RFID Tag Retention Rate

[Eastcoaster]

Are any of you experencing much of a problem with lost RFID buttons? On a group of 30 animals here, I have lost 6
in the last month or so. The tags are Ketchum ones about a year old.

[per]

We have noticed retention issues with Allfex as well. Not too many but the problem is catching them. If there was a dangle portion that we could write on, we would easily be able to see if it was missing. Also some just lost the working parts. The button intact and the inside portion of the rfid part on the inside. Can only be detected with a reader or very close inspection in the chute.

[grassfarmer]

Never been an issue with the Allflex tags we use. We put the eid button tags in on day one along with a large size management tag in the other ear. We lose less than 1% of the management tags and none of the eid button tags. I think 80% of the guys that lose a lot of tags hang them to close to the outside of the ear. Get them as far into the ear as you can and it will reduce most losses.

[smcgrath76]

We use strictly Allflex RFID tags and have only lost one or two over the years and pretty well all from crazy cows that should have lost it from the neck forward. We have a lot of bush that we graze as well.
We use Z tags for management numbers and that switch has virtually eliminated the loss of floppy tags for us as well. Our cows also carry a brand and a steel bangs tag with a number (in case they lose everything else).
We have used typifix tags for collecting DNA samples as well and these fall out easily, but are cross referenced to the three other tags each cow carries.

[kato]

Your cows sound like ours. Ours carry more pieces of ID than we do! LOL.

CCIA tag, Reyflex plastic tag, (they're cheap and flexible so don't pull out easy), a metal tag, most cows have brisket tags, but we've quit installing new ones, and then they have brands as well.

We find we replace a few CCIA tags, but it's not a huge number. I don't think we've ever had a calf lose one. It's always cows, and for some reason our bulls are just terrible. I think it's because their big fat heads hit the bars on the bale feeders when they're backing out and over time the tag just gives up and breaks.