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An Eartag Question

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Someone on here mentioned earlier in a post that he had been having a problem with the Z-Tags corroding/scouring out the hole around the ear and then losing the tags or part of the ear...

We've had pretty good luck with the Z- tags until this winter...

My son and I noticed that especially this cold winter/spring we had several calves- some that were even born in the barn and warmed and dried before being kicked out that had the ear with the tag in it freeze and drop off right at the tag...
We normally get a few nipped ears during calve time- but this year noticed many were the ear with the tag..
I was talking yesterday with my cousin- who with his Dad run a whole lot more cows than I do- and they said they were finding it even in the old cows this year- with the bottom or end of the ear freezing from the tag out and dropping off thereby losing tags...

I was wondering what others were experiencing...
 
When we calved in Feb we had that happen frequently. The tag would get so cold it would freeze the ear even on calves 10 days old. Hadn't seen it since, but this Dec some of my 2 year old heifers froze one ear right at the tag when they were out in a blizzard before I got them turned into protection.
 
We've had it happen to a twin that we tagged in the afternoon after our 2nd blizzard, but before the third one. That night was one cold bugger (I went out at daylight and got him, the smaller twin). That ear started drooping a week later. I thought I had hit a nerve when I tagged him (don't know if it's possible), but now he's lost half his ear and the tag pierced end looks corroded. Look like it will fall out and maybe even more ear will go, too.
 
OT, it was me. When I had this issue in the past, the Z Tag folks were very good to work with, and sent me new tags to replace the ones lost. I'm not losing them this year, but have noticed the bottom part of their ear eroding off on a few??? I plan to make a phone call, and so should others since I'm sure the company would appreciate knowing about this problem.

What are you paying for them... cheapest place I've found was Stockyards Supply in Commerce City, CO. I think around $23/cow size blank, 25 count...if you order them during Denver Stockshow, mention the show, and get another 10% off.

Here's the number: 1-800-511-4744 to call Z-Tag people...not to order tags :roll: :lol:.
 
WyomingRancher said:
OT, it was me. When I had this issue in the past, the Z Tag folks were very good to work with, and sent me new tags to replace the ones lost. I'm not losing them this year, but have noticed the bottom part of their ear eroding off on a few??? I plan to make a phone call, and so should others since I'm sure the company would appreciate knowing about this problem.

What are you paying for them... cheapest place I've found was Stockyards Supply in Commerce City, CO. I think around $23/cow size blank, 25 count...getting during Denver Stockshow, mention the show, and get another 10% off.
Click to expand...

I use cow size on everything--I buy them local just to support the local store for handling them-- and they are $ .99 each...Bag of 25 cost $24.75...

Western Ranch Supply has them for about $.78 a piece or $19.50 a sack..
 
We had quite a few cows get the edges of their ears frozen this past winter. I even had yearling calves losing parts of their ears. We didn't end up losing any tags from it, but it is the first time in years that I have had cattle freeze their ears. I am not real sure what caused it because we didn't have significantly colder weather this year than we have over the past several winters.
 
Personally I don't think it matters what kind of tag you put in, if it is cold enough the calves will lose the ear you put the tag in. I tagged a half dozen or so when the ears were swollen knowing they'd probly lose them, but had to keep the new babies straight during the blizzard in a crowded barn. Now they are a month old and can keep paired up in the pasture so if they don't have tags, it isnt the end of the world. I'll put some in when we work them in May.

TOmorrow we're freeze branding replacement heifers. $4.50/hd and they don't get lost. We still put in a tag though.
 
I'm with LCP. I think putting any tag in a calf with frozen ears will cause
the bottom or end part of the ear to fall off. I don't know if the tag causes less circulation or just what. But it does happen.

We just don't tag them when there is any indication their ears might
be frozen. Anyway, we don't tag them til later on. Way later...

We use Z-tags as well. Can't get them for 42 cents tho!!!
And we like the calf tags with the longer stem. The tag hangs down
further and is easier to read.

But, I forgot and didn't buy that kind this year...so they have the shorter ones... :P :? :shock:
 
Allflex RFID and Z tag floppies - calf size with the longer tab.
We have quite a bit of bush and almost never lose a Z tag. We also tag the end of May and June and I hope we don't freeze any tags out. :shock:
 
I use that same combo but I use the Z tag feedlot tag like gcreetch I think our vet has them priced around .30 a piece he is about the cheapest around for almost everything. Any cow that has a fault here heifer gets a different coloured tag than the replacement quality ones-that way at A'I time I don't let time heal bad memories. We tag steerrs different colour too-just to help when sorting.
 
I think I have lost just as many tags with either y-tex or z tags when the ear is frozen. It seems the ear gets frozen right up to where the tag should go and just falls out when the ear falls off.

I have noticed on calves that when I was using the cow tag, the weight of the tag would wear a larger hole. Especially on a calf that gets licked alot by its mother. That's why I went with the calf tag with the long neck. Less writing space, but better retention. You can always replace a tag if you want a bigger one.

We tag males and females different colors and steers in the right ear and heifers in the left. I calve mine with two other relatives, so we have quite a bit of colorful "flair" in the ears of the calves.

I do kind of like NR about using tags to make notes about an animal. I notch the tag in a certain spot if I have to treat for anything. Makes it easy for me to remember since we sell some of our calves back to a guy we buy some bulls from for his "natural" beef business.
 
Northern Rancher said:
I use that same combo but I use the Z tag feedlot tag like gcreetch I think our vet has them priced around .30 a piece he is about the cheapest around for almost everything. Any cow that has a fault here heifer gets a different coloured tag than the replacement quality ones-that way at A'I time I don't let time heal bad memories. We tag steerrs different colour too-just to help when sorting.
Click to expand...
We AI all our young cows. Every replacement heifer also gets a steel bangs tag in her right ear when she is AI'ed for the first time.
We number by the year 900 or 9000 this year and the order they go through the chute when we first process. We sort out parents with a book from the horse after the fact and DNA on replacements. Open or problem cows are noted over the summer (or sooner as problems occur).
 
Faster horses said:
I'm with LCP. I think putting any tag in a calf with frozen ears will cause
the bottom or end part of the ear to fall off. I don't know if the tag causes less circulation or just what. But it does happen.
Click to expand...

In my case, it seems more like some sort of allergic reaction to me than from being frozen :???:. I don't know though.
 
I've talked to the company, and am going to send in some pictures. Maybe it's nothing more than "operator's error" on my part, but then again, maybe it's something different. Can't hurt to check it out, especially if others are seeing the same thing.
 
Brand of tag doesn't matter when you're tagging frozen ears, you will lose the ear and the tag. If there is a company out there that claims differently they are full of it. One year I tied the tag around the calves necks until the weather warmed up and their ears thawed out but by then I couldn't catch the calves. :?
 
Big Swede said:
Brand of tag doesn't matter when you're tagging frozen ears, you will lose the ear and the tag. If there is a company out there that claims differently they are full of it. One year I tied the tag around the calves necks until the weather warmed up and their ears thawed out but by then I couldn't catch the calves. :?
Click to expand...

They should have been easy to catch when the string got tight enough to restrict their wind. :D

I agree, no matter what tag you put in a frost-bitten ear they will fall out. Tagging in the rib of the ear is a no-no also, you are redirecting the blood supply no matter how well they are put in.
 

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