Bar Code Tags NFG

[WoolyBear]

Whats everyone's take on the latest CCIA bulletin? I read that all cattle leaving the farm of origin after Jan 1, 2006 MUST have a RFID tag, and that the bar code tag will only be honored until Dec 31, 2007.

Sounds like all the cows that we've gone out to tag before they when to pasture, will have to be RE TAGGED before they leave after Jan 1 2006? What happened to the grandfathering of the Barcode tags?

[grassfarmer]

That sounds reasonable to me, afterall when we are boasting that we have a better system than anyone else in the world for tracing cattle we'd better be using it. We are supposidly negotiating access for beef to other countries on the grounds of having this program in place so the old system should be wound up as quick as possible.
Having said that my old cows that are tagless or just have management tags and are ready to be culled could perfectly well be tagged with barcode ones before they go to slaughter - the purpose afterall is to show the herd of origin. Of course the real reason we are using EIDs is because the packers wanted them - they are easier to read at high line speeds. I don't see many auction companies rushing to install EID readers in their premisis or cow/calf producers buying $7-800 EID readers to manage their cattle.

[kato]

Just talked to them. They've changed that a bit due to a flood of calls and complaints. (Sometimes our voices are heard after all)

MEDIA RELEASE

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency

CCIA Extends RFID Policy


For immediate release February 16, 2005 - The CCIA has extended the previously announced RFID tagging timeline to ensure that the majority of 2005 calves make it through the system with a recognized bar coded tag.

As of September 1, 2006 all cattle leaving the herd of origin, must have a CCIA approved RFID tag applied to the ear.

The revised date will assist producers in obtaining the approved RFID tags as well as provide an extended time period for tagging. In order to facilitate bar coded tags on cattle that have left their herd of origin prior to September 1, 2006, the CCIA will also continue to recognize the bar coded tags until at least December 31, 2007.

"The CCIA is confident that a timely transition to RFID will ensure that the Canadian cattle industry can continue to meet an exceed domestic and international requirements for animal health and food safety through an efficient trace back and age verification process", said Chris Giffen, Operations Manager of the CCIA.

Currently, there are six CCIA approved RFID tags. All six approved tags have the following attributes:

A CCIA identification number unique to the individual animal

CCIA Trademark (3/4 Maple Leaf and “CA” letter)

Are yellow in color with a yellow backing stud

Met all requirements in the Canadian National Standards for RFID technology




- 30 -

For more information please contact:
Megan Gauley, Communications Coordinator: Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA)
1-877-909-2333 (BEEF) www.canadaid.ca

So the 2005 calves should be long gone before Sept. 2006, unless they are fall calves, but those will be born after the sale of bar codes has ended.

We are supposed to leave the old bar codes on the cattle even after we have switched over, so no need to retag older cows until they are sold.

I was also told that there are plans afoot to have electronic tags that also have 'dangle' parts that we can write our information on so we don't have to double tag them. They are going out for testing now.

Hope this helps.

[grassfarmer]

Kato,
"Currently, there are six CCIA approved RFID tags. All six approved tags have the following attributes..... Are yellow in color with a yellow backing stud"
Presumably that is a mistake in the media release? I bought RFID setaside tags last fall that are white although I have yellow backs for them. Surely they are still approved tags?

[SASH]

was also told that there are plans afoot to have electronic tags that also have 'dangle' parts that we can write our information on so we don't have to double tag them. They are going out for testing now.

My biggest beef with this whole system is that I have to buy visual ID tags as well as the EID tags. I've heard that they are making the EID tags with the chip in the male part of the tag so they can be used for visual ID as well. Works for me.

[kato]

I've seen the white tags too. I'm sure they are OK.

The message I got from the phone call was that we should take it slowly, and tag them when we sell them. That will spread the cost. No need to run out and retag the herd just yet, unless we want to get fancy and use an electronic reader and computer to do our record keeping. They've got some pretty slick management systems out now that hook into scales, palm pilots, and computerized records for those who are into technology.

[WoolyBear]

My question for them at CCIA was this..... We are suppose to tag our cows when they leave the farm for pastures where they are comingled, or to a vet clinic. Some of the older cows, will have a BC tag when they were calves, and now will soon require the RFID tag, and if they live to be 15yrs old, how many more "improved tags" will be required to be added? The next step will be DNA tags, or electronic under the skin tags or who knows over their live time.

No mention of providing the tag free of charge like some of the State run programs in the USA

[WoolyBear]

yes i read all about our good canadian
new tac,s and bar code system!!
so let us stop using the branding of
cattle creulity the animal and wasting
time and money!!!!!
our new tac and code system is the best in the nort-amerika country
i notice n-v-b cattle bring more money
and many feedlot,s don,t brand any more!
soon the law will be no live branding !

[15444]

That's why you don't tag the suckers until they leave the farm. I never tagged a purebred cow that I took to our local fair with a CCIA tag. A fellow breeder told me that I should have, but I responded with the fact that if CCIA wants to pick a fight with me over a cow that was going to come back to my place after the 3 days were over...then they better be ready to fight a long fight.

I almost bet you it won't be 2 years when they come out with an implantable chip that can be put in with a Ralgro gun.

All of this is good news. I have a few barcode tags left lying around...guess I will put them on some of the cows that leave this summer.

[rkaiser]

Glad to hear about the tests for a dangler on one side of the RFID SASH. Would have been a pain in the butt to put two tags in let alone more cost to us.

[SASH]

The only downside I can see is that you'll probably need to buy a different set of tagging pliers for the new tags. If they don't get you one way, they'll get you another.

[intr3est]

I think the RFID tags are here to stay, the only problems that will have to be solved in the future are:cost, tampering, retention, and administration. These "tags" are already being used in packaged food for recall,inventory and best before date purposes. This is an interesting link.

http://www.ssece.com/rfid.asp

[cowman]

When the mandatory bar code tags came in I complained loud and clear...not because I didn't support the idea but because I believed food safety was a government responsibility! They are paid very well to provide that service. I still believe the government should be providing the tag...after all who is doing the work of putting the tag in? Who is eating the shrink?
However having said that, I agree with grassfarmer that we need to move as rapidly as possible to the best system available? And if it costs me $800 for a scanner, I would be glad to pay it as long as I can pick up the info from a reasonable distance? Say thirty feet?
One of the curses of getting old is your eyesite seems to falter.

[intr3est]

Cowman, don't worry about your eyesight, like I say, "old age is a desease we can all make fun of, becasue it will hit us all someday"

[WoolyBear]

Destron RFID, and the Allflex RFID can both be put in with the Allflex Universal red tagger. Destron was giving away their tagger if you brought in your old one. We havent been farming long enough to have an old tagger that we were not using <GRIN>.

We are using the Destron tag for the RFID solely for the reason that the tip of the tag has "Infectaguard" to reduce infection. Whether it works or not, we might never know. We found putting them together in December that one really had to squeeze hard to get the double click snap to get the 2 parts to hold. I even tried warming up the buttons in the truck before we applied them.

As for reading them, we've heard that you need to have blind wild cows (deaf too....) as the reading distance is about 12 to 18" under good conditions.