what do you put on your cattle tags?

[Angus Cattle Shower]

I put the numerical order the calf was born (ie, 1) year letter, (next year is T) Dam's tag number, sire's initals, gender, and if it is a pure angus at the top I put FPA (Flying P Angus) or if it is commercial, it says, FPCC (Flying P Cattle Co). In the bottom right hand corner, I put the brand, Flying P. (P over lazy 3/wings.)

What's everyone else's system?

[jigs]

just the date and mammas tag #

if it is a twin I mark that
i like the 'keep it simple stupid' method

[Angus Cattle Shower]

Lol, dad does it like you jigs, he puts a big number in one ear, then a 16 in the other ear cause its our pasture number. lol.

[PureCountry]

We just put on the cows number. Nothing else. They stay on their mommas through the winter, and when the steers get sold, we cut the tags out and put in CCIA Radio Frequency tags before they leave the ranch. As the heifers develop, we know which ones we'll keep and which we'll sell, so the keepers get their own new number, and the sellers get a RFID tag like the steers.

The cow herd is all in sequence; as in 1N, 2C, 3C, 4K, 5N, 6H and so on. So new heifers get to be whatever numbers are available. If 24L dies this year, then a replacement heifer taking her place this year will be 24S.

[IL Rancher]

We generally mirror the momma cows tag. If sh doesn't have a tag we look for a FB or some other distinctive marking, write NT1 or something like that and record it in the book so we know who is who... Have about 20-30 head I need to retag this winter.. Maybe it is not that many but I am sureit is at least 10... Drives me nuts.

We generally write date on back and if it is a twin, say out of cow 128 we will write 128T on the second calf's tag.. Have thought about switching to just counting them 1, 2, 3 and so on but decided that it would be harder ot pair them up if we did that.

[Nebraska Sandhills]

we number the calves as they hit the ground, 1st calf is # 1, second calf is #2, and so on, put the cows freezebrand number on the top of the tag. We also use an individual color for each sire so it is easier to see what sires are really working well for us. Then the replacements just get the year in front of their tag number, for example the first calf born in 2006 was calf # 1, her new number after she is weaned is 601.

[sic 'em reds]

Our tags have our ranch name across the bottom so we lost some room. We use a number and an alpha for the year and then order of birth. This year starts with 701T, then 702T, and so on. I think next year, since I have tags made up already, that I will drop the alpha on the tag to be able to make larger numbers. Then on the regstration info I can add the alpha back on.

All other details are kept in my pocketbook and then put in our herd database on the computer. Otherwise the tag gets hard to read.

[Red Robin]

I tag them like the heifer I posted. She is 26S . S is the letter for 2006. 26 is the 26th calf born. I put her sire in one bottom corner and dam in the other. DOB in the top middle. I don't retag. I usually put another tag in the right ear after calfhooding that matches the left ear in case they lose one.

[*Cowgirl*]

mamma's # and prefix. we keep the dates written down in a little pocket calendar.

[Oldtimer]

Same here-- cows # and above that in smaller figures the brand the calf will be packing- do both front and back of tag-- heifers tagged in the left ear- bulls/steers in the right ear......Been using the large tag since my eyes aren't as quick focussing as they used to be....

[efb]

I am looking for some ideas also. My system works pretty good until about the third generation.

DOB
Individuals number. ie.. 20A. 20 is the dam, A is her 1st calf. 20B would be her second calf. After several generations I end up with 20 ACB. Which would be the 2nd calf of the 3rd calf of 20's 1st calf. AS you can see I need to do something different. I do like keeping the dam's number on the tag. I find that after several generations of culling my best cows numbers are becoming more frequent in the herd.
Sire

[Broke-T]

We use a 4 digit numbering system. First digit is year born. Last three numbers is calf number. Spring calves start with 001 and fall born calves start with 501.

So 6001 would be 1st calf born in spring 2006 and 6550 would be 50th calf born in fall 2006.

We put that number in bigest letters at bottom of tag. Above that we put dams number and above that is sire number. Duplicate tag is in other ear to cover lost tags.

Have tried lots of different tags and none seem to last as long as they should.

Johnny