Hairy ears

[Dave]

I hate cows with hairy ears. Had another new calf this morning. Tried to read the cows ear tag number but there is so much hair that I haven't been able to read the number. I think I should have clippers at the chute when I tag the cows. Give the ear a hair cut. The flight zone on most of these cows is about 50 feet so it is not like I can get real close. I will go back later with good binoculars.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I've got a few that are impossible to read the tag numbers. They have been around long enough I know most of their numbers from memory at least.

 

[4hfarms]

Must be a northern thing....?

We have winter hair, but that is leaning towards wooly mammoth!

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Got to keep warm at -30 somehow.

 

[Dave]

These sale yard sweat hearts come with a variety of ear marks. I have one that the ear is split length wise. Put the tag in the upper part. The tag somehow got into the split so the number is hid behind the lower part. She hasn't calved yet so I haven't figure out how to mark the calves tag.

 

[Otha]

When you have them in the chute at tagging or for some other reason I use a tag cutter to cut the hair. Just grab the hair in front of the tag and cut it off with the tag cutter.
And no one comment about not having a tag cutter. They are cheap, and that's if you don't get a free one with someone's name on it.

 

[kenny thomas]

Everything i buy gets the ear hair trimmed and if a calf it gets the topknot trimmed also

 

[Dave]

When you have them in the chute at tagging or for some other reason I use a tag cutter to cut the hair. Just grab the hair in front of the tag and cut it off with the tag cutter.
And no one comment about not having a tag cutter. They are cheap, and that's if you don't get a free one with someone's name on it.

These old girls don't exactly hold their head still. I am thinking a quick snip with scissors might be the way to go. My tag knife is so dull I don't know how well it will cut hair.

 

[Ky hills]

This purebred Hereford has some big hairy ears. If the tag get turned up against her ear behind the hair can't hardly see that she has a tag let a line a number on it.
She'll shed off slick probably over the next couple weeks or so, but the ears will stay hair covered.

 

[Philip-TX]

Must be a northern thing....?

We have winter hair, but that is leaning towards wooly mammoth!

I was thinking YaK

 

[farmerjan]

We write the number on both the front and back of the tag, for those couple of cows that have those splits in the ears you are talking about. Of course, then they won't flip their ear so you can read it... I have a long range single lens to look at the cows sometimes if I can't see the tag.
We had a set of tags that would not hold a number for a year... had to rewrite and add a second tag in the other ear of the ones we kept when checked pregnant. PITA... but they get written on both sides so sometimes you can catch a glimpse of the back...
Also have a set of "backs" that are smaller tags, not just buttons, and they get written on when they get used with the tags...
No method is fool proof....