tagging at lambing for tracking performance.

[TGM]

Thanks for the suggestions. It's on the agenda to allow users to select a simpler version of the birth task. same for the other tasks. We won't be touching tasks until after lambing is done. last thing we want is to make a simple change and then jigger up everybody's birth recording if we introduce a glitch. we try not to update much during lambing season. The current version records all that is nessesary for both Sheep Ireland and Signet.

 

[PhilipB]

Hi- how do people do this?

I'm lambing about 350 ewes. I want to be able to link lambs back to their mothers as they grow/finish. I use an EID reader thing, but not a weigh crate etc. I'm only planning to record numbers weaned/ date slaughtered. I'm not planning to weigh every fortnight.

I dislike ear-tagging lambs- and its not a job you can leave to less-skilled helpers.

I will have about 100-150 ewe lambs (who will eventually be double-tagged) and the rest terminal (who'll end up with slaughter tags.)

I think my options are-
1) put all these tags in at birth- But I am loathe to double-tag so young- and I can obviously get an individual number read off a slaughter tag with the EID reader, but can't 'Read' a slaughter tag visually- for that I'd have to...

2) Double tag everything,- and so have both a visual and chip 'read'-

3) 'management tag' every lamb with a pre-printed number (I currently do this for replacements and can link them to the mother on the tag reader)

4) blank management tags on which I write the mother's tag number. This would have a certain simplicity to it, with no need for any 'linking' recording.

5) Management tag the replacements (to be visually different- and not too huge numbers to faff about manually reading later) and slaughter tag the rest

What do other people do?

I'm underway with...

Clipboard, two sheets of paper one with list of management tag numbers (replacement breeders), the other with list of slaughter tag numbers (had them printed on the tag)

Catch lamb, ring and tag, write mum's number on sheet, also record - date of tagging, days since birth, number lambs tagged per ewe vs number scanned.

That's it. Only using EID reader to read mother's tag, if needed.

Using shear well SET tags. I've realized that if I watch the inside of the ear and line up the female side of the pliers with the gap between the cartilage, then it's so much easier than aiming the male end from the outside of the ear.

The fatal flaw in my system is that I now have 80% lambs that can be read with the EID reader and 20% that can't, which is immensely frustrating for having a quick beep for counting purposes.

Inevitably I'm going to have to start double tagging the replacements.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

The Ketchum is a reliable tag and they last better than anything. So more reliable than spray marking. Of course you can't Eid them but you can match up with Eid tags later

 

[Bury the Trash]

The Ketchum is a reliable tag and they last better than anything. So more reliable than spray marking. Of course you can't Eid them but you can match up with Eid tags later

yes get from Shearwell nowadays.

The alumininum ones (no 4) will be most suited only thing is the pin is square edged not a smooth round pin
watch for infection /poorer healing in hotter weather .

number is stamped in so will always be there.

still got to have a set tag oredered with them for the matching pair but like you say that could be put in later if the worry is tagging new borns.

pen bending when adding as an older lamb can be avoided by useing a punch to make the hole first
which all seems a bit of a faff but if keeping breeders the job needs a bit of care imo.

last ones i had years ago were red as a 9limited) colour choice was then availiable ,they dont do that now though it seems.

had my initials stamped on the other side as was before flock numbers.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

What do all you experts who record at birth think is the best kit and software combination for outdoor lambing.
Have decided on using visual tags as farm tags and linked to EID. I am told that Shearwell Farmworks doesn't link a Farm number to the EID.

Need to keep it simple and starting off small (350 ewes) but will probably end up with well over a thousand.

Need it to be idiot proof and durable in wet conditions. It will be very muddy this year unless things change soon.

All suggestions appreciated.

 

[primmiemoo]

I'm underway with...

Clipboard, two sheets of paper one with list of management tag numbers (replacement breeders), the other with list of slaughter tag numbers (had them printed on the tag)

Catch lamb, ring and tag, write mum's number on sheet, also record - date of tagging, days since birth, number lambs tagged per ewe vs number scanned.

