  BeefTalk:
Tagging and Tracking Cows is not as Simple as it Sounds
By Kris Ringwall, Extension Beef Specialist,
NDSU Extension Service
Just how old is that cow and where was she born? Not long ago, that question
would only be asked occasionally. There’s not a simple answer to such a simple
question. And sometimes there’s not an answer at all.
Historically, keeping track of individual cattle did not always have a high
priority among producers. In fact, tags may actually be removed in situations
where cattle are commingled from several sources to accommodate additional tags
or tracking devices. Grab your ear and ask how many holes might you put into it
before it is full. As comical as that sounds, that is a real problem with cows.
The ears of the cattle at the North Dakota State University Dickinson Research
Extension Center cattle are literally running out of room.
At birth, calves receive a stainless steel, pre-numbered tag, a plastic tag
and button. The ear holds up well until severe cold hits. Then the metal tags
and buttons conduct cold, causing the ear to freeze. As the ear thaws, the end
of the ear will sometimes slough off resulting in a lost tag and a calf with no
identification.
The first work session for the calves entails retagging and eventually
pairing the calves with the right mother. During that session, patience can run
short. Those keeping records are insisting on accuracy and those working the
calves, knee deep in the day’s work experience while Mother Nature nips at every
inch of exposed skin, are just happy to get the calf back out to the herd. On
those days, comments on how simple cattle identification is, are not
appreciated.
This past year, the late chilliness of March didn’t help the situation. Of
the calves from the 114 first-calf heifers, 18 calves lost their ear tags. Of
calves from the 100 older cows that calved in early March, 13 calves lost their
ear tags, and of calves from the 159 cows that calved later in March and April,
13 calves lost their ear tags.
The common questions is "What ear tag are you using, so I don’t use that one
again?" Rest assured, our ear tagging protocols are second to none, and more
than 12 percent of our calves lost tags.
The true expense of individual identification is not in the initial tag, but
in keeping the tag in the ear and placing the tag in the correct position, which
is a real challenge when one considers individual source verification.
Currently our cows carry three tags per ear: one stainless steel pre-numbered
tag, one plastic individual number for rapid visual identification, one
electronic identification (EID), one metal bangs tag in the right ear, and two
fly tags during the fly season.
Placement gets more complicated. The Bangs vaccination also results in a
permanent tattoo on the right ear. If the cattle are to be registered or have an
individual identification number tattooed in the left, those areas are not
available for tagging because the application of the tag may damage the tattoo,
making the tattoo unreadable.
We place fly tags on the back of the ear to increase body contact and the
plastic individual numbered tag in the front of the ear for easier reading. The
placement of the EID seems simple until you expect to read the tag.
Our experience using EID tags would indicate the tag should be kept at least
three inches away from any conflicting metal tags for effective tag reading. The
position of choice would be on top, with the EID inside the ear and button on
the backside of the ear. Generally, the placement is 2 to 3 inches away from the
head.
Ear tagging is somewhat complex--and I have not discussed placement of
implant growth or reproductive devices in the ear.
So where did the cow come from? Perhaps traceable, but if the cow is like any
other cow, you will need to ask her to be sure.
May you find all your ear tags.
Your comments are always welcome at
www.BeefTalk.com. For more information,
contact the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association, 1133 State Avenue,
Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to
www.CHAPS2000.com on the Internet. In
correspondence about this column, refer to BT0145.
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Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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Graphic --
Calf Tag Loss
NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, Spring 2003
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Number of cows 373
Number of calves 373
Number of calves losing tags 45
Percentage calves losing original 12 %
source verification tags
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