Ear Tagging for Good Records

[randiliana]

I've used a couple of different brands. Y-tex is my least favorite, but it is the easiest to get ahold of around here.

 

[WalnutCrest]

I'm thinking of rolling out a new system for ear tags ... trying to be both simple and informative ...

Green = fullblood
Yellow = purebred
White = less than purebred

Bulls = their right ear
Heifers = their left ear

Ear Tag Number = the appropriate Int'l Year Code letter followed by a three digit number for which calf it was from that year ... with ... the ear tag number (or two-letter code, as applicable) for each mama and each sire.

...so...

If a fullblood bull calf is born, sired by Orfevre AIA (via AI, his bull code would be, say, "AR") and out of our cow Xenia (ear tag X-001) ... then this bull calf would get a green ear tag in his right ear with the number B-001, and underneath it in smaller letters would be "AR" and "X-001". If he were kept in tact, then his lip would get a tattoo that would read "B001 AR X001".

Thoughts / suggestions?

 

[M5farm]

I'm thinking of rolling out a new system for ear tags ... trying to be both simple and informative ...

Green = fullblood
Yellow = purebred
White = less than purebred

Bulls = their right ear
Heifers = their left ear

Ear Tag Number = the appropriate Int'l Year Code letter followed by a three digit number for which calf it was from that year ... with ... the ear tag number (or two-letter code, as applicable) for each mama and each sire.

...so...

If a fullblood bull calf is born, sired by Orfevre AIA (via AI, his bull code would be, say, "AR") and out of our cow Xenia (ear tag X-001) ... then this bull calf would get a green ear tag in his right ear with the number B-001, and underneath it in smaller letters would be "AR" and "X-001". If he were kept in tact, then his lip would get a tattoo that would read "B001 AR X001".

Thoughts / suggestions?

I bought some z tags today I like yellow and cows get a number (no purebred here) calves get mamas number B or H last 2 of the year (30b14)

 

[Tim/South]

We are commercial, with registered bulls. I quit trying to tag calves with anything other than a number. We do place heifer tags in the left and bulls/steers in the right. We wait until the calves are a couple of months old before we tag or work them. Once a calf has a number then we record which cow that calf is nursing.

 

[LazyARanch]

we use blue ear tags for all the bull calves, tagged with their momma's numbers. We sell all our steers so it doesn't matter. Heifers we tag with different colors. Last year it was purple, this year will be pink, next year will be yellow, etc. Tag number begins with the year they are born and then their momma's numbers.

 

[randiliana]

We're commercial. All the calves get the same # as their mama, if I need any more info than that, I can look it up. Heifers get a white tag, bulls/steers get orange. Same ear as their mama. Any heifers we keep just get a number that isn't being used for another cow at that time. IMO the simpler the tagging system the better. The only thing I have considered changing would be to add a year letter to the cow's tags so I could know at a glance their age.

 

[tnwalkingred]

I put the day, month, and year they were born on a tag. Heifers get tags in the left ear and bulls in the right. I had a heifer born on April 20th 2013. Her left ear tag reads 4203. For fall calving you need 5 digits instead of 4. I always use bright orange ear tags (GO VOLS) and write it in with a commercial grade sharpie that is weather proof. I write all my information (tag number, birth weight, etc) in leather bound farm book and transfer that data to an excel spread sheet when I get home. The excel spread sheet has all kinds of data listed for each animal and is color coded so I can see which animals are related quickly and easily.

Kyle

 

[j&lfarms]

We just tag the calf with the same number as mama, that way you can keep track very easily wich calf is who's. Then we keep an index card on each cow and calf. On the cows card we have each calving date wrote down. What her calf grossed and then the net profit. Then we have some notes written down if needed. On the calves it is just birthdate sex weights and costs. Simple enough for me with a smaller operation, however I learned it from a guy who had many, many cows at one time and had used that system forever.

However, the first thing I learned from these boards is that everyone has their own opinion that they beleive is the "best" way to do something. Do what you want and get as detailed or skimpy as you wish.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I write their names on their ear tag! ;-)
They get an ear tatoo with their number and birth year. First calf born this year is 114. Second is 214 and so on. Pretty simple. If I did not name each one, that Number would go on their ear tag also.

 

[herofan]

My goodness, I didn't realize ear tags were so deep. I don't even use them at all. I guess I'm behind.

 

[Brute 23]

We are commercial, with registered bulls. I quit trying to tag calves with anything other than a number. We do place heifer tags in the left and bulls/steers in the right. We wait until the calves are a couple of months old before we tag or work them. Once a calf has a number then we record which cow that calf is nursing.

