TAGGING

[jmsim93]

Slightly off topic, but.... I can't remember which thread / forum I read this on. Most electric tatoo pens have instructions that tell you to practice on a banana. All's well and good. I can write great on a banana. What they don't tell you is that you need to find a kicking, squirming, jerking banana to practice on. I can write not so good on one of those, as I found out last weekend.

 

[DKRabbitry]

I, personally, prefer the pen to the clamp. BUT I am noticing that it really depends on what kind of experiences you have had with each as to why you would choose one over the other.

As to dieing the rabbits, that is an idea... I am thinking blue kote aeresol spray can, just spray the # on there. They will be butchered before the molt so I don't see why it wouldn't work temperarily on the fur. I have marked kits by blue kote in the ear and it just rubs off from the ear, but I would think it would stain the fur... I had a rooster that was purple for 6 months before he molted because he got got by the dogs. Our # system is a bit more complicated than would be allowed by spraying them with blue kote.

 

[PinkFox]

mabe sharpie neer their tail or right behind the ears? (ie some plce thats a little harder to throughly wash)
may need redoing once in a while but a small dot or line wont do any harm and they come in all kinds of colors?

 

[TheSheepGirl]

I, too use tattooing to identify rabbits. I use a clamp tattooer for this purpose. Just a bit easier to use for most people.

I do, however have a note about ear tags. I have gotten a couple of rabbits with these in and they had no problems.. They are not the same as a scrappy tag, but are a small metal tag that is attached to the outside edge of the ear. They are very safe if they are attached correctly and there is no gap to get caught on the cage. I use them for my Cavies and they work very well if applied correctly. They are also cheaper than tattooing, but just not recognized by ARBA for showing.

Here's a link to the cavy tags to give you an idea. http://www.storybookcavies.com/tagging.htm

and a link to what a rabbit ear tag is. http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/rabbit-ear-tag.html

Just a thought for those of you considering the tags.

 

[4-H forever!<3]

I agree with tattooing. Kits aren't too expensive and it's not that hard once you get used to doing it. Pens are less painful for the animal, but they tend to fade away after a year. The clamps with the keys would last longer. However, since you're dealing with meat rabbits, you probably don't need it to be permanent. BTW: I have never heard of tagging rabbits.