Sheep tagging: top 5 ways to tag at home

Modern sheep farms for convenience and ease of work process practice keeping a numbered record of livestock. Labeling, or marking, sheep as a way of supplying animals with information insignia allows farmers to classify the herd, optimize the processes of accounting and slaughter, and take timely preventive measures. The procedure is rightfully considered one of the main organizational elements of the livestock industry.

Pros and cons of labeling

Livestock marking, thanks to the list of undeniable advantages, is gradually moving into the category of generally accepted practice, solving local problems of animal identification, medical care, as well as industry-wide issues to prevent the spread of dangerous infections.

Sheep tagging solves a number of livestock problems, allowing farmers and breeders to:

rank the herd by sex, age, breed, productivity;
ensure proper zootechnical and veterinary control;
distinguish animals when grazing together with herds of other farms;
eliminate inbreeding;
to carry out targeted selection for slaughter.

Relative disadvantages include additional costs for the procedure, the possible need for the participation of specialists, but, according to farmers, the costs justify themselves in the end.

Varieties of marking

There are long-known simple ways of marking sheep and more information-intensive modern techniques with minimal risk of injury to animals.

The following methods are most widely used:

tweezers on the auricle;
ear tattoo;
setting different ear tags;
burning on the horns;
chipping.

The use of ear pliers is a common folk marking method. Available temporary methods are also widely used: colored wax markers on the chest, paint marks on the forehead area, collars. New methods are more effective, informative and safe.

How to tag sheep at home

Labels can have a different look and carry a different amount of information. Females are usually marked with one ear, and the opposite ear for males, which allows you to quickly distinguish sheep by gender without trapping and unnecessary manipulations.

Ear plucks

Sheep ear plucks are made with a special device. Animals are classified depending on the localization of the notches (left or right ear), their number and shape. During the procedure, you must follow sanitary rules and be confident in the technique.

To make tweezers, you can use universal tongs. The process usually requires the presence of a specialist.

Tattoo

The tattooing method is widely used to mark sheep with white ears. Labels containing information about the animal in the form of symbols are applied using tattoo forceps. It is customary to mark the inner surface of the ear, free from hairline. The symbols remain on the skin thanks to the coloring tattoo compound. It is customary to arrange elements and read the stigma in the direction from left to right.

The numbers usually indicate the year of birth and the serial number of the sheep, by which you can quickly find marks on vaccination, other interventions, performance and lambing data in the journal. The letters indicate the nickname of the male producer, the abbreviation of the name of the farm or the abbreviated data on the seller of the cattle.

The method allows you to enter a multi-level accounting system using a combined cipher, but more often they practice simple number accounting, in which detailed information can be found by number in the corresponding journal or veterinary passport.

Earrings, metal or plastic tags

The essence of the method is to attach a plate with marking elements to the sheep's ear by piercing it. The design is reminiscent of earrings. Initially, the metal tags actually looked like earrings.

Modern plastic tags are attached to a sheep's ear with special tongs. These tags last the life of the animal, are safe and easy to handle.

Plastic tags come in different colors. Additional information is applied in a cipher of numbers and letters on the free edge of the product. Tags with an empty field are filled with a marker. Developed households order tags with laser marking, which will not be erased over time, unlike a marker.

Hornburn

The thermal method is traumatic for livestock and is not universal. The cipher is applied to the surface of the horn by burning. The method is applicable to breeds of sheep, characterized by massive horns.

Installation of a subcutaneous chip

Chipping is a type of electronic marking. A chip containing information about the animal is implanted into the subcutaneous layers of the sheep. Reading data is done by scanning. The chipping procedure is easily tolerated by cattle, allows you to quickly obtain the necessary information, but requires special equipment and related costs.