Tagging calves

[Randi]

Curious as to why some opt to go to the trouble of tagging a heifer calf, then removing that tag upon retaining her, and issuing a new tag?

For us, it's simple. I need an easy way to keep track of pairs. We send to too many pastures and the easiest way to keep track of pairs is to tag the calf the same as the cow. There is no confusion this way. Plus, we only keep about 30-40 replacements a year, using feedlot tags(its what we use in all the calves)keeps the cost down, and we are only replacing about $15-$20 worth of tags a year. And this way, we are not putting expensive tags in the calves, $.60 tags rather than $1.50 tags...

 

[JCcattle]

Curious as to why some opt to go to the trouble of tagging a heifer calf, then removing that tag upon retaining her, and issuing a new tag?

We don't retag replacement heifers. We keep only as many as are the best heifers each year - approx 25% of the heifers each year. Not much chance of us having a repeat of the same numbered cow in ten years I guess if there was a double and the old mama was still good to go we'd give the young one a new tag and number. Haven't run into it yet! I guess everyone has their way. This has been very interesting for me! Thanks so far all you!

 

[Silver]

Curious as to why some opt to go to the trouble of tagging a heifer calf, then removing that tag upon retaining her, and issuing a new tag?

For us, it's simple. I need an easy way to keep track of pairs. We send to too many pastures and the easiest way to keep track of pairs is to tag the calf the same as the cow. There is no confusion this way. Plus, we only keep about 30-40 replacements a year, using feedlot tags(its what we use in all the calves)keeps the cost down, and we are only replacing about $15-$20 worth of tags a year. And this way, we are not putting expensive tags in the calves, $.60 tags rather than $1.50 tags...

Okay, I can see you wanting to save $.90 per heifer calf. Our heifers get the cows number plus her own number, so no advantage there... We use the smaller tags on the steers with only the dams number. I don't pull them off at sale time either.
If it works for you that's great, I'm just small time so the extra $.90 seems like a small price to pay to not have to monkey with them again for the sake of a tag.

 

[Randi]

Curious as to why some opt to go to the trouble of tagging a heifer calf, then removing that tag upon retaining her, and issuing a new tag?

For us, it's simple. I need an easy way to keep track of pairs. We send to too many pastures and the easiest way to keep track of pairs is to tag the calf the same as the cow. There is no confusion this way. Plus, we only keep about 30-40 replacements a year, using feedlot tags(its what we use in all the calves)keeps the cost down, and we are only replacing about $15-$20 worth of tags a year. And this way, we are not putting expensive tags in the calves, $.60 tags rather than $1.50 tags...

Okay, I can see you wanting to save $.90 per heifer calf. Our heifers get the cows number plus her own number, so no advantage there... We use the smaller tags on the steers with only the dams number. I don't pull them off at sale time either.
If it works for you that's great, I'm just small time so the extra $.90 seems like a small price to pay to not have to monkey with them again for the sake of a tag.

Well, when we retag, it's when we put them thru the chute for another reason. Either when we weigh or when we vaccinate. Doesn't take much time to cut a tag and put a better quality permanent tag in them.

 

[Randi]

And we don't have any special tagging system. Just any unused number from 1-300 (at the moment).

 

[Silver]

I like to be able to look through the females of any age and at a glance see who they are out of without resorting to using my poor memory or my herd book. Just my own little hangup.

 

[Tbrake]

Off topic what tags does everyone have good luck with as for tags? I have been using ztag feedlot tags (15$ for 50) by yearling time id day close to half are gone. I like to use allflex maxi's for cows, anyone know a tag that last longer than allflex?

 

[Silver]

Off topic what tags does everyone have good luck with as for tags? I have been using ztag feedlot tags (15$ for 50) by yearling time id day close to half are gone. I like to use allflex maxi's for cows, anyone know a tag that last longer than allflex?

I really haven't noticed much difference between Ritchie, Allflex, and Z-tags as far as retention goes.
I'm using the Ritchie engrave-able tags the last few years because I'm tired of ink fade on the others. We had quit Ritchie quite a few years ago because a lot of the tags were breaking off well below the button on the stem of the tag, but it looks like they fixed that.

 

[Supa Dexta]

My heifers get a calf tag with whatever number they were born at in the order, they keep that number until they calve then then get double tagged with their cow number in each ear.

All calves get tagged as they come out, heifers too as I dont know which I'll be keeping until months after.

 

[Randi]

Off topic what tags does everyone have good luck with as for tags? I have been using ztag feedlot tags (15$ for 50) by yearling time id day close to half are gone. I like to use allflex maxi's for cows, anyone know a tag that last longer than allflex?

