Cattle Identification

[VanC]

Okay I will admit it!!!!

Each beast has a name. I have it in the computer as to when they were born and who to, but can remember most of them and can tell who the mother is just by looking at them.

I use forum member names who give me permission to name a beast after them, so it is easy to come up with hundreds of names on being on more than one forum.

If you have one that's old, has a bad back and is uglier than a burnt stump......you have my permission to call it Van.

 

[Animal Track Farm]

I have a small herd. I use pre numbered tags and just go in order. I do put the cows name on the tag also. Tag in left ear. Date of birth mother etc. goes in my notebook.

 

[Suzie Q]

LOL VanC. The only black one I have at the moment is Blackie. A calf not weaned yet. Out of a greyman cow (murray grey x brahman) and a 7/8ths Bazadais Bull - 1/8 droughtmaster. The cow is grey, but has thrown a black calf. I don't know if it will stay black.

I do have a couple of cows who I will look closely at the next time I bring them up. I think there might be one down there without a name. She is not black or terribly old, but I am happy to call her Van if you like.

 

[vclavin]

First number is the year the calf is born. Calves are numbered in the order they are born.

We do this also, and we use blue tags for registered Angus and green for Angus x. Females receive 2 tags light bue and 1 dark blue , bulls 1 dark blue tag . Angus x females receive 2 tags, 1 light green and 1 dark green, bulls receive 1 dark green tag.
At birth, we use small white tags for registered and yellow for xbreeds. birthdate and dam # is also put on these tags. At weaning we give them their permanent tags.
Valerie

 

[6M Ranch]

Cows are numbered in the left ear, from 1 to 100. Both sides of tag. In addition, on back of tag is my phone number in case they get out. Calves get the same number in their ears, temporarily. Calves also get the sire abbreviation on their tag. If they stay, they get the next number in line. In case I forget who I'm looking at, I have a small herd book in my pocket with their number and important information about them written down.

Used different systems through the years, and this works extremely well. At least for me.

 

[SEKDUTTON]

i know this is a little of subject but what is the best tag/tagger to use or are they all about the same as far as long lasting. also can the tags be used with other brands of taggers or are they very specific. just wondering, thanks

 

[Angus In Texas]

We tag all calves in the left ear. At birth, each calve is tagged and numbered in order of their birth dates..... first calve born this year would be 1001 .... 10 being for 2010 and the 01 being the first calf born. We don't have over 99 head so it works. You could also do 0001 or the year letter then three digits. To identify the dam and sire, we use Ritchie engravable tags. I have Ritchie engrave the tags for me. The sire's ID number goes at the top, the calves number in the middle in larger font and then the dam's number on the bottom. Makes it easy to identify year born, sire and dam. You don't have to worry about repeat numbers as each animal carries their own number based on birth order.

 

[randiliana]

i know this is a little of subject but what is the best tag/tagger to use or are they all about the same as far as long lasting. also can the tags be used with other brands of taggers or are they very specific. just wondering, thanks

Well, we all have our own preferences. I prefer to use Y-tex tags. I find that in my situation they have really good retention. They have a hard plastic collar in the tag hole that prevents the button from being pulled out. As far as ink, I like to use the tag marking paint on my cow tags, it burns into the tag and lasts forever. On the calf tags, that are only used for about a year, I use Z-tag pens, I have found that it penetrates better than most and you can still read tags in the fall. I have had years where by fall the tags were unreadable.

 

[upfrombottom]

Okay I will admit it!!!!

Each beast has a name. I have it in the computer as to when they were born and who to, but can remember most of them and can tell who the mother is just by looking at them.

I use forum member names who give me permission to name a beast after them, so it is easy to come up with hundreds of names on being on more than one forum.

If you have one that's old, has a bad back and is uglier than a burnt stump......you have my permission to call it Van.

If you have one that is crazier than a stomped on pi$$-ant, put UFB on that one.

 

[dun]

I thought the really ugly ones were supposed to be named cfpinz! That's what I do.

 

[matthiaswh]

Hey,

Thanks for all the great replies. It's really surprising how everyone has their own variation on a numbering and tagging system, and that there's not a more concrete model used.

Sekdutton,
Ketchum Mfg. is an old and trusted company that makes blank or numbered/lettered cattle ear tags at http://www.ketchummfg.com/c87/402-Cow-S ... s-c94.html . They also have tags for calves and other livestock.

Nearly every tagging plier should work with any ordinary plastic ear tag. The differences are mostly ergonomic or a "guarantee to pierce and lock every time".


Regards

 

[Suzie Q]

The pliers we have have an insert. You take it out to put in an identification tag and put it in for the NLIS tags that you don't have yet. (Or visa versa)

UFB it is. A new calf this morning and I have never had so much trouble getting a good photo. I had fed out round bales and the calf kept galloping and cantering around behind other beasts so I could not get a photo. UFB is a boy. Gemma is his Mum, closest to the camera.

 

[LuckyLegs]

Heifers left ear, Bulls & steers right ear. Sequential number. DOB and parent info recorded in book.

 

[upfrombottom]

UFB it is. A new calf this morning and I have never had so much trouble getting a good photo. I had fed out round bales and the calf kept galloping and cantering around behind other beasts so I could not get a photo. UFB is a boy. Gemma is his Mum, closest to the camera

I feel honored. Just a suggestion, you had better band him in a hurry, or lock up your heifers.

 

[Suzie Q]

Hahashaha, yes we band for steers and don't usually keep them.

Although I have just sold a rental property so who knows. We have an idea to maybe find some land somewhere where we can send the weanlings to grow out. We can then sell or bring them back here to join ourbreeding herd when they are old enough. We only have 100 acres here and it is not big enough to keep everything.

 

[Livestock-D]

Hey,

Thanks for all the great replies. It's really surprising how everyone has their own variation on a numbering and tagging system, and that there's not a more concrete model used.

Sekdutton,
Ketchum Mfg. is an old and trusted company that makes blank or numbered/lettered cattle ear tags at http://www.ketchummfg.com/c87/402-Cow-S ... s-c94.html . They also have tags for calves and other livestock.

Nearly every tagging plier should work with any ordinary plastic ear tag. The differences are mostly ergonomic or a "guarantee to pierce and lock every time".


Regards

I would strongly suggest reading this post on Cattle Ear Tag Retention, it has all the tips needed to improve tag retention.
Not all applicators are compatible with cattle ear tags.

http://livestock-id.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... ntion.html