Ear Notches on bottle baby Dairy Calves?

[Casey0105]

We just bought 10 dairy cross bottle calves that came off of a dairy possibly in Texas. They all had what looks like a small ear notch on top of both ears. They were all under a week of age. We've never seen it before and wondered if that was testing for disease or something else??

 

[Son of Butch]

I've never seen anyone Notch the Top of both ears in calves and doesn't sound as if it came from removing ear tags.
Are you sure you didn't buy a group of baby pigs?

:welcome: to the boards

 

[M-5]

isn't there a test that some states require on dairy calves??

 

[M-5]

http://www.idexxbvdtesting.com/ I looked it up

 

[callmefence]

Ear notching is common here. Often done with a pocket knife in the pasture. Simple permanent way to distinguish calves From the neighbors. Without starting a fire.
I don't know about the dairy industry


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[Dave]

http://www.idexxbvdtesting.com/ I looked it up

I have PI tested for the last 5 years. It only takes a single notch and I don't know that you would do it on baby calves.

 

[SIMMGAL]

Ear notching is common here. Often done with a pocket knife in the pasture. Simple permanent way to distinguish calves From the neighbors. Without starting a fire.
I don't know about the dairy industry

We used to notch our beef calves, not so much anymore. The neighbor has dairy calves and notches all of their ears. Not uncommon around here either!