Taging

[ALICIA]

I still do not think I and my herd should be held a countable for an animal that I sold 6 or 10 years ago and has been in countless herds sence. If this is the case, and it would seem that it is then we all beter be out of the cattle busness because their are just some people out there that do not know how to take care of their live stock and I don't whant to take the blame for some one elses mistake because I blame my self enought for the mistake I make.

[smcgrath76]

Interesting thread Alicia. While tagging may identify the animal back to your herd as the herd of origin, it does not mean that you are any more or less accountable for that animal than if it were untagged. Legally speaking, your liability remains unchanged. Perhaps the best way to reduce your liability is to maintain reasonable production records for your operation.
I appreciate that the system sometimes seems like it is designed to target primary producers (not including the who pays argument cowman), however this is because you are the first and fastest link towards tracing the animal in question. Even on older cattle that you may have sold long ago and have been resold several times, by starting at your farm they can work forward much more quickly than they can go backwards.
Our thoughts at home are that hopefully the system will improve over time. For us that means cheaper, better technology (electronic identification) that we can incorporate into our management system, and better tag retention.
We may be a little different than most of our neighbours as we are trying to position ourselves so that everybody in the country knows about our cattle, and pays a premium for them. Conversely we are also continually trying to drive down costs, unless we see that the cost will add value to our product. While this is easier said than done, we are on the way.
Is the tagging system perfect? No, but if life were like that there wouldn't be animal health concerns.
Just my thoughts.

[cswilson]

It seems whenever there is a traceback problem-the brand isnspectors are the ones who straighten it out. The CCIA tags quite frankly are a joke as far as retention goes. Case in point I bought 100 unbranded heifers last spring-all I.D. tagged but in the last year I've had to retag probably 40 of them. They carry my brand now plus a CCIA tag registered to me. So for all intents and purposes I am the original herd in the case of a problem. I still am a fan of hot iron branding-if done right it is readable and permanent. If it diminishes hide value-so be it.

[kato]

If one loses a tag and you replace it, record the number, and keep it in a safe place in case of a traceback.

You won't get stuck as the original owner. That was never the intention.

[ALICIA]

smcgrath76- Thinks for the note. But in the case of BSE. If one cow or calf comes in contacted with a 10 year old perbreed that I sold 8 yrs ago. They will come and destroy my whole herd (under the name of food safty) bull. Not when the goverment imports food from countrys that have a lower food standered then us and tell the consumer that they care about food safty.
cswilson-I've axcadently riped the tag out of the ear when I've been putting it in. I just cut the plastic of, pop out the steel tipe and reaply in a nother spot.
Plus I've been told that the price of hide is not worth anything, thats one of the reasons dead stock charges to pickup. So put all the hot brands you want all over the hide,but alas didn't the cattle ruslers in the old west just change the brand.