Double R Ranch
Well-known member
How do you all work your ear tag numbers on cows, calves and bulls?
RR
RR
Tag numbers
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Cows are tagged with the letter designation for the year of birth and a sequential number of thier birth for that year. For last year the first calf born was a heifer and her number is R1, the second heifer born was the 2nd calf born so her number is R2, etc. That's their permanant tag number and would also be their tattoo number. The heifers we ratained form last year are R1, R2, R3, R7, R59, R114, and R117.
As calves are born they're tagged sequentially with an orange tag, heifers in the left ear bulls in the right. Orange because it's easier to see at a distance. First calf is 1, second is 2 etc. When we select the heifers we'll retain they get permanant tags in their left ears.
We used to try ti incorpaorate the cows and bulls numbers somewa, then we started leaving off the bull, then we finally decided the way we do it now would be simpler. We also used to include their DOB on the tag but the tags got crowded. Now if we want ot know who is who and who their sire and dam are it's easier to just look up their number in the tally book.
When we do the spring and fall workup we use a list with each calfs ID and a notation of DOB, sire and dam and what work they need done and each cows ID with what she needs done. For fall work up we have just ID numbers with what they need done.
dun
As calves are born they're tagged sequentially with an orange tag, heifers in the left ear bulls in the right. Orange because it's easier to see at a distance. First calf is 1, second is 2 etc. When we select the heifers we'll retain they get permanant tags in their left ears.
We used to try ti incorpaorate the cows and bulls numbers somewa, then we started leaving off the bull, then we finally decided the way we do it now would be simpler. We also used to include their DOB on the tag but the tags got crowded. Now if we want ot know who is who and who their sire and dam are it's easier to just look up their number in the tally book.
When we do the spring and fall workup we use a list with each calfs ID and a notation of DOB, sire and dam and what work they need done and each cows ID with what she needs done. For fall work up we have just ID numbers with what they need done.
dun
LonghornRanch
Well-known member
I brand a herd number that is different than my eat tags numbers. Ear Tags are "even numbers for cows", "odd numbers for bulls". Left ear for females, right ear for bulls.
Hasbeen
Well-known member
I bought eight heifers in Nov, '05. Although I bought them at auction, they all had the same type tags and were sold as a group. I've always wondered what the significance of the tag numbers were. 402, 404, 405, 479, 480, 496, and 602. If not for 602, I would think the first number indicated their birth year.
Hasbeen":170q0di5 said:
AMy have just been a large group of tags that were in order and they were tagged for id purposes. A neighbor buys them in lots of a thousand sequentila from 1 to 999. He just tags them as they're born and when he runs out of tags starts with another batch of 1000 but a different color
dun
randiliana
Well-known member
We give the cow an individual number, then tag her calf with the same number as the cow. If we keep a heifer we will pick an unused number and shortly before they go out on grass as yearlings we will tag her with that number. We use Orange tags for bull calves and White tags for heifer calves, both are easy to see from a distance, and it is easy to tell who is a heifer or a steer without having to look for body parts ;-)
Registered cows are tagged with their registration tatoo number, calves are tagged to match cows, then changed to their registration numbers when they are registered. Non-registered cattle are tagged with sequential tags - usually of a different color.
My commercial calves get the same number as their dam. The registered calves get a three digit combo of year, sire, and number born by that sow. the same system as Werhmen. Like my calves by Rito 6I6. 6I6 in my herd is the J sire. So his first calve is 6J1. This is also their tattoo.
my cows are all red and i use a different color each year for calves (this year yellow) and the calf number matches the cow. heifers right ear steers left. when i work the calves at weaning i change heifers to red and find an open number.
I just buy prenumbered allflex tags (red), and write it down this way.
Number of the tag, Color of the heifer, [Tag # and color of its momma].
So far so good, but lately I think it's getting kind of messy this way.
Number of the tag, Color of the heifer, [Tag # and color of its momma].
So far so good, but lately I think it's getting kind of messy this way.
we use blank tags, all cows are in sequence, calves get the same number as the momma plus the year, such as cow 50 her calf is 50-6 heifers get white tags bulls get blue easy to spot, these go in the left ear when we wean they get their EI tags in same ear above this tag and further back in the ear.
