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Caisley Ear Tag Applicator

Product Details

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (29) Read reviews »

Strong, rugged ear tag applicator installs Premier’s MiniTags as well as EID and DNA (Tissue) tags manufactured by Caisley. Lever-action hinge reduces effort needed when tagging uncooperative livestock.

Installs the following tags:

  • MiniTags (for sheep and goats)
  • MiniTag (840) EID Ear Tags
  • Caisley USDA (840) EID Cattle Ear Tags
  • Caisley USDA (840) EID Cattle Ear Tags with Tissue Collection Unit

For best results, apply an antibiotic, a fly repellent and/or a disinfectant to the ear tissue or tag prior to application.

Note: This item was previously called the MiniTag and DNA Ear Tag Applicator.

NEW!USDA (840) EID tags are now available from Premier. We have official electronic ID for sheep and goats, and also cattle.

  • Caisley Ear Tag Applicator Tool

    Item #609800 | Weight 1.30 lbs
    In Stock
    $43.00
Videos & Data
Accessories
Reviews (29)
Installing Mini Tags Play
Installing Mini Tags
Goat Ear Tagging Play
Goat Ear Tagging

Instructions/Diagrams:

  • Application Instructions [76 KB]
  • Comparison Chart, FAQs and Infection Information [998 KB]
  • Inserting Tags in Cold Weather [29 KB]

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Specs

  • 9-1/2" length x 1" wide
  • Durable plastic handles with metal hinges
  • Made by CAISLEY in Germany


How to Use

  1. Press the black clamp and slide the female part of the tag under the metal spring finger. The printed side of the female tag will be against the jaw of the applicator.
  2. Slide the male tag over the metal pin. Be sure to push it all the way onto the pin! The printed side of the male tag will be against the other jaw of the applicator.
  3. Ensure the male pin aligns with the female opening and both tags are fully seated. (Don't squeeze the applicator yet.)
  4. Place the ear between the jaws of the applicator. While gripping the ear, quickly and firmly squeeze the handles together until the male tag is inserted through the ear and into the female tag.


Tips

Tag placement is critical to success!

For maximum retention and the lowest risk of bleeding and infection, place ear tags in either of the two spots shown in the illustration below. The goal is about 2–3 inches from the head of the animal.

SHEEP CATTLE & GOATS
(Boer, Kiko & Nubian)
Proper ear tag placement for sheep Proper ear tag placement for cattle and goats

Inserting Tags in Cold Weather

Plastic tags (all brands) are much easier to install if they are warm.

As the temperature drops below freezing, plastic becomes less flexible and forcing the male point of a tag through the female takes more effort because the female side must expand.

So if you care about your hands, it’s a good idea to keep the tags above freezing in very cold weather. It takes very little to do this. One method is to store tags in a small bucket, cardboard box or tool box with a lid alongside a sealed pop bottle full of warm water. The warm water will keep both the air and the tags warmer in the container.


Precautions

Heavy and a little clumsy to use for those with small hands.

Listed below are recommended optional components or related items. Your particular situation may require alternative recommendations. Please call and talk to our consultants if there are any questions at 800-282-6631.

  • MiniTag (yellow, pkg. 20)
    Ear Tags

    MiniTag (yellow, pkg. 20)

    Item #609200 - In Stock

    Reliable long-term ear tag for goats and small sheep breeds. Designed to last for the lifespan of the animal. Scrapie approved. FREE custom imprinting!

    $12.00
    Customize
  • MiniTag (blue, pkg. 20), not scrapie approved
    Ear Tags

    MiniTag (blue, pkg. 20), not scrapie approved

    Item #609600 - In Stock

    Reliable long-term ear tag for goats and small sheep breeds. Designed to last for the lifespan of the animal. Scrapie approved. FREE custom imprinting!

    $12.00
    Customize
  • MiniTag EID Ear Tags, pkg of 4 tags, yellow
    Ear Tags

    MiniTag EID Ear Tags, pkg of 4 tags, yellow

    Item #630124 - Back-ordered: Expected on 05/13/2025
    Notification request sent

    Official USDA 840 electronic identification (EID/RFID) ear tags for sheep and goats. Scrapie approved. FREE custom imprinting!

    $7.50
  • HDX Tag Strip with LARGE Visual Pair, yellow, each
    Ear Tags

    HDX Tag Strip with LARGE Visual Pair, yellow, each

    Item #630121 - In Stock

    Official EID 840-numbered customizable ear tag. Strip includes matching visual pair. USDA approved for cattle. Available in HDX and FDX.

    $4.56
  • SuperLube™, 8 oz
    Ear Tag Accessories

    SuperLube™, 8 oz

    Item #550800 - In Stock

    An all-purpose antiseptic OB lubricant for lambing and kidding. Very useful if a lamb (or kid) goes dry during birth.

    $6.00
  • Pine Tar (squeezable bottle), 16 oz
    Docking and Castrating

    Pine Tar (squeezable bottle), 16 oz

    Item #623200 - In Stock

    Cover wounds on sheep, goats, chickens and guardian dogs to repel flies and biting insects. Effective for several days after application.

    $16.00
  • Catron® IV, 10 oz spray can
    Docking and Castrating

    Catron® IV, 10 oz spray can

    Item #888147 - In Stock

    Used for treating sheep with fly-strike and as a preventative after docking, castrating or ear tagging. 10 oz spray can.

    $12.00
Average Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.6 out of 5
Number of reviews: 29 customers reviewed this product.
Recommended: 27 out of 29 said they would recommend this product to a friend.

Write a Review

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Caisley Ear Tag Applicator
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
March 10, 2024

Jeff S from West Virginia

Applicator fits the MiniTags perfectly.

