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BOC-LOC Brisket Tags and Ink

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DiamondSCattleCo

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After years of trying pretty much every known ear tag on the market, I decided last year to go with brisket tags on the retained animals. I settled on BOC-LOC tags that you write on, and used my Allflex pen to write on the tags. Unfortunately, the ink formulation simply doesn't stick on the tags. So I tried my No-Z pen, and had the same problem. I've taken to engraving the numbers now, but its difficult to read from any more than a couple feet away.

So, anyone used these brisket tags and found something that will write (and stay) on them?

Rod
 
Years ago we went to hot branding number on the cattle. We always had to shear them before calving, but they never lost a tag and you could always read them. Many around here are doing the same now with freeze brands. I hear if you do a good job, that you don't even have to shear the hair off.

Isn't there a product out there that is somewhat castic and burns the numbers into the plastic? Takes longer to dry, but last longer. Seem like it was used on Ritchie ear tags, 20 or 30 years ago.
 
Someone on cattle today mentioned freeze branding, but I don't know a whole big bunch about it. I don't know if it'll show up on my white animals, and with a shaggy winter coat you won't be able to read them. Hot brands you definitely can't read with a full winter hair coat.

As for the caustic product, I can't find a doggoned thing, and was hoping someone would know of something.

Rod
 
DiamondSCattleCo said:
Someone on cattle today mentioned freeze branding, but I don't know a whole big bunch about it. I don't know if it'll show up on my white animals, and with a shaggy winter coat you won't be able to read them. Hot brands you definitely can't read with a full winter hair coat.

As for the caustic product, I can't find a doggoned thing, and was hoping someone would know of something.

Rod
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Rod,
I brought up an old thread about freeze branding before I knew you had white animals :roll: so freeze branding won't work. Sorry. :(
 
Hanta Yo said:
DiamondSCattleCo said:
Someone on cattle today mentioned freeze branding, but I don't know a whole big bunch about it. I don't know if it'll show up on my white animals, and with a shaggy winter coat you won't be able to read them. Hot brands you definitely can't read with a full winter hair coat.

As for the caustic product, I can't find a doggoned thing, and was hoping someone would know of something.

Rod
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Rod,
I brought up an old thread about freeze branding before I knew you had white animals :roll: so freeze branding won't work. Sorry. :(
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Shucks, just use black ice. :wink:
 
Northern Rancher said:
I quit using those tags for just that same reason-even the factory stamped ones wore off too quick.
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So what did you replace them with? I'm gettin fed up buying tagging weapons :) I use steel ear tags, and have a 100% retention rate, but I really want something that I can read from a distance or on horseback.

Or while the dirty SOB is chasing me out of the pen :lol:

Rod
 
My ear tags I buy here and there off EBAY I got a box full a couple of weeks ago they are cow and calf sizes about 80 tags all blank they are the older y-tex push thru type that you use the sharp orange tagger they came with 3 taggers for $18.00 freight and all.I think the biggest problem with ear tags is feeding hay in bale rings or leaveing twine on the bales the plastic twine is the worst.
 
Northern Rancher said:
Z tags have worked good and we number brand the replacement heifers
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I used to Z-tag the calves when they dropped. Retention rate was _ok_ (about 10% loss on pasture), but I had trouble with the cows tearing them out of the ears. I have one cow who hates having those tags in her calf's ears and will tear them out every stinkin time. She had twins, and tore the tags out of both calves. Of course, she had to mutilate the ears while she was doing it, so it looked like the poor devils froze their ears :(

As for the branding, don't you have trouble seeing the brands during the winter months with the thick hair coats? I've got a few old blacks around here that look like brand registries, but in the winter you can't see a solitary brand on em.

Rod
 
When we number branded, we ran all ther cows thru' and gave them their shots and sheared off the place on the hip with the brand. The rest of the year we could see the number pretty good until they haired up in the fall.

I had a young lady try to talk me into brisket tags one year at the Stock Show. I told here that we branded and didn't need them. She asked what we did when the snow covered up ther brand. I told her that we branded high on the hip and I just kept my cows thin enough so that the snow would slide right off! I thought she was going to call the ASPCA! :wink:
 
I have had the best luck useing the Y-tex tags and use the Y-tex marking pen, make your number then go over it a couple of times seems to help I have had tags last legdeable 12 years years doing this. and we put a tag in each ear. But we still loose a few but if double tagged can always retag the missing one when they come thru the chute. And can read tag from either side of the animal. I just sold a old cow that was a 1992 model and she still had 1 of her orginal tags in her ear and I could still read her number Put her cow number tag in her ear in fall 1993.
 
We`ve used Boc Loc tags for 14yrs. And been noticeing some years the number is fadeing off. Have to tell the lady I order from about the problem. For the most I am satisfied with the tags. We were sorting one group yesterday. Anything 9 and older was going in the sell pen. Had 8 cows that were 12 and 13 yr old and the tags still had clear numbers.

A few years ago I wrote them a poem:

If you`re sortin cows you keep the best
And send to the sale barn all the rest

If it`s cow I D you don`t want to lose
It`s Boc Loc tag you better use
 
I used to hate putting them things in-my buddy got the bright idea to put a rope halter on them-tie it to the loader and use it to lift their heads a bit-actually worked pretty good until his Dad hopped out of the tractor with the lift lever stuck back-I was down on my kness tagging when all of a sudden the cow lifted wayyyyyyyyyyyy up lol.
 
:lol: I used to think it was only on this ranch that something like that could happen.

But thanks for the idea. I had one last year that as soon as I went near her, she'd throw herself down onto the ground (my head gate is straight pipe, and no way to stop the animal from laying down). Don't think I'll use the loader tractor, but maybe I'll tie their heads up and back.

Rod
 
A fellow over at Rockglen made a winch that fit on his chute. Square tubeing stuck out the front over the top about 3 or 4 feet and a cable came down thru a pulley and I think hooked to nose tongs or halter. pull the head up and out to give good access.
 
I'd whack my bloody forehead every time :) I've got enough room between headgate and the front of my squeeze, so tying up and back would give me lots of room to work.

I'm already pretty dense. Don't need anymore whacks in the head....

Rod
 

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