Printed ear tags

[Ned Jr.]

We buy custom numbered Y-Tex ear tags every year. They came out with a new Laser printing method a few years ago that isn't suppose to fade. It used to only come in grey but now they can do it in black also. I guess I'll know in a few years if they fad or not.

http://www.ytex.com/printing.php

 

[Big Swede]

I'm like Denny, I freeze brand so at least I know what number to put back in. I have gone from Y tex to Ritchey and now to Z tags. I was replacing about 10% to 15% a year with the first two brands, hopefully the Z tags will stay.

 

[Nicky]

We've used Ritchie tags for years, loose a few but not many. This year lost one out 290. And the numbers stay forever.

 

[Longrope]

We engrave our tags with a Dremel tool. The red tags have white numbers when done and the white tags have black numbers. We use Z-tags and hardly ever lose any. We also hot iron brand our numbers on our replacment hiefers. One thing I should mention is we don't engrave our calves tags as they are born. It doesn't pay to on the steers(we don't keep them) and after we have commited to the final cut on replacement hiefers we engrave(a new tag) and brand the critter.

 

[LCP]

I just ordered some Allflex A-tags with laser printing. Seems they have a promotion where they'll put your ranch name and a number on it for $1.05 each (cow tags). So I got enough to do our replacement heifers for two years. We'll see how it turns out. I'll still have to make some by hand, so I'll try the microwave trick and see which lasts longer. The A-tags look like they are a knock off of the Z tag design.

 

[Soapweed]

This is the system we have used for many years.

Right ear has an engraved jumbo Ritchey tag.

Left ear has a corresponding color and number, using a Y-Tex button tag. Usually, even if the big tag gets lost, the button tag stays in. If the big tag is lost, we use a Dremel tool to engrave a new tag with another correctly colored Ritchey tag. This is done at preg checking time each fall. If both tags happen to get lost, we still have a year brand to know how old the cow is, and can at least give her an appropriate tag so we know her status. We leave the original calf tag in the left ear also, so that a bit more of the cow's history is evident.