Patches?

[Black and Good]

The other day I Luted and patched 8 heifers. Their hair was pretty long. Within a couple days I noticed that one was missing a several were messed up. Upon inspecting them, it looked as though they had been licking and biting each others tags, as you could see where they were torn in a curve with a couple teeth marks. I've been using these for a few years now never had this happen before. Anyone else had this happen? :roll: Thanks B&G

 

[branguscowgirl]

Never had mine do that to their patches. Do they have branches or brush that they are getting torn on?
Maybe you have a rouge calf going around chewing them off while the cows are laying down. :lol:

 

[Black and Good]

Never had mine do that to their patches. Do they have branches or brush that they are getting torn on?
Maybe you have a rouge calf going around chewing them off while the cows are laying down. :lol:

BCG, I can't think of thing that they could rub them on. And also, they are in a small pasture by themselves as I'm about ready to add 4 more to them and turn in my new heifer bull ?? B&G

 

[double v]

what brand sometimes when the hair is longer this time of year I run the patches from tail to head and not across the tail base and they stay on. you can see it still being rubbed

 

[Black and Good]

what brand sometimes when the hair is longer this time of year I run the patches from tail to head and not across the tail base and they stay on. you can see it still being rubbed

Estrotect is the brand I have. I might try putting the lengthways. Thanks B&G

 

[LRTX1]

Whatever you do, don't pour fly dope on them at the same time you put patches on. They will be neon in a few minutes. :shock:

 

[branguscowgirl]

I also use Estrotect. Maybe with shedding they are particularly itchy right now and grooming each other a lot.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

That is why I use the paint stick, or grease marker/livestock marker. Those things are quick and easy to use, and we stripe the cows in the pasture while we are inspecting (most of our cows we can walk up and scratch their behinds). The mark stays on for weeks, or even months depending on how much she scratches. And a livestock marker cost $1.10 and last about 20 or 30 cows, depending on how much marker I apply.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I have tried the markers. I can't find one that I can see at a distance on my black cattle well enough.

 

[3waycross]

We shave the tailhead when we apply the patches and wipe them down with alcohol to remove the natural oil on their skin...it helps

 

[ousoonerfan22]

Anybody have pictures?

 

[Workinonit Farm]

We shave the tailhead when we apply the patches and wipe them down with alcohol to remove the natural oil on their skin...it helps

Where I used to work, that's how it was done. Originally Kamars were used, then we/they switched to the scratch-off type. Applied lengthwise, not crossways.

 

[3waycross]

We shave the tailhead when we apply the patches and wipe them down with alcohol to remove the natural oil on their skin...it helps

Where I used to work, that's how it was done. Originally Kamars were used, then we/they switched to the scratch-off type. Applied lengthwise, not crossways.

Yep!

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I have tried the markers. I can't find one that I can see at a distance on my black cattle well enough.

Ours are black! But we use the hot pink or orange ones, or even the florescent yellow ones.

Here is an example of the chalk

Here is one just to compare the pink to the yellow

Not sure how you can not see that on your cows! Ron was out picking up his heifer, and I showed him where we had bred animals, more than 60 post breeding, that still had a good stripe on their tailheads...
Oh, and by the way, that is what all the diaries I worked with in CA used. That is where I learned the trick. And the vets used it to mark the rear of the cows if they were open or how many days bred... so the owner could go back later and look at the rump and record which cows were open and which were bred.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Here is a link to the marker. The Paintstick is what I used, and the dairies.

http://www.allweathermarker.com/hand-he ... k-markers/

 

[nkotb]

We use the estrotect patches, but put on a strip of eye patch glue, it is the same glue they use at sale barns for back tags. Haven't had one fall off yet, and saves shaving the tailhead.

 

[branguscowgirl]

This is taken by my cell phone, so not the best pic. But it is nearly dark, on a rainy evening, and I can see these neon pink patches from the window in the house all the way across the pasture. I don't think that the paint sticks give you that kind of clarity no matter how thick you put it on.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

This is taken by my cell phone, so not the best pic. But it is nearly dark, on a rainy evening, and I can see these neon pink patches from the window in the house all the way across the pasture. I don't think that the paint sticks give you that kind of clarity no matter how thick you put it on.]

Well, since I walk through the cows twice daily, it is easy for me to tell if someone is in heat or the stripe is gone. The stripe is just a secondary heat detection tool, with my visual appraisal of behavior being first (riding, sniffing, baby Bulls hanging out with her... And others). I just find the marker easier to use; I just walk up behind her and place a stripe. And at $1.10 a stick, which will work on about 30 or so cows... It is pretty cheap. And no need to run her through the chute. I did get a free sample of 5 of those pink patches, and too me they were a pain so I went back to my stick. :nod: different methods for different people, which is a good thing.

 

[branguscowgirl]

This is taken by my cell phone, so not the best pic. But it is nearly dark, on a rainy evening, and I can see these neon pink patches from the window in the house all the way across the pasture. I don't think that the paint sticks give you that kind of clarity no matter how thick you put it on.]

Well, since I walk through the cows twice daily, it is easy for me to tell if someone is in heat or the stripe is gone. The stripe is just a secondary heat detection tool, with my visual appraisal of behavior being first (riding, sniffing, baby Bulls hanging out with her... And others). I just find the marker easier to use; I just walk up behind her and place a stripe. And at $1.10 a stick, which will work on about 30 or so cows... It is pretty cheap. And no need to run her through the chute. I did get a free sample of 5 of those pink patches, and too me they were a pain so I went back to my stick. :nod: different methods for different people, which is a good thing.

I work out of town a lot and the caretaker has to identify cattle in heat while I am gone. He does not look or see what I do. But he will notice a patch. Most of my cows do not need to go through the chute to apply.