I like Ytex tags for the cows. Retention is really good. The calves get Ztag feedlot tags.

 

[JCcattle]

We put in the big allflex tags on the newborn heifers and our steers get feedlot Z-tags. Happy with how long the Allflex tags stay in but doesn't help much when in a few years it's just a blank tag in their ear. Gonna try new markers. The feedlot tags last for our steers as long as we have them around.

Haha that's a bad pic if there ever was one. Was trying to get a view of that lump. But also you can see or not see how bad these tags are they are from 2012. Embarrassingly enough it's all 3 colors from Dads herd. He only has one silver cow but it threw a silver heifer he's keeping. :?

 

[Ky hills]

Have done it different ways. 3 days ago, found our first 2018 calf, knew the cow was close but hadn't thought about what to put on the calf tag. I put the cow number on top in small size and then wrote the calf number 1 in larger size.
This year, I'm using Temple 2 piece calf tags. We changed our cow tags last fall to Y Tex, Had used them for years, then got some defective fly tag buttons, and said I wouldn't use that brand any more. Then when trying to decide what kind to use for the cows, decided to try them again as we hadn't had any problem with the regular tags.

 

[dun]

Curious as to why some opt to go to the trouble of tagging a heifer calf, then removing that tag upon retaining her, and issuing a new tag?

That's pretty simple really. We don;t retain or sell as breeding stock every heifer born. Most go to the salebarn with the steers. Our criteria for breeding stock is as tough for heifers as it is for bulls.

That's fine. No different here. But what does that have to do with the tag change?

We use cheap tags for the calves and use a better quaility permanent tag that is larger for post weaning permanent tags

 

[dun]

We put in the big allflex tags on the newborn heifers and our steers get feedlot Z-tags. Happy with how long the Allflex tags stay in but doesn't help much when in a few years it's just a blank tag in their ear. Gonna try new markers. The feedlot tags last for our steers as long as we have them around.

Haha that's a bad pic if there ever was one. Was trying to get a view of that lump. But also you can see or not see how bad these tags are they are from 2012. Embarrassingly enough it's all 3 colors from Dads herd. He only has one silver cow but it threw a silver heifer he's keeping. :?

The ink we use is Destron Super Marker. The oldest tags we used it on are 12 years old and are still legible from a distance. I do it with 2 coats of ink. Works on both Y-Tex and Z-tags. Some of the origianl calf tags are so faded you can;t read them so I just redo them with the new marker.

 

[True Grit Farms]

We write the last digit of the year born first, then the order it was born on the front of the tag. On the back of the tag is the Dames number. Steers get tagged in the LEFT ear, heifers in the right, and that's harder than it sounds sometimes. With old eyes It's hard enough for me to read a few big numbers, KISS.

 

[greatgerts]

Curious as to why some opt to go to the trouble of tagging a heifer calf, then removing that tag upon retaining her, and issuing a new tag?

We try and use a color code system. Bull A's calves get yellow tags, Bull B's get green tags, Bull C's gets white tags. That is easy for us to notice differences in sire groups, since we will normally rotate cows between groups to try different matings. We keep those tags in until the heifers are ready to breed, and we will then change it to who owns her. My dad has blue tags and I have orange.

 

[dun]

We write the last digit of the year born first, then the order it was born on the front of the tag. On the back of the tag is the Dames number. Steers get tagged in the LEFT ear, heifers in the right, and that's harder than it sounds sometimes. With old eyes It's hard enough for me to read a few big numbers, KISS.

We do just the opposite sides. Left for heifers and right for boys

 

[JCcattle]

I guess none of you are like me I can't for the life of me remember left and right :???: on my drivers test I had to tell the guy he'd need to point which way he wanted me to turn and he obliged thankfully :kid: when I tag calves I think of the ear I can see when they run out of the ring! Yes I know I have a problem lol

 

[Randi]

I guess none of you are like me I can't for the life of me remember left and right :???: on my drivers test I had to tell the guy he'd need to point which way he wanted me to turn and he obliged thankfully :kid: when I tag calves I think of the ear I can see when they run out of the ring! Yes I know I have a problem lol

I have the same problem. Its easy using different colour tags, lol.

 

[Dave]

I just put the cow number on a calf tag. The date of birth etc is recorded in the record book. Any calves that are retained will get their own tag later. I have used one color for bull calves and another for heifers. It does make for easier sorting later. As for left ear/right ear...... i worry more about getting the tag facing the right direction. I usually get one tag a year facing the wrong way.