Marking suckler calves

[hally]

Selling our 10 month suckler calves at a different auction this spring and they like the calves marked to how we are going to sell them in advance. So looking for a way of marking the calves into their batches so the auction staff can tell which calves to pull out of a long race prior to the sale. Sheep marker sprays tend to fade too fast as we generally sort, clip and aim to mark them a week in advance of the sale. Any suggestions?

 

[simmy_bull]

Tail tape?

 

[hally]

Wondered if tail tape was the easiest to see when shedding cattle from a high sided race?

 

[Henarar]

what does everyone else do ?

 

[simmy_bull]

How many have you got going? Could you go in good time to the mart and sort them yourself by ear tag if you made a list at home of how you want them?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Give them a list of the eartags for the batches and tell them to earn their commission

 

[Stewartry hill]

Spray 1eartag with sheep marker

 

[hally]

what does everyone else do ?

No idea, always sold at Carlisle where they just ticket all the cattle when they enter the auction the just read the tickets as they go in the ring after you have sorted them yourself.

 

[hally]

How many have you got going? Could you go in good time to the mart and sort them yourself by ear tag if you made a list at home of how you want them?

I gather that Hexham like them entered how you want to sell them.

 

[hally]

Give them a list of the eartags for the batches and tell them to earn their commission

I just thought a clear mark for each batch would be simpler.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I just thought a clear mark for each batch would be simpler.

How many will be in each batch? Seems very odd that's how they want them, most markets I've seen they just pull the ones out they want

 

[hally]

How many will be in each batch? Seems very odd that's how they want them, most markets I've seen they just pull the ones out they want

Try to batch them in 5 or 6 but I may have got my facts wrong here but still they will be easier sorted if clearly marked

 

[mac]

One guy we buy store cattle from in ring uses coloured sheep tags better than tape as I hate removing tape of tails.

 

[Chae1]

We just give them a list with ear tags also. They then sort them out.

We batched them onto float but didn't have enough room in lairage. So they had to use list.

 

[Henarar]

we just wright the tag numbers of the groups we want to sell together on the entry form

 

[Northeastfarmer]

We just give them a list with ear tags also. They then sort them out.

I genuinely think it's a p!ss take for them not to do anything other than this...at £30 odd per beast commission I don't think it's unreasonable

 

[sheepwise]

Hate cattle with tail tape especially if going straight to grass. Extra hassle of running through crush first or risk an infected tail with danger of infection travelling up spine.Our local mart now prints a disclaimer on front of catalogue warning purchasers that it is their responsibility to remove tail tape as no claim can be made against infection caused by such.

 

[Paul E]

Spot of machinery paint of various colours?

Don't think emulsion would be much use though

 

[west coast angus]

top draw clean, second draw red spot on the middle of back, with sheep marker, third draw blue spot, same with heifers, easy!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Sell them all in singles then there's nowt to worry about