I'm just getting started into the cow business and just purchased my first cows. I bought 6 bred cows at a very cheap price from a 90 year old man getting out of the business. I was just wondering if you could tell how old the cows are by looking at the metal tag in their right ears. Just trying to figure out if they are extremely old.
Brucellosis Tag
- Thread starter sewall
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Dusty Britches
Well-known member
You can, but I think it will be a lot of work. Are the tags silver or orange? The vaccination tags would be orange, but look close, b/c if the tags are old, the color wears off. The inside of the ear should be the right color.
For a quick and easy test of "old or young" pinch a piece of skin on the cheek and pull it out an inch. Let go. If it quickly returns to its place, it is a young cow. The longer it takes to return to spot, the older the cow.
The best method is to look at the teeth, but I don't know the aging rules on that. It doesn't matter to me how old a cow is as long as she is producing a calf every year and moves well. One that lays down a lot because of arthritis should go to the sale barn.
For a quick and easy test of "old or young" pinch a piece of skin on the cheek and pull it out an inch. Let go. If it quickly returns to its place, it is a young cow. The longer it takes to return to spot, the older the cow.
The best method is to look at the teeth, but I don't know the aging rules on that. It doesn't matter to me how old a cow is as long as she is producing a calf every year and moves well. One that lays down a lot because of arthritis should go to the sale barn.
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
The silver just means they were tested for bangs, not vaccinated.
Outrigger2
Well-known member
there should also be a tattoo in the ear if vaccinated. the # on the left should indicate the year, if you can read it.
Outrigger2
Well-known member
my mistake the first# of the tattoo is the quarter of the year the animal was vaccinated followed by a shield and then the last digit is the year she was vaccinated. sorry for the confusion.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
Dusty Britches":244dytki said:
Is that a state related way of doing it? Here in Va, when mine have been vaccinated, the tag starts out as orange. By the time they're 2 yrs old it has turned silver. (the orange color has worn off)
3 of the cows I have purchased, their tags were also silver, but the tags were vaccination tags, not tags for testing. (I have the cow's health records).
So, this is not a wise a$$ question. I was curious if this silver tag/clip for testing was only in Texas as I have never heard of that before.
Katherine
