Dairy and Beef Cattle ID Methods

Types of identification Dairy Identification Ear tags Branding (hot and freeze) Neck Chains/Collars Tattoos Leg Bands Electronic Identification (i.e. Barcode)  Beef Identification Ear Tags Tattoos Branding (hot and freeze) Nose Printing Neck Chains/Collars

Why is it important? assist cattle producers in maintaining records for genetic and management decisions Minimizes confusion and errors in recording and tracking animal information

Dairy Cattle Identification The most common methods of marking Dairy cattle are ear tags, branding, and neck chains or collars.  Less common methods of marking Dairy cattle include Tattoos, leg bands, and electronic identification.

Beef Cattle Identification The most common methods of marking Beef cattle are ear tags, tattoos and hot brands.  Less common methods of marking Beef cattle include freeze brands, and neck chains. 

Ear tags Most widely used for cattle identification Tag is placed on the animal by piercing a hole in the ear with a secure backing  Always avoid the cartilaginous ribs of the ear   Choose flexible portion of ear  Use an applicator gun to tag both ears  Producers may purchase preprinted tags or choose to write his or her own numbers on the tags  It is important to make sure tags can be read at a distance   Come in a variety of colors and types  *It is recommended that another method of identification be used along with ear tags.

Placement

Positives Pros Flexible tags help with retention It may aid in sorting to tag steers and heifers in opposite ears or with different-colored tags Allow identification from the front and back  Easy use Easy to read Flexible in all weather  Inexpensive 

Negatives  Cons    Limitations in brushy areas    Risk of being ripped from ear  Can loose if not applied properly    Permanent ink may fade    Risk of infection 

Hot Branding Hot branding is permanent. Farmers often use it as a precaution against thieves.  Most brands are placed on the hip, side, or the shoulder.  Hot branding is done with a hot iron. It is important to make sure the iron is the right temperature.  Irons that are the incorrect temperature can cause unnecessary pain and the wound will take longer to heal.  Making sure the animal is restrained is extremely important. Movement can mess up the brand and slow down the process.  When done correctly, branding should take 3-5 seconds. 

Positives Pros Thieves are not able to remove this form of identification  It is quick and causes minimal pain  The brand can be placed in several areas

Negatives Cons  Hot branding can result in infection  Movement can result in an unreadable brand  If the temperature is not exact, excess pain and injury can be a result  The brand results in scarring, causing damage to the hide 

Freeze Branding Just like hot branding, freeze branding is permanent. The brands are usually placed on the side, hips, or shoulders.  Freeze branding kills pigment cells. This results in a regrowth of white hair at the site of the brand.  The iron is cooled in liquid Nitrogen or dry ice at temperature of –100 to –200 degrees Celsius.  Restraint is important when branding. Too much movement can mess up the brand.  When done correctly, placing a freeze brand should take around 30 seconds. 

There is minimal to no scarring. It is quick and causes minimal pain. Positives Pros  There is minimal to no scarring.  It is quick and causes minimal pain.  The brand can be placed several places. 

It takes a little bit longer than hot branding Negatives Cons  It takes a little bit longer than hot branding  It is more expensive than hot branding  It does not work well on cattle with light hair. 

Neck chains/collars  Common method to identify dairy cattle  Neck chains have a numbered tag attached that corresponds to that animal's identification number  Chain or rope should be placed around the animal's neck  Must be tight enough to stay in place but loose enough to allow easy breathing and growth for young animals

Neck Chains/collars Pros Simple application Painless to animal Fairly easy to see  Cons  If growing animals are not inspected frequently the chain may become too tight  Risk of chain becoming caught and choking the animal  Not permanent  Hard to see when animals are grouped together

Tattoos Similar to human tattooing procedure for humans Ink is put into the animal’s skin in a series of dots that outline numbers or symbols  Tattoo ink is put under the skin inside the ear   Special tattoo pliers puncture the skin and leave a permanent marking  Combination of permanent tattoos with ear tags may be helpful  Most breed associations require that cattle have ear tattoos for registration  Required part of identification of animals for brucellosis vaccination and monitoring programs

Tattoos Pros Permanent In black-hided cattle, the inner area of the ear is generally lighter, which allows the tattoo to be more visible  Cons  Since tattoos are inside the animal’s ear, the animal must be restrained to read the tattoo  Process is time consuming 

Tattooing process 1. Thoroughly clean inside of the ear with a cotton ball or gauze soaked in rubbing alcohol 2. Place the needed tattoo numbers in the tattoo pliers 3. Test on cardboard to make sure it is correct 4. Firmly clamp the ear with tattoo pliers 5. Avoid cartilage ribs of the ear 6. Rub tattoo ink in punctures until bleeding ceases *A toothbrush works well to ensure ink is worked into the tattoo

Electronic identification Called EID tags  Not widely used   Typically require use of a reader, computer and the required computer software  Pros  EID offers the use of computerized tracking and scanning systems for recording and storing animal records as compared to visual systems  Save time by eliminating manual records  Manage herd more accurately   Cons  The EID systems need special reading devices and may have limited range  Costly  Requires a lot of additional equipment

Nose Printing   Nose prints are just like finger prints. Every print is unique.  There are two nose printing methods:  One is the ink method which is similar to when we get our fingerprints taken.  The other is just using a black and white camera to take a close up picture of the nose.  Nose printing is not a very common method 

Pros   A nose print is the same throughout the animals life.   It is simple.    It is a cheap identification method.   Cons   The method does not leave an identifying mark on the animal.   It should not be used as the only form of identification  

Leg bands can be either temporary or permanent. They are uncommon with cattle as they can fall off easily.  They are often used to indicate milking status

Numbering systems A number should not be duplicated for at least 10 years  Should not be more than four digits so it can be read easily  Calves are sometimes given the same number as their mother  This simplifies record keeping for calving data  If these calves remain in the herd, they will receive their own individual number according to the specific numbering system  Computerized record-keeping systems can be used  The best numbering system is one that is simple and easy to read 

Numbering Systems A common system involves including the last digit of the year (e.g., 1 in the year of 2011) as the first digit of the animal identification    Works great for herds less than 1,000 cows    As calves are born each year, they are identified with a four-digit number that would begin with the last digit of the year they were born. For example, the first calf in 2011 crop could be tagged 1001 It is advisable to include all the digits in a numbering system on each tag, tattoo or number brand    For example, in a four-digit system for calves born in 2010, calf number 3 should be identified as 0003. This decreases the chance of her being misidentified

Numbering Systems Some breeds and record systems use a letter code to represent a given year. In this system, instead of including a 1 to represent the birth year of 2011, producers would include the appropriate letter code “Y” in the numbering system. See Table.