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ear tags/lambs
Author: cheryl 
Date:   07-14-08 10:23

I am raising my 4th lamb crop and this year I am having trouble with losing ear tags. I maybe lost(pulled out) 1-2 during the year off my older sheep but this year it is the lambs. 5 of 24 have pulled out the little, softer custom tags and now 3 of the white, slightly larger usda tags. They are not ripping the ear(slicing through) but actually pulling through the hole.
The environment hasn't changed, fact they are spending more time in electric netting enclosures.... I have either 4" x4" sheep and goat woven wire or 2" x 4" woven wire and only a small part they are exposed to is normal farm fence(they can stick head through) Up in the barnyard there are rigid wire panels. I am finding the tags in the middle of paddocks, not on or near fencing.
Any ideas on why this is happening? Can I put replacement tags through the same hole with out expecting a high chance of losing another tag?
My equipment and tags are from premier.
Thanks, Cheryl

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Re: ear tags/lambs
Author: Gordon 
Date:   07-14-08 12:11

Anytime you are dealing with animals and eartags you are going to have
tag loss from time to time. Every year will be different even if the fencing stays
the same. All woven wire no matter how small the holes are can snag an eartag
as the animal walks by or rubs his head on the fence.
We have made in the past tags that were very soft so when snaged they would fold
and move away. These would also pull through the hole. We have made them very stiff so
they would not pull through. But when the tag snags it would rip the ear.
The tags that we make now are in the middle. We will keep trying to find the perfect
tag that will not pull out or rip the ear.

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Re: ear tags/lambs
Author: cheryl 
Date:   07-16-08 11:52

thanks Gordon. Will stop worrying about tags and keep watching for new things to try from premier.

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