EAR TAGS

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Moocow11

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
71
What color of ear tags do you like best? what kind? which ear? what size?  what info do you put on the tag?

we use white ear tags, in the right ear that are calf size. I was thinking use the medium size, purple for steers, and medium pink for heifers??
 

ELBEE

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
635
Location
Blue Rapids, Kansas
Each of our herd sires has his own color (for progeny). Large tags for male calves, X-large for females. Tattoo is on tag, which includes international year code. Calves are numbered in chronological order of birth. Visitors can pretty much figure everything out except damm, with just the ear tag.
 

DL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
3,622
Hey ELBEE - I like the bull family idea, but with no bull (so to speak) I had to create a different system. I use Allflex preprinted Maxi tags for the cows - it has the farm name, the cow name (on the top) and the tattoo number and letter (ie 24T) in bigger numbers on both front and back. I tried to create a system using different colors but it really didn't work - basically I use a different color for all cows that look similar - so that no black cow with white sox has the same color ear tag (that way someone who sees a cow in heat can id her for me by description and ear tag color - if they cant see the number).I am starting to use the same color for cow families but I have discovered that some colors don't really show up well - blue is great on red cows and pink (or this really obnoxious orange) on black cows - yellow is OK on black cows but the Allflex green, white and some other colors are just not very visible from a distance - Black with white is very cool and stylish!

Calves get preprinted tags with tattoo number and farm name - also from Allflex; color changes every year. I number according to birth order - I started doing bulls on the right ear (save that ear for the Bang's tattoo in heifers) and heifers in the left ear - but having the left- right problem that worked for just one calf - so now they all get it in the left ear and when they leave the farm that tag is replaced with RFID (and I don't need to punch a new hole) as required by MI law.


 
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