Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Posted: **Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:15 pm**

Hi all
Went out this morning having been away for the weekend and found that the yearling heifer has ripped the tag out. There is a long split in the ear now and it is healing so no question of stitching it I think. WHAT A NUISANCE!
it will be an even bigger job than usual trying to find a place for the next tag. Her mother has managed to lose both ear tags but at least the holes make it easy to put new ones in.
Cheers Louise

Posted: **Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:01 am**

We've got the same problem in cattle and sheep. We use tags that stay in (Dalton in cattle and Shearwell in sheep). With 500 lambs we might loose 2 or 3 in a year. But the reason they stay in is basically because they are strong, stronger than the ear in fact. But with enough force something has to give, and of course it's the ear. With both sheep and cattle, although there are very few cases, when it does happen it almost always leaves a tear.

If I were doing expensive animals, or if I were showing, I would be tempted to use a make that is designed to come out rather than tear the ear. I think Fearings do that. We used to use them and lost loads, far too many to cope with in a commercial situation with lots of animals around, but we had no torn ears if I remember correctly.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1281510369

Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Torn ear - ear tags