So you are already having to do this. Is it an ear tag?
Yes it is an ear tag with a bar code on it that is read by a barcode reader as the animal runs through the chute. The barcode is registered to the person who bought the tags along with the person's land address. It is supposed to be recorded everytime an animal is bought or sold. This way, if there is a problem, they can trace the animal to its farm of origin and know where it has been since. The new ones are supposed to have an electronic chip in them that is supposed to be able to be read from about 3 feet away. They are even more expensive than the bar code ones (@ $5 each) but we may get subsidized for part of that. Still, an extra expense I could have done without at this point in time.