That's it. Only using EID reader to read mother's tag, if needed.

Using shear well SET tags. I've realized that if I watch the inside of the ear and line up the female side of the pliers with the gap between the cartilage, then it's so much easier than aiming the male end from the outside of the ear.

The fatal flaw in my system is that I now have 80% lambs that can be read with the EID reader and 20% that can't, which is immensely frustrating for having a quick beep for counting purposes.

Inevitably I'm going to have to start double tagging the replacements.

That's defo the knack of tagging! When I was doing it, I'd have a very clean, old liquid soap dispenser filled with antiseptic lambing gel, and put a squidge onto both m and f of the tag before installation, but that's no longer done. I'd have barely any festered ears, but apparently under 1% is equally acceptable for speed of application. The idea being that a quick squirt of teramycin spray on a sore ear later is easier to do.

The system that works for you is the one that works best, but I'm confused as to why you have 20% without EID. We put in the chipped tag from the pair for potential keepers. They are all beepable, then. Only when fully assessed as keeping will the second tag be added ~ that's usually when ewe lambs have their toxo jab.

 

[Bury the Trash]

What do all you experts who record at birth think is the best kit and software combination for outdoor lambing.
Have decided on using visual tags as farm tags and linked to EID. I am told that Shearwell Farmworks doesn't link a Farm number to the EID.

Need to keep it simple and starting off small (350 ewes) but will probably end up with well over a thousand.

Need it to be idiot proof and durable in wet conditions. It will be very muddy this year unless things change soon.

All suggestions appreciated.

as ive suggested before ,get a free trial of border or TGM software (my prefered choice would be for TGM because it works so well with the agrident readers which i like and are (or were) very competitivly priced for what they will do.
but even the free trial of software would mean you would need an agrident reader though , but surely it would come in useful
it would work on the border software as well but not with such good functionality ime .

ie TGM sheep select software of the appropriate ewe numbers you require and an apr450
it does farm number and an extensive chioce of wool type/quality recording which in itself i should think is pretty unique in UK made software ??

can sign up for the trial online and/ or Give George a phone call.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

as ive suggested before ,get a free trial of border or TGM software (my prefered choice would be for TGM because it works so well with the agrident readers which i like and are (or were) very competitivly priced for what they will do.
but even the free trial of software would mean you would need an agrident reader though , but surely it would come in useful
it would work on the border software as well but not with such good functionality ime .

ie TGM sheep select software of the appropriate ewe numbers you require and an apr450
it does farm number and an extensive chioce of wool type/quality recording which in itself i should think is pretty unique in UK made software ??

can sign up for the trial online and/ or Give George a phone call.

I have downloaded the software and agree at first look it seems straightforward.
I had some experience of the Shearwell system which without being able to set a farm tag number puts it out of contention.
With many people now recording I wondered what else seems to work, or doesn't!

 

[Six Dogs]

What do all you experts who record at birth think is the best kit and software combination for outdoor lambing.
Have decided on using visual tags as farm tags and linked to EID. I am told that Shearwell Farmworks doesn't link a Farm number to the EID.

Need to keep it simple and starting off small (350 ewes) but will probably end up with well over a thousand.

Need it to be idiot proof and durable in wet conditions. It will be very muddy this year unless things change soon.

All suggestions appreciated.

We use APR 600 data logger which is the hand held then Border Software-I’m a complete techno phobe but the APR is user friendly-the advantage of Border Software is Martin will tailor the program and interrupt the data to what you need

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

We use APR 600 data logger which is the hand held then Border Software-I’m a complete techno phobe but the APR is user friendly-the advantage of Border Software is Martin will tailor the program and interrupt the data to what you need

Can you set a visual ID number to the EID easily.
We want to read the visual number and enter it and then the EID automatically comes up to record the lambing information and lamb tag numbers, sex etc.

 

[Six Dogs]

That part is done via Border Software so we Flag tag the ewes link that flag tag to the EID then lifetime ID-the APR just asks for visual flag tag

 

[Tim W]

I have downloaded the software and agree at first look it seems straightforward.
I had some experience of the Shearwell system which without being able to set a farm tag number puts it out of contention.
With many people now recording I wondered what else seems to work, or doesn't!

You can link an EID tag number on Shearwell to a management tag /number very easily---

 

[Cow1]

If you want to tag at a few weeks old rather than birth, spray lambs with a good marker and rather than using consecutive numbers and having to cross reference, use the last 3 digits of the EID number of mum instead.

I've been doing it for years and it works very well.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Can you set a visual ID number to the EID easily.

in select software the visual is named 'Farm tag' and the hand held has it as one of the lamb link choices amoungst other things . in the software its shown in the table as Farm Tag and beside department tag (officieal one)
on select software the hand held reader upload in my experience is the best amount of lists of things that can be done as tasks and ease of organised uploading to to the software , thats over and above the way it works with FM and Border (and of course it wont work at all with Farmworks )ime.
Another way its different is that it is specifically sheep focussed nothing else.

without the hand held /on the trial software the handheld use wont be shown how it can be so good .
but Best to speak to the man himself.
the agrident stick readers are far better than the shearwell forst thing thats is obvious is the charging port
psion can be used with selct but who uses then anyway?
apr hand held can be dropped and get muddy without use problems or breaking it . can be used in the wet and muddy without a cover ir anyrhing to hanper input.

All these software / hardware providers gear should work in practise together and complimenatary but they dont wouild save the industry thousands

 

[Bury the Trash]

You can link an EID tag number on Shearwell to a management tag /number very easily---

has Farmworks got anything on Wool selection ?

 

[sheepdogtrail]

That's defo the knack of tagging! When I was doing it, I'd have a very clean, old liquid soap dispenser filled with antiseptic lambing gel, and put a squidge onto both m and f of the tag before installation, but that's no longer done. I'd have barely any festered ears, but apparently under 1% is equally acceptable for speed of application. The idea being that a quick squirt of teramycin spray on a sore ear later is easier to do.

The system that works for you is the one that works best, but I'm confused as to why you have 20% without EID. We put in the chipped tag from the pair for potential keepers. They are all beepable, then. Only when fully assessed as keeping will the second tag be added ~ that's usually when ewe lambs have their toxo jab.

I will be moving to a similar system in a month. But all new lambs will get a chip and only one tag. I already know for the most part what terminals I will have by mating. They along with all of the other top % from both rams and ewes will get a second non EID tag at approximately 150 days old. My genetics express themselves around 5 months of age. The frame is built and only blooming left to take place.

Physically it is much easier on me to tag them all with EID at birth. I can use the data I collect up to 150 days in making my final selections. But I now have the sheep handler. Game changer BTW. Let the handler stop them at 100 lbs and not me versus me catching a 10 lb. lamb on its second day. I will just squirt a drop or two of povidone iodine on the tags before insertion in the ear as I work through that task.

I just need a practical mobile back end. So many dollars! Ouch.

What I would really like to see is my software operating my handler. Then it would be Beer 30 everywhere.

 

[Tim W]

has Farmworks got anything on Wool selection ?

Yes...we got a wool score 8 years ago?
The new Farmworks will have a trait scorer with a drop-down menu for various traits

 

[Bury the Trash]

pardon me but Farmworks doesnt have anything like this

 

[Tim W]

pardon me but Farmworks doesnt have anything like this

View attachment 1170568

Looks good ---do you know anyone who uses it? @Frank-the-Wool might get excited about it?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Looks good ---do you know anyone who uses it? @Frank-the-Wool might get excited about it?

be funny if he changed his name to Frank-The-Shedder wouldn't it

Lambing Outside and Recording Lambs Simply?

I was sceptical about them but genuinely loose less than 2% Is that the 1 piece or 2 piece tags? I understood Wairere uk use(d) the 1 piece with excellent retention. I was planning on tagging mine this year with Zee tags. Whether to use pre printed or write on last 4 digits of the actual tag...

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