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October 14, 2005 Electronic Identification Test Project Scheduled A cooperative test project by the Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC) and Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange of Dickinson is scheduled for later this month and November. The project, which is sponsored by local, state and federal programs, seeks to more accurately determine the costs associated with the placement of tags in calves. The project is open to all beef producers who may want to place electronic identification tags (EIDs) in their 2005 calf crop, says Kris Ringwall, DREC director, and Larry Schnell, Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange general manager. The tags and labor to place the tags in the calves will be provided at no cost to producers. Schnell said the dates for the electronic tagging are Oct. 19 and 26, plus Nov. 2 and 9. The tagging will take place at Stockmen’s Livestock, 815 Livestock Lane. All animals tagged will sell the following day in the weekly sale at Stockmen’s Livestock. “Identification of animals is front and center in the beef business today,” Ringwall says. “This test will give producers an opportunity to participate in a tagging exercise and see first hand how it works and learn more about how a calf ID program could be beneficial to an individual operation.” The DREC will supply the EID tags and the equipment and crew to place the tags in the left ear of the animals. All cattle to be tagged will be unloaded at Stockmen’s Livestock and then processed through the portable DREC cattle working facility, which includes a double alley, scale and head gate. The DREC will scan each EID tag, attach it to a calf and then enter the load number with the associated EID tag. No weights will be documented. Stockmen’s Livestock will coordinate the headcount of all the livestock to be tagged and the load numbers for the sale the following day. “The program is a trial to determine the effort necessary to tag calves and then determine the associated costs of tagging,” Ringwall says. The DREC has been working with the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association to promote the CalfAID program, which is a separate and more detailed data collection program. Under CalfAID, calves are source and age verified. For more information about CalfAID, producers can call (701) 483-2045. Schnell and Ringwall say the calves tagged for the cooperative test project will not be source and age verified. The calves that sell as part of the trial project will not be part of a special radio frequency identification (RFID) sale, Schnell says. He did say, however, his company may host special RFID sales in the future. Individuals who want to have their calves tagged as part of the trial project should contact Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange at (701) 225-8156 or toll free at (800) 472-2667. ### Source:
Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
