Not sure where to put this so it stopped here. Is anyone else having issue with disappearing ink from Z Tag? We put 100 heifers into our herd last fall and purchased another 150 bred cattle. Nearly every one has a blank tag now. Out of over 600 calves, I would guess less then 10% still legible. Our supplier is replacing the cow tags but what a mess!
Z Tag Ink
- Thread starter gcreekrch
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Same issue, different tags. Y-Tex.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
Wow, that sucks big time. I assume you use preprinted tags, we write ours out.
We have never had any problem with ink on the front of Z tags.
But I put each tag in the microwave for 20 seconds after writing them out.
Someone on here suggested it years ago and it seems to help to keep the ink dark years later.
These are blank tags that I write on. Have never tried the microwave as we don't own one.
Rancher
Well-known member
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did you use the correct ink or one of those black laundry type markers. I use the special ink that comes in a small bottle that has a little pin hole to write with on Z tags
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
My best friend writes the tags in the field when checking cows. He goes over the numbers twice and then holds the tag in front of the exhaust on the four wheeler for a minute. He swears by it.
Ky hills
Well-known member
We had the same issue with Y-Tex too a couple years back.
Also the same with Y-Tex. Still somewhat legible but I have to give them new ear tags every couple years. Some tag colors seem to fade more than others. Red, green, purple & pink seem to last longer. I've tried every pen out there but not the bottle. Actually considering a dremel.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I'm having issues with Z-tag also.
simme
Old Dumb Guy
Freeze brand done correctly - permanent. But definitely higher cost in materials and labor.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I had the same problem with Allflex tags I was writing on. I was using the same special pen that I had been using for years with no problem in fact some much older cows I worked this morning had very legible tags but younger ones have faded very quickly. For this years calves and last years I have used preprinted tags and all good so far. It is as though they are using a different plastic that doesn't take up the ink when hand written.
Ken
Ken
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
Yes, but freeze branding isn't really a good option for IDing baby calves at birth. We've been FBing our replacement hfrs for about 11years. Finally got the whole heard branded. We still tag calves at birth, and tattoo some of the char cross hfrs just as a back up to the FB.
Z tag pens too. This is the first year it has happened. There are older cows here with still legible tags.
I received our new allflex tags today and I noticed a difference in the tag material rt away. Seems slicker with a coating on it that made me skeptical if it would hold any ink. With that said, I remembered reading about this thread on here a few weeks back so I am trying the microwave trick to see if warming them after writing them out would help them absorb more of the ink. Don't have the patience to do them one at a time with as many as we have to do for the calves so trying four at a time for 35sec. Will see if that helps them hold the ink. Gcreekrch I am glad you brought this up but man thats gotta sux. Did your supplier say why the manufacturer changed the tag material? Or is anyone else having this trouble too?
Rydero
Well-known member
Used Z-tags and Z tag markers here and at work without issue. Markers might have been from the year before. Bad batch of one or the other?
Silver
Well-known member
I have a suspicion that the ink in all ear tag markers comes out of the same tap. In spite of that, I tend to buy Z Tag markers for use on my Allflex tags.
Rydero
Well-known member
Somewhere I heard Z tag markers are the best but that's hardly definitive. I've used Allflex markers on my Z tags in the past without an issue, lol. Only time I had tags wash out over the summer was when I used a permanent marker when the tag marker got misplaced.
