Small sheep management tags?

[Cooper3075]

im after some management tags for you lambs small half normal size I know they have been available in the past from somewhere as I bough a ewe lamb with one as well as normal tags it is like a half size set tag
Idea is for lambs as we don't like tagging them to young with big tags
So wanting a small tag that shouldn't Rip ears if Cought with just a number on it for recording for later retagging as what ewe and tup there from
Anyone know of a company offering these small tags.
Will try getting a picture of the one we have if I get near her

 

[Lili]

No smaller than normal tags but can recommend Symtag. Used them for past 20+ years in 2 day old lambs for management and have had very good retention rate. Numbers easy to read and always found the company is good to deal with. Best wishes.

 

[Bill dog]

Try Roxan. I get plain management tags to tag ewe lambs / tup lambs that I want to retain. Nice n small, no fuss, cut out and replace at weaning with official eid tag. Use different colours for different breeds. I used to ear notch them, but think I'm getting soft with age, and chopping a lump out of a day old Lamb's lug is rough enough. They barely notice the sharp pin popping in!

 

[spin cycle]

Try Roxan. I get plain management tags to tag ewe lambs / tup lambs that I want to retain. Nice n small, no fuss, cut out and replace at weaning with official eid tag. Use different colours for different breeds. I used to ear notch them, but think I'm getting soft with age, and chopping a lump out of a day old Lamb's lug is rough enough. They barely notice the sharp pin popping in!

those the padlock ones?....how are they applied?

 

[MRT]

Tagged all Charmoise (surely the smallest ear/body size ratio on a sheep) full eid within 48 hrs this year and it was fine, held off previously as was worried but it caused no problems. Shearwell tags

 

[Bill dog]

those the padlock ones?....how are they applied?

Not the padlock ones, just their small tag, but not eid. Just put a tag in when ringing them, colour dependant on breed. One of the benefits I find is the tag is much easier to see when shedding off lambs up the race , rather than looking for an ear notch!

 

[spin cycle]

Not the padlock ones, just their small tag, but not eid. Just put a tag in when ringing them, colour dependant on breed. One of the benefits I find is the tag is much easier to see when shedding off lambs up the race , rather than looking for an ear notch!

the 33mm ones?

 

[Al R]

Why not notch the ears?
Keep all from 1 breed of ram in 1 field, another in another field etc?
We have all breeds and what they've been mated with kept separate for lambing. Red on back of head when the charolais ram went in, blue back of head when texel ram went in. Can still half see the mark on their heads, we know then to notch the ewe lamb twins born off the texel ram x mule ewe's. Simple system and you can always see the notch for breeding purposes..

 

[liammogs]

Another one for roxan tags!! Tagfaster tags!! So much easier!! Can have different pins aswell as tags so a colour code system to suit you etc blue tag green pin for tups pink pin for ewes!! Great company to deal with also!!

 

[Bill dog]

Why not notch the ears?
Keep all from 1 breed of ram in 1 field, another in another field etc?
We have all breeds and what they've been mated with kept separate for lambing. Red on back of head when the charolais ram went in, blue back of head when texel ram went in. Can still half see the mark on their heads, we know then to notch the ewe lamb twins born off the texel ram x mule ewe's. Simple system and you can always see the notch for breeding purposes..

To be perfectly honest I was going to revert to ear notching this year but I have enough tags left over to tag them again this year. But spotting a tag as the wee devils run up the race when drawing fat lambs is still easier than looking for an ear notch.lleyn is green, easy ram tex is blue, and Romney is orange. Any ewe that has an unasssisted twin birth, the ewe lamb gets a tag. Fairly unscientific, but it means I don't keep replacements that gave me any trouble. Any ewes that cause me too much hassle, prolapse, bad feet, big teats etc, white tag and bye bye come weaning!

 

[Bill dog]

the 33mm ones?

Yes, I think they would put a number on them,I don't bother!

 

[Al R]

To be perfectly honest I was going to revert to ear notching this year but I have enough tags left over to tag them again this year. But spotting a tag as the wee devils run up the race when drawing fat lambs is still easier than looking for an ear notch.lleyn is green, easy ram tex is blue, and Romney is orange. Any ewe that has an unasssisted twin birth, the ewe lamb gets a tag. Fairly unscientific, but it means I don't keep replacements that gave me any trouble. Any ewes that cause me too much hassle, prolapse, bad feet, big teats etc, white tag and bye bye come weaning!

I've got some tags from the early 90's that don't have holding number on and are dalton tags so they go in any problematic like you do. Also a big X on their back so they are sold as culls and not breeders so no one else will have to breed from them.

Do you think difficult lambings are passed on to daughters etc like backwards lambs and 2 heads presented etc? Had a triplet Charolais (5 yo) lamb the other day with 2 backwards and then the last lamb was head back, final nail in the coffin was she only had 1 teat working we know last year she reared 2 Rams that were kept for breeding?

 

[Bill dog]

I've got some tags from the early 90's that don't have holding number on and are dalton tags so they go in any problematic like you do. Also a big X on their back so they are sold as culls and not breeders so no one else will have to breed from them.

Do you think difficult lambings are passed on to daughters etc like backwards lambs and 2 heads presented etc? Had a triplet Charolais (5 yo) lamb the other day with 2 backwards and then the last lamb was head back, final nail in the coffin was she only had 1 teat working we know last year she reared 2 Rams that were kept for breeding?

