Have been using engravable Ritchey tags for over 20 years and have always had pretty good luck with them. We put the medium size in calves when they are born with their dam's # on the bottom, and the sires I.D. on the top. When the heifers are kept for replacements they then get a Large tag with their permanent number starting with the year their born, dams # in the middle, and sire I.D. on the top, so you know a cows history just by looking at the tag. Makes it nice indentifying sires that produce good heifers, and one's that don't. One plus is the tags never fade, the one negative is you have to have an engraving tool to make the tag, and the portable ones don't do a real good job of engraving because of too low of R.P.M.'s to cut them well. We have to tag all of our calves because we record birthweight's , A.I. a bunch of cows and then pair off bulls from heifer's for the summer, and cull heavy for performance and flaws. That's why Big Swede doesn't have to tag his, because we've tried to eliminate all the problems before he get's his bull battery from us!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: