[Jacob-list] ear tags

[Neal and Louise Grose]

Eartags can be removed relatively easily with a pair of diagonal cutting
pliers by clipping between the ear and the tag.

As of the day that the U.S. Sec. of Agriculture announced that they had
found a cow with BSE, we ARE going to have a universal tracking system for
ALL animals. Removing recorded tags at this time could be looked upon at a
future time as an effort to hide the movement of your sheep.

The Holstein Association has a good tagging system which uses "tamper proof"
tags which are placed in the ear at birth. The tags have a unique serial
number, which also serves as the registration number for the association. I
see no reason to have multiple tags if we are already using Scrapie tags.
The round button tags may seem a bit large at first, but they actually have
fewer incidences of pulling through the ear as some tags that are larger on
one side than on the other may do.

If you retag an animal, keep good records of having done so. The markings on
Holstein cattle are considered unique and a legal means of identification if
they are recorded with a registry. I see no reason why this would not also
be true of Jacobs. There are also round tags that can be fitted with a chip
or wire coil that allow them to be read electronically.

A little experience can solve a lot of the problems with ripping the ear
etc. when tagging. Do it quickly and make sure the animal is secured firmly
so they can not jerk or fall out of the way before the stud that does the
piercing is clear of the ear. We use self piercing, antiseptic tags, and
have few problems with infection on the babies. Moving the tags is likely to
just irritate the ear.

Neal Grose
North Carolina


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kelley Rambo" <Kelley_Rambo at antiochne.edu>
To: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 1:52 PM
Subject: [Jacob-list] ear tags


> How does one remove those !@&#$ ear tags?  The sheep were done before
> moving them from VT and their ears are STILL SORE!  I used to love
> stroking their soft ears (they did, too!).  Now they're very tender and I
> can only do one side.  One of the rams had his ear ripped right down the
> center by the person that tagged them.  I think it's terribly cruel,
> especially since the logic behind it is severely lacking (they really
> can't tell anything about where the sheep have been or who they've been in
> contact with from those tags) AND they're Jacobs - each is individually
> identifiable (sp?) through their markings and unique horns.  I am
> concerned about how they will heal, some look a little off.  I guess I
> just assumed they would be fine, but I'll look a little closer now that I
> know there is the chance they could become infected (which I suppose now
> that I write this that makes more sense than my first assumption).  Should
> I wriggle them a little like you do new earrings on people?  I'm really
> burnt by the idea of t
> agging.
>
> Kelley
>
>
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