I'm sure problematic ewes breed problematic lambs. I'm just trying for a ewe that will be easier to lamb outdoors. That's when I got brainwashed by Mr Hulme and his easy rams. So my lleyn and Romney ewes go to his tex, then offspring to abermax/ primera as ewe lambs, then to his suffolks! So far so good!

 

[unlacedgecko]

Isn't this what EID is for?

 

[Al R]

100 tags at £30-40 or spend £1500 on a psion.. on outdoor system at the moment I'm still not sure if I'd have time to input all the data of EID without holding up time and maybe losing a lamb from wasting time inputting EID. Plus we only tag when chosen for kill

 

[Bill dog]

100 tags at £30-40 or spend £1500 on a psion.. on outdoor system at the moment I'm still not sure if I'd have time to input all the data of EID without holding up time and maybe losing a lamb from wasting time inputting EID. Plus we only tag when chosen for kill

I agree, in my case would love to use eid , but to make it worth while you need to be fully committed to it or it's a waste of time. I don't think my 450 ewes justify the cost of it. A few tags to choose my best replacements, sell the ones I don't need and kill the rest!

 

[neilo]

I'm sure problematic ewes breed problematic lambs. I'm just trying for a ewe that will be easier to lamb outdoors. That's when I got brainwashed by Mr Hulme and his easy rams. So my lleyn and Romney ewes go to his tex, then offspring to abermax/ primera as ewe lambs, then to his suffolks! So far so good!

You'll certainly breed a lot of problems out, but you could also be missing some potential replacements, culled for no reason of their own. IIRC @Global ovine posted once that studies in NZ had found no heritability to lambs coming backwards or two heads together, it was just one of those things that happens sometimes, annoyingly. He was the one that originally brainwashed Robyn.

A simple selection system though, and I run a similar system myself. I'm too tight to buy cull tags though, but do carry a sharp penknife to have the ends of their ear. Any problem births (but not for being backwards), or from problem ewes, just don't get a tag in at birth, so never get considered. Any potential replacement get double tagged at birth with Shearwell Set tags and details recorded on my Psion. If your working with the NZ Texel, Lleyn & Romneys, the lamb size wouldn't be any different to mine (Charollais, NZ Texel, Highlander) and I don't get any problems using Shearwell tags at birth. If you put them in the top of the ear, about a third of the way out (as recommended) you won't get many ripped out.

 

[Bill dog]

You'll certainly breed a lot of problems out, but you could also be missing some potential replacements, culled for no reason of their own. IIRC @Global ovine posted once that studies in NZ had found no heritability to lambs coming backwards or two heads together, it was just one of those things that happens sometimes, annoyingly. He was the one that originally brainwashed Robyn.

A simple selection system though, and I run a similar system myself. I'm too tight to buy cull tags though, but do carry a sharp penknife to have the ends of their ear. Any problem births (but not for being backwards), or from problem ewes, just don't get a tag in at birth, so never get considered. Any potential replacement get double tagged at birth with Shearwell Set tags and details recorded on my Psion. If your working with the NZ Texel, Lleyn & Romneys, the lamb size wouldn't be any different to mine (Charollais, NZ Texel, Highlander) and I don't get any problems using Shearwell tags at birth. If you put them in the top of the ear, about a third of the way out (as recommended) you won't get many ripped out.

I suppose if using double tags and recording on the psion, you won't need the multitude of colours that I use on my management tags as all the info about breed, no of lambs born etc will be stored already. Used to use Shearwell tags till 2 years ago, got fed up with the auto tag gun thing, it was the devils work! Find the roxan auto tagger no bother and much more reliable. How do u find highlander as a breed, I tried them( got brainwashed by Baydon from focus genetics before I met Robyn) but found lots of triplets and soft feet?

 

[neilo]

I suppose if using double tags and recording on the psion, you won't need the multitude of colours that I use on my management tags as all the info about breed, no of lambs born etc will be stored already. Used to use Shearwell tags till 2 years ago, got fed up with the auto tag gun thing, it was the devils work! Find the roxan auto tagger no bother and much more reliable. How do u find highlander as a breed, I tried them( got brainwashed by Baydon from focus genetics before I met Robyn) but found lots of triplets and soft feet?

Scanning on Tuesday, so I'll let you know on the triplets, but a fantastic twinning rate last year and 191% scan (IIRC). Feet on mine have been exceptional, but they're all bred from a few tups so it could be the particular rams (& luck picking them) I've had maybe? I've heard they don't have a great reputation for feet in NZ, but certainly not what I've found.

I've not used an autotagger, so couldn't comment on those. I don't really see much advantage to them on my system, where I want something small and handy to tag newborn lambs in the field. I find a pocket and pliers seems to be plenty quick enough for slaughter lambs in the pens, so no point in complicating a simple job.

 

[Bill dog]

Scanning on Tuesday, so I'll let you know on the triplets, but a fantastic twinning rate last year and 191% scan (IIRC). Feet on mine have been exceptional, but they're all bred from a few tups so it could be the particular rams (& luck picking them) I've had maybe? I've heard they don't have a great reputation for feet in NZ, but certainly not what I've found.

I've not used an autotagger, so couldn't comment on those. I don't really see much advantage to them on my system, where I want something small and handy to tag newborn lambs in the field. I find a pocket and pliers seems to be plenty quick enough for slaughter lambs in the pens, so no point in complicating a simple job.

Good luck with the scanning!