Ear tags

[SRBeef]

There must be something about this time of year and ear tags.... I was checking out the calves yesterday (last one calved yesterday afternoon) trying ot get some photos and identifying marks so I can tell which calf goes with which cow when we work all of them in July.

I was surprised to find 3 cows with eartags either broken off (2-stud and ring still in place) or missing completely (1) with a rather large hole showing and close to the edge of the ear.

These are Duflex extra large and all three are cows that I purchased and came with the tags.

The one with the large open hole got me thinking that it looked like the tag was originally applied too close to the edge of the ear. The Duflex instruction sheet shows then going in about the middle of the ear with the stud well between the two cartilidge ribs. None of these three missing really looks like it is in the place they recommend in the instructions. The ones I've applied I tried to hit that spot and they seem to have held but are the smaller size tags.

I wonder if the smaller size tag in the correct position would solve a lot of these tag problems? Two questions there I guess, size and location. Do smaller tags really stay in better as a calf turns into a retained heifer and cow. Should I leave the small tags in? I have been changing tags on the keepers.

How important is a reasonable variation in location in the ear to retention?

Jim

 

[showing71]

I've noticed this year that the buttons on our Y-tex tags haven't been holding up. I've tagged calves that are a day old and go out the next day and find the brand new tag on the ground, or during tagging the buttons break. Any one having this problem? Or did I just get a bad couple of bags?

How important is a reasonable variation in location in the ear to retention?

Jim

I put tags in the middle of the ear in the middle lobe. Some years several calves/cows rip them out (cows have large tag, calves small), then the next year they all stay in and none get ripped out. I think retention depends on what the animal does in the pasture/dry lot, like if they are rubbing on everything or not.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Guy down the road has 7 pair, got tags in both ears of all 14 head. Got numbers like C-15-A and stuff like that on the tags. Wonder what is is recording? :cowboy:

Maybe it is kind of like the ladies who have a half dozen earings in their ear Most of my cows have ears like jack rabbits. Lots of real estate.

My cows get number tags for i.d. and fly tags too. Without numbers it would be hard to keep up with who is who.

 

[TexasBred]

Looks like you're selling. ;-)

 

[msscamp]

The key is to not to use the same hole if you have to replace one in an older cow.

Anytime a cow lost her tag we always retagged using the same hole, never made a difference on the retention time of the tag.

As far as the "best" tag, we've used pretty much every one on the market - they all have their good points, as well as their bad points. The last several years, we used Y-Tex tags that were custom numbered at the local co-op because of the flexibility - they worked very well. One thing I have noticed with my goats - Y-Tex is a lot easier to tag with because the point is a lot sharper than All-Flex. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Douglas]

Do the sale barns reference your tag number?

 

[MoGal]

There must be something about this time of year and ear tags.... I was checking out the calves yesterday (last one calved yesterday afternoon) trying ot get some photos and identifying marks so I can tell which calf goes with which cow when we work all of them in July.

I was surprised to find 3 cows with eartags either broken off (2-stud and ring still in place) or missing completely (1) with a rather large hole showing and close to the edge of the ear.

These are Duflex extra large and all three are cows that I purchased and came with the tags.

The one with the large open hole got me thinking that it looked like the tag was originally applied too close to the edge of the ear. The Duflex instruction sheet shows then going in about the middle of the ear with the stud well between the two cartilidge ribs. None of these three missing really looks like it is in the place they recommend in the instructions. The ones I've applied I tried to hit that spot and they seem to have held but are the smaller size tags.

I wonder if the smaller size tag in the correct position would solve a lot of these tag problems? Two questions there I guess, size and location. Do smaller tags really stay in better as a calf turns into a retained heifer and cow. Should I leave the small tags in? I have been changing tags on the keepers.

How important is a reasonable variation in location in the ear to retention?

Jim

SR - I think Duflex has changed something..... We've always used them and some have their same tag going on 4 years now (with the ink as bright as it was when we put it on) Last year and this year we've had more problems with the tags coming out, the ink fading and the tag ripping off underneath where its pinned in the ear. What good does it do to have a tag when the ink is so faded you can't read it unless they are in the head chute. I think they've changed the way they manufacture the plastic and the ink..... for the worst.

 

[Livestock-D]

How about a serious post on ear tags.
Anyone have an ear tag that will not come out in normal pasture conditions. Worked 70 cows and had to replace 5. Not a big expense but would love to have one that never comes out. Also one that the numbers will not fade.
Any suggestions?

Hello Everyone, here is 2 great posts on Ear Tags, also a very use post to improve Tag Retention, which provides great tips, some you might not have thought about.

CCIA Approved Tags:
http://livestock-id.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... -tags.html

USDA 840 Approved Ear Tags:
http://livestock-id.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... -tags.html

How to Improve RFID Tag Retention:
http://livestock-id.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... ntion.html

 

[bird dog]

I use the tags from the sheep supply house Premier. You can put your name or ranch name on them. They are two sided. The color fades some but the number and lettering is still legible after the six or seven years that I have been using them. The ones I have are to small with my bad eyes but they have a new larger version now. I run about 40 cows and lose about two a year. One thing that I have noticed about a cow losing her tag is when I dump off a round bail and the cow starts scratching her head on it before I get a ring over it, they hang the tag on the strings and jerk it off. Maybe they do this on purpose?

 

[Suzie Q]

I remove the netting before I put the round bales down.

I am sure you could still put a ring over them then, even if the cattle have had a go at pulling it apart. I don't know, I don't have any experience with that and I guess it might depend on what kind of hay you are feeding.

 

[HOSS]

The Y-Tex ink in a metal tube kind of like a magic marker is the best stuff I've found. After 4 years the are still as dark and legible as the day they were put in. The stuff eats into the tag and the pigment maintanes it's color.

This is the method that I use for calves. I use a standard yellow Y-Tex pre-numbered tag on the cows and the calves get an orange Y-Tex tag that I use the magic marker (paint marker) that dun is reffering to. I number the calves the same as their momma with an added letter B for bull calf and H for heifer calf. If momma is #65 then her calf will be either 65B or 65H depending on sex. When mommas tag starts to fade I just color the number in with the marker and it is probably better than the original factory number. Over the last few years I have lost a handfull of tags. I just replace them with a handwritten Y-Tex with their same number. It is a good thing I don't have a hundred head as that could be confusing.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I use Permaflex (almost same as Allflex but cheaper) but I don't like their buttons, so I buy Allflex buttons. I tag our newborns with Ex-Large, hand written numbers (same as tattoo number). Usually, by about 3-4 years old, the numbers get slightly faded. At this time, I replace with Richey tags that you engrave - they NEVER fade, the tag is layered colors. I tag all heifer calves with red tags in the left ear, all males calves with yellow tags in the right ear. Customers/friends can walk thru the herd and easily ID sexes when they can't SEE all the pertinent parts of the calf Also, makes for easy sorting.
In my mature herd, all females we raised have red tags and all purchased females get yellow tags.

 

[Suzie Q]

That is a GREAT idea Jeanne. Thank you.

 

[brenda]

We've used Allflex for years. Have noticed lately that we are losing quite a few of them. Thought about trying the Z tags next go round. I believe Allflex must have something going on with the materials.