their number on the tag and also who the dam is that way I don’t have to keep a notebook with me to figure out who the dam is. I also refuse to use any collars, not just because they can get snagged but kids grow so very fast. If one isn’t paying super close attention they can out grow them fast and get too tight.
Take pictures of them they should have something a bit different, then name the pictures per mark description.
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