Caisley Ear Tag Applicator
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
January 28, 2024

Rachel M from Illinois

This tagger is bigger than the others we have, but it does seem to hold onto the tags before applying them better than the others. Only one week into using it.

Caisley Ear Tag Applicator
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
March 6, 2023

Suzannah G from Kentucky

I will purchase MiniTags again. Readable and small for baby goats.

Caisley Ear Tag Applicator
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
February 14, 2023

Jayne F from Wyoming

Easy to use. Perfect for lambs.

Caisley Ear Tag Applicator
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
October 23, 2022

Kathy K from Wyoming

Have not used yet so I cannot rate this product accurately.

1 2 3 4 5 6 Next »

About Conductivity

Conductivity measures the amount of electrical current a material can carry. The opposite measure is known as resistance.

Tinned Copper Superconductor

Many of Premier’s electric net fences feature a green and white superconductor that has both stainless steel and tinned copper filaments for optimal conductivity.

These “premium” nets are 10 times more conductive (38 ohms per 1000') than “basic” nets offered by our competitors. This enables the electric pulse to travel much farther and be less affected by weed contact.

Customers who are unhappy with netting are often those who’ve chosen nets from China or their farmstore equivalents.

Types of Line Posts

Line posts are built into the net. Three options are available.*

Line Posts Compared
  1. Single Spike (SS)
    The best choice, unless your soils are always soft or very hard.
  2. Double Spike (DS)
    Posts allow you to push in the spikes with your foot. When soil is hard or rocky, double spikes are more difficult to install and remove.
  3. Drivable Posts (DP)
    Allows use of a mallet or dead blow hammer for installing posts in dry, hard or rocky soil. Features a “spike stop” for extra support and internal fiberglass ribs for added strength.

Tip: To insert a line post into frozen or hard soil, use a power tool to drill pilot holes.

* Not all fences have all line post options.

About Positive/Negative (Pos/Neg) Nets

Is your area dry?

Conventional electrified fence systems rely on soil moisture to be effective. However, not all areas have the required moisture.

Dry soil increases resistance—a weaker, less effective pulse occurs that does not deter animals.

To overcome this, Pos/Neg nets* are wired to allow the use of every other horizontal strand as an extension of the ground terminal. Because half the strands are connected to the ground terminal or ground rod, reliance on soil moisture is reduced. A PowerLink must be purchased separately to make the secondary ground connection.

How it works…

In order to receive a shock, the animal must touch both a positive (hot) and negative (grounded) strand at the same time. This will deliver more pain to the animal than an all hot net (Pos/Pos) because moisture in the soil is not required to complete the circuit.

Pos/Neg fences can be converted to Pos/Pos in moist conditions. Remember, all fences must be kept free of vegetation.

* Not all fences have Pos/Neg options.

Line Post Spacing

“Plus” nets—6'8" spacings between built-in line posts*

Line Post Spacing

Standard nets—10' or 12' spacings between built-in line posts*

* Spacings are approximate.
Distance between built-in line posts may vary by product.

Essential Energizer Advice

  • Buy a larger energizer than necessary. When the fence pleases, most folks will buy more fence—and need additional output.
  • Use a low-impedance intermittent pulse energizer.
  • Use a fence tester to check the voltage often.
  • Use enough ground rod(s)—included with our energizer kits.
  • Don’t allow your lead acid battery to discharge below 40%.
  • Use insulated wire that is designed for electric fences.
  • Always connect the fence to an energizer, not an outlet.
  • Visit this link for answers to other common energizer questions.

Two Basic Types

  1. All-in-one Solar
    • Solar units are very portable.
    • Because they need a battery, these units are more costly to purchase and operate than plug-in units.
    • Batteries are less effective in cold temperatures (deplete faster).
    • Most farmstore solar units are too weak, in joules of output, to properly energize netting. That’s why we designed our own.
  2. Plug-in & Battery
    • Least cost to purchase and operate per joule of output.
    • Best for fences exposed to heavy vegetation.
    • Cold temperatures do not affect performance.
    • Recommended for whole-farm systems, but can be complex to install. Higher output requires more ground rods, underground cables, multiple output terminals, etc.

Shipping Zones

Map of Shipping Zones
Dan Morrical

Dr. Dan Morrical, Ph.D.
Premier 1 Supplies

Dan Morrical joined the Iowa State University staff in 1984 as Extension Sheep Specialist after completing his doctorate degree at New Mexico State University. He held the rank of Full Professor as of July 1, 1995 and retired from full-time teaching in 2017.

While at Iowa State University, Dr. Dan Morrical was responsible for educational programs in all areas of sheep production, ranging from nutrition, genetics, marketing and management. Research areas focused on applied projects in the areas of nutrition, forage utilization, genetics, out-of-season breeding and lamb survival.

Dr. Morrical has been heavily involved in providing educational resources to the sheep industry. He has authored over 30 extension fact sheets, ration balancing software programs, grazing videos and co-authored the nutrition chapter of the SID Handbook with Dr. Margaret Benson from Washington State University.

Dr. Morrical now serves as Premier’s on-staff small ruminant nutritionist and sheep production advisor. Most recently, he’s introduced a line of “GOLD FORMULA” mineral premixes under The Shepherd’s Choice® brand, aimed to maximize hoof health and immunity.

Braided vs. Twisted

Braiding instead of twisting the horizontals increases the frequency of metal filaments on the outside of the strand.

Braided vs. Twisted Electric Net Fences

What’s the benefit?

  1. More metal is exposed on the outside of the strand. This enables improved animal to conductor contact. The electric pulse is better able to travel from the fence and into the animal, resulting in a memorable shock.
  2. A tighter, braided weave results in fewer snags when carried or pulled through pastures, reducing frustration.

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Note from the manufacturer of BioWorma®

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