I guess practically every dairy farmer here uses tail paint. Very few use spray tail paint.
It's just not as easy to apply and doesn't last as long, not as visible.
The stuff I use comes in a 1 litre bottle with a brush attached to the top - I'm trying to google up an image. It should last 3 - 4 weeks from application on most cows, provided they're not rubbing their backsides on tree branches or riding each other (??). In practice, I refresh the paint at least weekly on any cows that are starting to crack or fade so that I'm not left wondering if 349's paint has faded slightly because she's coming into heat or because it's 5 weeks since she was painted and she's pregnant. Large herd situation, you need every tail head bright so you notice the ones that aren't.
My concern with the paint is that some people may(as some of my relief breeders have done with chalk in the past) stop and look at a cow that is just starting to ride and since they can't make up their mind they'll cake the paint on thinking it will make a ride more obvious the next day but in reality the next day she'll look like everyone else in the herd
It happens. That's where observation comes into play - and the self-discipline not to re-paint the cow in the expectation that if she's riding she'll be rubbed bald again. After you've done it a couple of times you'll know it's not a good thing. Better practice - put a mark on the cow so you notice her (on her udder or rump if it's a dairy) and look at her again later. If she's still uncertain, breed her anyway.
I haven't used the estrotect patches but think I should - after the first cycle of AI when most of the cows are pregnant it seems like looking for a 'positive' signal would be more effective than continually refreshing the tailpaint on pregnant cows. Thus far I've kept tailpaint on the herd from six weeks pre-mating (to observe that they are cycling and catch dates) to about nine weeks of mating, then let it lapse and rely on observation for the last 3 - 4 weeks while the bulls are out with the cows.
This link:
http://www.fil.co.nz/products/markers/ "tell tail" is the stuff I use.
I have one cow who complains every year that she's allergic. I paint her with the rest of the herd and by morning the paint's gone, flicked off with her tail. So I don't bother repainting her - she has good cycles and gets in calf anyway.
Usage for 280 cows was about 8 or 9 bottles I think - red for not yet cycled, green for cycled, blue for mated hopefully pregnant.
