ear tags

[cowman]

Here is something that still bugs me. I sell a heifer calf and someone buys her to breed. My tag is in her. Over her lifetime she changes hands a few times and maybe travels many miles. Now she's old and at slaughter she comes up showing Johnes or TB or something. So they come looking for me(who only owned her for the first six months of her life). So now I must get all my cattle in and get them tested(I assume at my expense). Does this system really make any sense?
The one good thing about this whole program is the fact that by the time that cow is old the original tag will probably be long gone! Instead of using permanent tags(the small metal ones) the CCA opted for one that won't stay in. I'm feeding about 50 calves this winter and 2 of them have already lost their tags!

[jmillang]

Couple of things, the testing is not done at your expense. Also you may not be tested right away if you can document that you sold her at an early age. The tags just provide a quick way to start searching from both ends of the chain. The start back from the slaughter point as well, so you are not only end that they chase.

Once again the tag choice is raised. The tags were picked because of the need to be read by the packing plants and CFIA inspectors. I'm not sure how many tags you've read when the carcasses go swinging by you but after being in the plant trying to read the tags, I'll pick the plastic ones any day. I don't remember how many metal tags were unreadable because of poor design, or that had grown over but when I was in and read 250 hd, the metal tags were the toughest to read, and often required us to follow the chain before we got it read, now try and transcribe a number at the same time electronically, it just won't happen. It needed to be electronic.

In a perfect world it would have been better to use a chip or EID system, but look around and hear all the complaints about a $1.5 tag never mind a $7 EID.

Remember only animals that leave your place need to have a tag. If they fall out you need to retag when those animals leave your farm, just record it as a replacement tag and if possible cross reference it with the old tag.

[Muttley]

I feel a bit along the same lines as Cowman. A system that records the first owner seems to me will cause problems.
Since I am only supposed to tag the animals the originate on my farm, what do I do with the cattle that I purchase that loose their tags and I want to resell. Will there be a place for me to send the info to or will I have to document all these things for years to come.
The other thing that really gnaws my butt is the tag companies taking advantage of us. They did not have to design new tags they could have printed the code on the old style. I had to buy more pliars to put the new tags in with when I have a bunch for the old tags that are now no ggod

[ianben]

Her in the UK each animal has to have two tags now and a passport. Two tags so if it losses one the other can be read and the replacment ordered.
This must be replaced as soon as possible. Trying to sell an animal with one tag leads to an inspection and possible fine.
The passport goes with the animal and pages are torn out and sent away so there is a record of where every animal in the country is and where it came from and where it has been. Three days to do this or else.
Good for tag makers some animals just love to work them out.

[cowman]

This is one of the posts I tried to sort of agree with: the powers to be sort of got me "cut OFF": from!! So being very careful of what I say I must state"comply with every thing the CFIA says"!!!!!!! BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!!!

[bombay_43]

This is a topic that you either agree or totally disagree with. I have a huge problem with anything that is implemented without the farmers input! We are the ones who have to comply with these rules, carry the cost and work associated with it, but do not have a say as to whether it is a good idea or not. Sometimes I think the people responsible for implimenting this program, don't even know which end of a cow to feed!
Talk to feedlot operators, who can tell you that after staying on the feedlot, a large percentage of the tags are so dirty and greasy that the electronic scanner can not pick up the number!
If the program only wanted to confirm where the animal originated, tell me what was wrong with my lifetime brand that I just paid for several years ago? You can't lose the brand or get it too dirty to read. I already pay for brand inspectors every time an animal sells. Will these tags eliminate the need for inspectors?
I have a pamphlet put out by the CCIA and it states, "Tags are not required for dead stock". Excuse me? If something is sick, say TB, you club it to death (now that farmers no longer have guns) and get the meat truck to pick it up. NO TAG. Is this not a contridiction to this program and what it was intended for?
I have not put tags on my cattle, and will buck this one until it is compulsory! The purpose for this program was to keep diseases from spreading, not for easier reading in the packing plant!