Same here. Not sure what kid of operation the poster is running but you don't need a lot of info if you going to auction with calves.

All our cattle have tags with a number. All the calves get tagged with number. Each bull gets a different color tag. Their offspring get the same color tag. I have an excel spreadsheet with all the cows and their birth month/ year. Same on the calves.

 

[Backbone Ranch]

We ear tag everything in the left ear. We write 3 digits on the tag. 1st digit is last number of the year (2014 has 4 as first digit in all ear tags). The next two digits state the gender (odd numbers bulls and even numbers heifers).
So the first bull of this year is 401. 1st heifer is 402. 9th bull is 417. So far we have 9 bulls and 4 heifers with three left to calve.

 

[Brute 23]

We ear tag everything in the left ear. We write 3 digits on the tag. 1st digit is last number of the year (2014 has 4 as first digit in all ear tags). The next two digits state the gender (odd numbers bulls and even numbers heifers).
So the first bull of this year is 401. 1st heifer is 402. 9th bull is 417. So far we have 9 bulls and 4 heifers with three left to calve.

I llike that. Odds and Evens. We always do left and right and that can be a pia.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

We always do left and right and that can be a pia.

I too do left and right and prefer it that way. I find it to be way easier to identify who is what, from a distance, that way. Females left, males right.

Where I used to work they had a similar method and the cows had tags in both ears. The same number in each ear, this way if a tag was lost there would still be a tag in the other ear. All the cows,bulls and calves also had RFID tags.

Katherine

 

[TexasBred]

My goodness, I didn't realize ear tags were so deep. I don't even use them at all. I guess I'm behind.

I've never had a big operation but do use ear tags. Was told many years ago to "learn your cattle". No two are the same. Have tried to practice this and even with holsteins you learn your cattle. Easy to point out cow families in a herd of hundreds.

 

[pdfangus]

my system was pretty simple.....I did not try to keep the whole pedigree on the tag....
because I wanted to freeze brand.....
and because I was too cheap to buy an alphabet of branding irons most of which I would only use once in my life....
I wanted a pure number system....
the angus association tatto use to be limited to four numbers and my tatto gun still is....
so I wanted a system of four numbers.
I did not want the chance of repeated numbers.
we had a sixty cow herd....my system would not work with a hundred or more....

first number was the last digit of the year
next three numbers were the sequence of birth not per year but overall....

example....
this is 2014
first number is four
sixty calves this year would be
4001 thru 4060
next year
5061 thru 5120
year after
6121 thru 6180
when I got to calf 999 the next one would be 000 then 001 and the odds are that the year number would be different.
999 divided by 60 should last 16.65 years so for 33 years the number would not repeat....calculate your own based on your cow numbers.

every animal has an individual non duplicated number which gives an indication of the age of the animal....most cattle producers will recall the parentage of an animal they raise anyway....I could usually trace my cows and bulls back to the original founding cows just by memeory but I had written records to back me up....I kept all my records in excel spreadsheets I created myself.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I just start at #1 and go up from there. I reuse tags when a cow is culled out and the calf gets the same tag # as the cow has.

Sort of do the same thing for steers. Heifers get a new number and are logged as to who the sire and dam are. There is a history for each cow based on her number. Small herd now. Starting over with number 1 keeps me on less pages.

 

[randiliana]

I just start at #1 and go up from there. I reuse tags when a cow is culled out and the calf gets the same tag # as the cow has.

Sort of do the same thing for steers. Heifers get a new number and are logged as to who the sire and dam are. There is a history for each cow based on her number. Small herd now. Starting over with number 1 keeps me on less pages.

We keep very in depth records here. I just figure trying to put all that info on a tag is TMI. For the most part I know my cows and usually it isn't so important to know who the sire or dam is that I can't look it up later (or most other info either.)

 

[TexasBred]

We keep very in depth records here. I just figure trying to put all that info on a tag is TMI. For the most part I know my cows and usually it isn't so important to know who the sire or dam is that I can't look it up later (or most other info either.)

AND cattle lose ear tags. If you're dependent on them you just lost your records.

 

[pdfangus]

had we not sold the cows I was going to implement a system using RFID implants in the ears....not tags...implants....

last spring when we worked the neighbors cows the vet put RFID tags in all the calves.... I still have two young bulls and one heifer who were weanlings at that time....one lost his RFID tag within thirty days....the other still has his...the heifer still has hers or did a week ago when I last saw her.