EID Readers

[SADIE]

grassfarmer----yeh the BIX program. All good in theory and that once had me even excited.

SOLVE THE RETENTION PROBLEM and all would fall into place.

BYE BYE RFID EARTAG. SOON SOON

[grassfarmer]

"Alleged" retention problem experienced by some
operators.
The last 400 tags we have put on (all at birth) we have
had 2 to replace. That's retaining everything to
yearling stage, grass fats going at 18 months, bulls
going at 2yrs, heifers going into the herd.
Both losses we had were calves in their first summer
where the tag split the ear, likely caught on a fence.

[Happytrails]

We have the tools today that would allow the
consumer to scan a steak before purchase with their
iPhone and pull up the website of the rancher who
produced it and it could be fully traceable from birth
to slaughter.

My question to GF is when you have the tools to do all of the above why in H don't you? Trying to mandate niche marketing seems contradictory.

[Horse]

GF While the consumer is scaning this steak should we also play a little video of what a happy calfhood this steak had and the reason he or she didnt make it into the herd , also mabey a short explanation no how well it died and went to a better place.
Give me a break I know I am a dinasour but this now generation with all the electronics and toys are a mega pain in the ass. Gust because we can dosent mean we have to.

[DogPatch]

I think the biggest issues with retention problem are exaggerated many times over.
Often the problems are bigger the more opposed you are about RFID. Most problems are blamed on the tag, and not on the fences, storage and handling of the tags being used, the capabilities of the person applying the tags, or how much patience they have (or don't have). How else can you explain why some have little or no problems, while others are having problems? Cripes its just a tag, and shouldn't take a rocket scientist to put it in the ear to stay!

[SADIE]

<a href="http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n523/kphaber/?action=view&current=DVDCover_zps2e500540. jpg" target="_blank"></a>

[grassfarmer]

Good post dog patch, very true.

[ALLFARMER]

The percentage of people who want to watch a
video of the farm the calf/steak came from is
pretty small. Certainly not enough people to
warrent the expense. People want their Big Mac's
or Angus burgers cheap. The cheaper the better.

My CCIA tags go in a day or 2 before shipping so
only 1 percent loss possibly here. When doing a
hundred or so head a few do fail right away. Thats
been our experience anyway. Still managed to
get charged by NBI for tagging a few anyway.
Guess thats ok my second cousin is marrying one
of the Nilsson kids so I'll overlook it. Lol

[DogPatch]

The middle tag in the photo was obviously not put in correctly or had been partly pulled out because the cow snagged it on a twine or fence. The lower one looks like the wrong tag button was used. Otherwise, why is there such a difference in the color between the two parts?

PERSONALLY I think the photos in that "ad" were staged

[DogPatch]

The middle tag in the photo was obviously not put in correctly or had been partly pulled out because the cow snagged it on a twine or fence. The lower one looks like the wrong tag button was used. Otherwise, why is there such a difference in the color between the two parts?

PERSONALLY I think the photos in that "ad" were staged

[15444]

Dogpatch, you'd make one heck of a bureaucrat.

[smcgrath76]

I'll bite.
We don't put RFID in at birth, but we do put them in at first processing
(branding time). We own a very fancy RFID reader and it is pretty useful.
We also use visual tags and they are pretty useful. We also brand and use
a steel bangs tag. We also have a DNA sample collected and analyzed on
every cow and bull in the herd.
We lose a few RFID tags and it is a bit of a PITA to check prior to
shipping, but we do and we send an affadavit that everything was checked
and in place prior to loading the truck.
We are trying to use the RFID to add value, and have all our calves age
verified (takes about 5 minutes) and in the BIXS system. We even have
some data back, but at this point I would not say that data is useful on a
per animal basis.
I feel very much in agreement with both Sadie and GF if that is possible.
We are trying to use the tag to obtain value out of the marketplace and
are not driven by the regulations but by trying to add value (Eg: age
verifying prior to the regulation requiring it), but we are in the strange
position of living with a lack of sympathy for the regulations and a
distrust of the folks with their fingers in the process. I think the
Canadian industry by and large is very much not about adding value to
beef, but more about adding value to feed.