Livestock Identification Techniques Mrs. Albright

History Traced back to early settlers in California Used for management of open range grazing and brucellosis Traditional technologies are still used today in combination with electronic identification Basis for keeping accurate production records of herds Parentage, birth date, health history, etc

Current Advantages National Animal Identification System’s goal is to provide a standard and efficient system to protect U.S. agriculture from disease outbreaks If a disease outbreak occurred, federal and state officials could use NAIS to ID all animals and premises that came into contact with the initial infected animal within 48 hours Allows for rapid trace back to the source of disease and illness

Types of Identification There are many types of systems to use but method chosen should suit the operation’s needs Factors in choosing methods are size of operation, type of records, source of breeding stock, application methods for each type, visibility, equipment required, cost, permanence, and level of difficulty of application

Types of Identification Once a method of ID is selected, it is important to remain consistent with providing each animal a permanent ID number When an animal is born or purchased, it should be identified immediately with only one unique number One of the most commonly used systems uses a combination of letters and numbers designating birth year and birth order This number will not be replicated over a 22-year period

Find Your Number (Year-Birth Order-Month-Day) Birth Month Number (Roman) January I February II March III April IV May V June VI July VII August VIII September IX October X November XI December XII Mr. Albright’s number is ZZ11X26. What is his information? Find your number. Figure these out: H22V27 U00XII20 Birth Order Number 1 00 2 11 3 22 4 33 5 or more 44

X00V11 H22III21 K11VIII8 Give it a shot! What would the livestock number be for a heifer (first calf born from this particular cow) that was born on May 11, 2010? What would the livestock number be for the third bull calf born on March 21, 1998? What would the number be for the second calf twin steer born on August 8, 2000? Birth Month Number (Roman) January I February II March III April IV May V June VI July VII August VIII September IX October X November XI December XII X00V11 H22III21 K11VIII8 Birth Order Number 1 00 2 11 3 22 4 33 5 or more 44

ID Systems for Small Operations For operations smaller than 500 head, consists of only numbers used to indicate birth year and birth order Number is made from the last digit of the birth year as the first number for identification Example, A calf was born in 2016 so the first number on its ID would be 6 The next numbers correspond to birth order

Ear Notching Widely used in the swine industry as a system of animal identification Identifies pig by litter number and individual pig number System that is required by purebred swine associations – litter number is notched in the right ear and individual number is in the left Combined together they give the pig a unique identification number

Ear Notching Ear notching involves removing V- shaped portions of the pig’s ear that correspond to a specific litter number and also individual pig number from that litter Some operations only notch the litter number or week of birth Ear tags are often used in conjunction with a breeding herd

Ear Notching Notches are numbered from the bottom of the ear with number one next to the head. Multiplying this number by three will give the next notch number, adjacent to the area where the previous notch was located Starting at the bottom of the ear next to the head and continue to the top of the ear, then working back towards the head Only exception to this is the TIP of the right ear which is the number 81 notch

Ear Notching Each notch, except 81, can only have two notches for any single number A pig identified as 28-3 would be the third pig from the twenty- eighth litter This pig’s right ear has two notches in the 9 position so it’s litter number is 18 The left ear has one notch at the 3 and two notches at the 1 so it’s pig number is 5 Overall this pig is 18-5

2-8 14-6

17-4 107-12

Notching the Ears Use an appropriate sized notcher Disinfect equipment in between pigs The process is minimally stressful to piglets Notches will bleed lightly but will heal in about a week Easiest to do other processing procedures while tagging to ensure the least amount of stress is put on animals Registered pigs must be notched within seven days of birth

Ear Tags Common form of identification used in all species Companies usually make tags and corresponding applicators Flexible, plastic tags can be bought pre-numbered or blank Variety of colors and sizes represent different things for each operation

Ear Tags Tags are pierced through the animal’s ear and allow for the animal to be identified from the front and back Tags should be installed between second and third cartilage rib of one or both ears using an applicator gun While they are easy to use and inexpensive, downfalls include Being ripped from an ear Getting lost if not applied properly Ink can fade over time if number is written Secondary identification is recommended in conjunction with ear tagging to prevent losing track of records

Freeze Branding Allows for animals to be identified from a greater distance than with ear tags Brands can be read year round Freeze branding involves irons, letters and numbers that have been chilled in liquid nitrogen or dry ice and alcohol When applied, the chilled branding iron kills cells that produce color pigment in the hair follicles but not the follicles themselves This results in white or colorless hair growing in the branded area

Freeze Branding Irons usually come in various sizes and come in copper, brass, or bronze because of their ability to hold a cold temperature Other items needed for freeze branding include Holding chute for animal restraint Container with liquid nitrogen or dry ice and alcohol Electric clippers with a surgical blade Antiseptic cleaner for brand site Gloves Isopropyl alcohol Branding irons Stopwatch

Freeze Branding Process consists of cooling the irons through chemical reaction, loading animal in squeeze chute, clipping the hair from the branding area, cleaning and disinfecting the site, application of the isopropyl alcohol, and application of the brand The following times are used when freeze branding based on animal age and color (add 15 seconds for yearlings) Black-45 seconds Dark Red-1 minute Yellow-1 minute, 15 seconds White-2 minutes, 15 seconds

Freeze Branding After branding, the area will swell for a few days, scab, then white or colorless hair will grow where the brand was applied Success of freeze branding depends on animal age, hair color, time of year, branding site, and method of application Older animals require more time to kill the color producing follicles White animals are the only ones that require enough time to actually kill the entire follicle where hair will not regrow to make it more visible

Freeze Branding Sites vary- brands can be applied to shoulder, rump, and sometimes cheekbone Not properly following procedure could result in the branding being unclear Disadvantages of this method include expense of materials and the inability to remove or replace a brand

Neck Chains Common for identifying dairy cattle Numbered tag is attached to the chain Should be inspected regularly to ensure that chain is not too tight on growing animals Possibility of animal getting caught on something and choking themselves Not a permanent method of identification

Electronic Identification Several types available, including… Electronic ear tags, microchips, and electronic collars Involves implanting an electronic chip, miniature radio transponder, and antenna under the skin of an animal Most common site is the shoulder blades or at base of ear Permanent and relatively painless to the animal Specialized equipment required Concerns of being implanted into animals being raised for meat

Paint Branding Temporary, often used in auction or processing situations, as well as livestock shows Easily visible Used to identify animal in sale directory

Tattooing Permanent method used in all species and involves imprinting ID number and letter into animal’s skin using indelible ink Instrument uses dies made of sharp needlelike projections secured on pliers Ink usually applied to tattoo site after it has been disinfected Best permanent method of ID because it does not degrade animal appearance or reduce value of animal

Tattooing Cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs have tattoo placed on inside surface above the first rib of the ear to not interfere with ear tags Horses often have tattoos inside their upper or bottom lip Sheep are tattooed on their flank Pigs are tattooed on their shoulder for carcass ID during slaughter Purebred animals are required to be identifiable by their breed associations