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RFID tags vs Branding

B

bakSovrbar

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Messages
48
Location
Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada
I know the two are so different, it shouldn't even be a debate. But it is.
Some in Canada are making the case that with the CCIA (Canadian Cattle Identification Agency) RFID tags, branding will no longer have a place in the industry.
A rancher who had two pair of pure breds rustled would beg to differ.
Here's the link, for those that are interested:
http://thebadger.ca/2010/12/11/cattle-rustled-2/
 
The thing that blows me away is that I know them both. The one charged is/was a Purebred Simmental replicator. Never was a fan of his type of cattle or his scruples in getting them sold. Guess this cinches it.

CA
 
I just can't imagine the risk one would take in stealing cattle - or anything else I guess. But in this business, there is such a code of conduct and ethics and the humiliation would be unbearable, I imagine.

I guess desperation can drive folks to do weird things... but wow.
 
Kato said:
Another good one! Battin' a thousand there.... 8)
Click to expand...

Thanks Kato :)

I'm coming home to Manitoba in a few days for Christmas! Not looking forward to the Winnipeg weather... please do what you can and make it warm for me!

canadian angus said:
It wasn't desperation but stupidity. I can only imagine the shame he has put on his family. I wonder if he loses his bond over this? Should!

CA
Click to expand...

I have no idea really, I never even thought about that aspect.
 
I checked the long range forecast. Looks like a nice Christmas coming for the 'Peg. Minus 7 day, mid teens at night. 8) Bring your shorts and sandals. :wink: :D :D :D

Speaking of Manitoba, I think if someone pulled a stunt like stealing and retagging someone else's cattle, that would be "it" for them. The cattle community is small enough that a dirty trick will haunt you for the rest of your life around here. I've seen it happen. More than once. If you can't be trusted, no one will deal with you. Or if they do, you will live with a discount on your cattle... for a long time. The law would be the least of your problems.

We made a deal on some feeders with a local feedlot many years ago. We had the cattle in the pen, and were waiting for the trucks. They didn't show up, so we called to see what the problem was. The guy told us that cattle dropped four cents a pound that day, and he didn't want them any more. He backed out on four or five semi-loads of feeders that day, and everyone involved found out pretty quick who else had gotten stung. And this was before the internet. :wink: Prices stayed down for a couple of months after that, and we all lost a bunch of money.

This guy made the bad judgement call to not live up to a deal, and he paid for it as well. Within six months the feedlot was gone. He went on to get involved in the purebred industry, and we still, to this day, avoid enterprises he's involved in.

If you want to know who to trust or not, talk to the trucker......... 8)
 
Kato said:
I checked the long range forecast. Looks like a nice Christmas coming for the 'Peg. Minus 7 day, mid teens at night. 8) Bring your shorts and sandals. :wink: :D :D :D

Speaking of Manitoba, I think if someone pulled a stunt like stealing and retagging someone else's cattle, that would be "it" for them. The cattle community is small enough that a dirty trick will haunt you for the rest of your life around here. I've seen it happen. More than once. If you can't be trusted, no one will deal with you. Or if they do, you will live with a discount on your cattle... for a long time. The law would be the least of your problems.

We made a deal on some feeders with a local feedlot many years ago. We had the cattle in the pen, and were waiting for the trucks. They didn't show up, so we called to see what the problem was. The guy told us that cattle dropped four cents a pound that day, and he didn't want them any more. He backed out on four or five semi-loads of feeders that day, and everyone involved found out pretty quick who else had gotten stung. And this was before the internet. :wink: Prices stayed down for a couple of months after that, and we all lost a bunch of money.

This guy made the bad judgement call to not live up to a deal, and he paid for it as well. Within six months the feedlot was gone. He went on to get involved in the purebred industry, and we still, to this day, avoid enterprises he's involved in.

If you want to know who to trust or not, talk to the trucker......... 8)
Click to expand...

Does Manitoba have brand inspection now?

Might not have been caught if it wasn't for the brands. :?
 
We don't have brand inspection in Manitoba. There's been rumblings, but nothing has happened yet. Actually, there's not a lot of branding done around here. We brand our cows, but that's about it. I don't think we bought a single feeder this year with a brand on it. Feeder associations are probably the heaviest users of brands.

The only brand inspectors I'm aware of here are inspecting cattle that are leaving the province.
 
They do inspect cattle that are moving to locations where there is inspection required. I can say for 100% certainty that we've never had anything inspected ourselves. Cattle we've sold to go to Alberta are inspected, but the buyer takes care of that. Cattle to go south are inspected, but that's by a vet. Other than that .... zip. I don't even know where to look to find an inspector.
 
Weird!
I'm calling today to find out what the deal is.

Also, the CFIA is angry at me. Again.

For Christmas next year, I will have someone make dartboards with my face on it. I'll sell them to all the people I have pissed off in the previous year of publishing a newspaper and $10 says the dartboards will be more profitable. ;)

Happy New Year!
 
I have railed at length on other sites at the lunacy of using a temporary device (ear Tag) for a permanent ID.

I am in favor of RFID and think it has a lot of valid managment uses if we can get past the cost of readers. especially for the smaller producers. Where I live the average herd size is less than fifty cows and is owned by someone who works off the farm.

But the use of RFID in ear tags is idiotic. Ear tags are temporary id devices. but more powerful minds than mine agree that ear tags are the standard for the industry.

There are RFID implants the size of a grain of rice that can be put at the base of the ear and will stay forever. the horse industry uses implants in the ligament at the top of the neck.

I have no argument with brands. I freeze branded mine for years with their tatto number. But an RFID implant with a reader plugged into a laptop is a powerful managment tool.

We have used such technology at our state bull tests for nearly ten years now. electronic scales and rfid both feeding the laptop. eliminates msot errors.

trouble is I have never had a bull retain his rfid tag more than two years after he got home.

I went thru our fifty cow herd once and did not have a cow over five or six years old that still had her original tag. Regular tag not rfid. I used the tag sized as large which is actually more like a medium.
 

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