Tagging cattle is an important part of ensuring your animals’ wellbeing and keeping track of their weights and needs. If you’ve never tagged your animals before, it can seem like a lot to take on, but this is for their health and your ease of caring for them.
These are the steps to tag your cattles’ ears properly.
1. Decide the Age You Want To Tag
Many will tag cattle once they’ve reached a year, but others prefer to organize them while still calves and replace the tags when they’re older. Either is fine; it depends on how many animals you have and if it’s easy to keep track of which calves are which.
2. Use a Chute to Secure the Animal And Keep You Both Safe
A chute is the best way to secure your animal and ensure that they don’t harm you or themselves during this. Tagging does feel like a sharp pinch, and it can be startling for some animals, so it’s a good idea to keep them pinned in place.
3. Soothe the Animal and Keep It Relaxed
Calm and soothe your animal so that they’re relaxed. If they’re freaked out and jerking around, it might ruin the tag or possibly harm one of you. Keep the animal calm and ready.
4. Pick the Tag for The Age and Gender
Decide on your tagging system. Many tags all of their animals from a specific year, a color that correlates with that year. Others have different colors for males and females, and then a third color for calves.
5. Locate and Clean Where You’ll Be Tagging The Ear
Look for a smooth and soft part of the ear somewhere in the middle. This fleshy area allows it to be more easily seen and will hurt the animal the least. Try to keep it away from the tip of the year or the ear canal, as either could cause harm. Clean the area with rubbing alcohol so that it’s sanitary to be pierced.
6. While Wearing Gloves: Load the Tag Applicator
The applicator will look like a stabler with two feeds for the tag. One end will be for the backing; the other will be for the front of the title. Load it according to your labels, and try to ensure that it’s straight and on well.
7. Slide the Applicator Over The Ear and Apply It
Load your Allflex ear tags, and then it’s time to slide the applicator so that the ear is between its teeth. Ensure that you have it placed over the area that you want the cow’s ear to be tagged: and then apply pressure quickly and smoothly to apply it.
8. Inspect the Area and Free The Animal
Please take a look at the area to ensure that it’s not bleeding, and then free the animal once you’re sure that it’s to your liking. Your animal may be startled still, so soothe them.
9. Keep an Eye On The Tagging Location
Over the next couple of weeks, keep an eye on the cattles’ tags and look for any signs of inflammation or infection. Although they can get over a disease: it’s better to catch it early.
Article Submitted By Community Writer