Ear Tags

[Jumpin Boots]

Up until now I have been able to keep track of our sheep by facial recognition, but as we have begun lambing and I am hoping to increase our flock numbers, I am realizing that resorting to ear tags may be a good option for supporting my memory. Are there any favorite type or brand of tag to use? At what age do you tag them? Any complications to be aware of? What can I expect from the process?

 

Any input is much appreciated

Julie

[Debbie Meier]

We just use the scrapie tags that include our premise ID

 

 

I don't like to tag the lambs until they are 6 months or older simply because we have had more problems with them tearing the tags out leaving alot of split ears, especially are barbado cross lambs who don't have large ears to begin with

 

The onlly down side is that the tags occassionally get tore out when the sheep put their heads through the woven wire fencing in an attempt to get grass from the other side, but we have seen this happel fewer times with the scrapie tags then with the generic yellow number tags.

 

These are our old tags, which are way easier to read but had a higher frequency of being tore out

 

As far as the process, it's simular to using a big hole punch, make sure the lamb is held secure, be firm and squeeze hard and quick to get it over with as quick as possible.

[Cynthia P]

We tag them within 24 hours using a Shearwell RFID tag. Good tag retention and not too big that it makes the ears droop for months

 

http://www.cansheep.ca/cms/en/tagvideos.aspx

[coyotecreek]

I, like Debbie, simply use my scrapies tag for ID purposes. Occasionaly, I do use the ones like the yellow ones above, if an animal requires a second number on them for whatever reason. I have two ewes who are extremly successful at yanking their scrapies tags out..its quite annoying..I am thinking of going to the button tags instead.

 

I to wait til the animals are a pinch older to tag..or wait until its absolutely nesscary to tag them (sale, show,ect). We used to tag baby lambs and I also experienced ripped ears or droopy ears that never righted themselves. I have a month old lamb that will be accompaning his mother to a show end of this month..Ill tag him just afew days before we go.

[Mark Billadeau]

Button tags are less prone to snag on things and get pulled out; but they are not perfect. We have a ewe with holes (not sliced ears) in both ears from button tags being pulled through the ears.

[juliepoudrier]

I have several ewes who came to me with button tags that are now gone. I think some sheep are just prone to lose/pull out tags, no matter what the type.

 

I don't tag anything that's not staying here (or being sold into someone else's breeding program). Lambs going to the butcher don't get tagged.

 

J.

[coyotecreek]

yall have destroyed my plans....these two ewes do a fine job of yanking the tags out, but not ripping their ears. The biggest inconvience is having to re-tag them.