Ear Tags
- Thread starter haviris
- Start date
GrassFarmerGalloway
Melts for all babies
Of course we aren't going to get tired of you! It's great that you're asking questions and learning.haviris said:
Ear tags are usually done systematically. It varies slightly between breeds. In Belted Galloways, there is a letter to signify which year it is, and a number to tell when the cow was born in relation to the rest of the herd (first calf is number one, second calf number two, etc.).
And when you get through the alphabet, you start all over again. There are certain numbers that are not used, because they look like numbers or other letters at a distance.
It's year W for Belties, if you were curious.
That's all I have to say.
Hope I could help.
Farmer Kitty
True BYH Addict
We won't get tired of your qustions, ask away!
We use the blank ear tags and put the cows names on them with the special markers that are for them. On the backside, I like to put their b-day, dam, and sire.
Some use the numbered ones and use that as the cows identification--either her name or the number corresponding to her name in the books.
They come in a variety of colors and we usually vary them just to give more of an idea of age just at a glance.
We use the blank ear tags and put the cows names on them with the special markers that are for them. On the backside, I like to put their b-day, dam, and sire.
Some use the numbered ones and use that as the cows identification--either her name or the number corresponding to her name in the books.
They come in a variety of colors and we usually vary them just to give more of an idea of age just at a glance.
Kute Kitten
Monkey
We have 4 colors to tell what age group they are in.
Farmer Kitty
True BYH Addict
HA! Four currently but, we've had others too.Kute Kitten said:
Kute Kitten
Monkey
Only 4 colors that I've seen at home were the colors we have now.
CowCop
Chillin' with the herd
We double tag each calf born, one "earing" in each ear.
We purchase the pre numbered ear tags - 2 bags.
If we start 2009 with numbers 1-150, then 2010 we use numbers 150-250, in 2011 will use numbers 250-350 etc. We change the colors each year as well.
Currently we buy different colors for the heifers calves ( white this year) and the steer calves ( red this year--left over colors from last year ).
We identify the heifer calves as W1, W2, W3 etc
and steer calves as R50, R51, R53 ( we used red tags 1-50 last year on the heifer calves, so we continue to use all the left over tags on the steers that following year )
We can see the color difference from a distance and there are less mistakes when we have to round them up in the corral and separate, transport or sell them.
It is a simple system.
Depending on how many calves you have being born and if you have registered cows or not--you can divise what ever system you want.
Just remember that ear tags fall out and you need to have spares to retag your cows in the fall or spring.
Take photos of your calves soon after they are born so you can identify them as adults if they lose their tags.
If you have all black cows, it gets even trickier once they lose both their tags. Tattoo them in their ears so you will always know who is who.
I am using HATS this year on black calves....
Also remember to keep your ear tagging equipment clean and properly maintained.
edited to add adorable photos...
We purchase the pre numbered ear tags - 2 bags.
If we start 2009 with numbers 1-150, then 2010 we use numbers 150-250, in 2011 will use numbers 250-350 etc. We change the colors each year as well.
Currently we buy different colors for the heifers calves ( white this year) and the steer calves ( red this year--left over colors from last year ).
We identify the heifer calves as W1, W2, W3 etc
and steer calves as R50, R51, R53 ( we used red tags 1-50 last year on the heifer calves, so we continue to use all the left over tags on the steers that following year )
We can see the color difference from a distance and there are less mistakes when we have to round them up in the corral and separate, transport or sell them.
It is a simple system.
Depending on how many calves you have being born and if you have registered cows or not--you can divise what ever system you want.
Just remember that ear tags fall out and you need to have spares to retag your cows in the fall or spring.
Take photos of your calves soon after they are born so you can identify them as adults if they lose their tags.
If you have all black cows, it gets even trickier once they lose both their tags. Tattoo them in their ears so you will always know who is who.
I am using HATS this year on black calves....
Also remember to keep your ear tagging equipment clean and properly maintained.
edited to add adorable photos...
Thewife
Likes frogs
Our critters are tagged with their birthdate, (year/month/day) and mothers name or number.
The bull calf I should have already tagged, will be 90408, with CC under the number!
It works well for us, as long as I write big enough so I can read it!
Mom had started out just numbering the cows, as they were bought or born, starting with no.1. We won't go into how that system got messed up, but it worked!
Cowcop is right about the black cows losing tags! I had 4 do it in one year! "I think" the one I still have, is outta my Jeff cow?
I will add, by tagging my cows, I can send anybody out to find lost cows, report cows that are breaking out, or tell me if one might need attention! The timber co. security guys know my cows have hand written yellow tags, so I only get calls when it's my cows on their roads!
The bull calf I should have already tagged, will be 90408, with CC under the number!
It works well for us, as long as I write big enough so I can read it!
Mom had started out just numbering the cows, as they were bought or born, starting with no.1. We won't go into how that system got messed up, but it worked!
Cowcop is right about the black cows losing tags! I had 4 do it in one year! "I think" the one I still have, is outta my Jeff cow?
I will add, by tagging my cows, I can send anybody out to find lost cows, report cows that are breaking out, or tell me if one might need attention! The timber co. security guys know my cows have hand written yellow tags, so I only get calls when it's my cows on their roads!
WildRoseBeef
Range nerd & bovine enthusiast
Up here its a little bit different because of the RFID CCIA has in place that is mandatory for all herd animals. A button has to be put in all animal's ears then an ear tag with a bar-code so that the RFID reader can read and record an individual animal's breeding record, rate of gain, that sort of thing as well as numbers for the farmer's records.
As for the actual system, it varies from farm/ranch to farm/ranch. I've heard of cattle folk putting tags on calves with the same number as their dams with the initials of the sire at the top if the calves have been result from AI. When replacement heifers are weaned and kept back they are given a different number.
As for the actual system, it varies from farm/ranch to farm/ranch. I've heard of cattle folk putting tags on calves with the same number as their dams with the initials of the sire at the top if the calves have been result from AI. When replacement heifers are weaned and kept back they are given a different number.
