Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Ear tags again  (Read 8934 times)

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #15 on: August 10, 2011, 12:34:49 pm »
I've just used a slap marker for the first time and got to say it was dead easy to use. The guy I was With normally tags and he said he's going to get one as it was much easier.

How do you go about getting one of them then, is there a website anywhere we can order from?

Helencus

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • NW Leicestershire
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #16 on: August 10, 2011, 08:51:26 pm »
Hi I got mine from supplies for smallholders, SFS is on here. Excellent service and good product reasonably priced.

Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #17 on: August 10, 2011, 09:32:36 pm »
Thanks Helen,

By the way we have now published a set of Slapping hints / tips as well - just look for the link in the info box on the left of our site.

Thanks
www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk - Safe Secure shopping for all your livestock equipment and supplies.
Also www.suppliesforfarmers.co.uk for more larger farm related items

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #18 on: August 10, 2011, 09:35:09 pm »
Thanks, I had a look at the slap stuff, they look quite cruel, are they like a tattoo type thing, full of needles?

Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #19 on: August 10, 2011, 09:39:16 pm »
Yes they are a tattoo.

Not cruel at all, cant be ripped out unlike a tag. (either when the pig is alive or in the process after slaughter)

And the pigs hardly notice it when it is done.

Thanks
www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk - Safe Secure shopping for all your livestock equipment and supplies.
Also www.suppliesforfarmers.co.uk for more larger farm related items

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #20 on: August 10, 2011, 09:41:57 pm »
Ok thanks, I will show hubby next week when he's home from work, see if he thinks it will be easier for him than the metal tags.  That was the one job he hated doing and we only had 2 pigs, this time we have 4 :o

Helencus

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • NW Leicestershire
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #21 on: August 10, 2011, 10:11:55 pm »
Seriously it's dead easy to do and the pigs hardly noticed it.

ambriel

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Kinlochbervie, NW Sutherland, Scotland
  • Mad, bad, and dangerous to know!
    • Harbour Cottage
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #22 on: August 10, 2011, 10:12:10 pm »
They do look a bit horrific but I'm assured they're not as bad. I suppose on a reasonably grown pig all they're doing is puncturing the skin and the top layer of fat.  Haven't done ours yet though.

Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2011, 10:16:56 pm »
You can tattoo from 10 weeks of age using 10mm characters - the tattoo then "grows" with the pig to be the required 15mm by slaughter weight.

Thanks
www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk - Safe Secure shopping for all your livestock equipment and supplies.
Also www.suppliesforfarmers.co.uk for more larger farm related items

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #24 on: August 11, 2011, 10:35:12 am »
Ours are now 11 weeks old.  What age would you put the 15mm on, to make sure it's ok for slaughter?

Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #25 on: August 11, 2011, 11:12:42 am »
Hi,

The 15mm is the standard size, this can be used anytime up to slaughter, but I would wait until the pigs are slightly older before using 15mm - I can't be precise with the age as I have no idea how big your pigs are - but I would suggest that it would be OK from around 12 weeks onwards.

As a matter of interest, the reason you can't slapmark before 10 weeks is that the piglets body is very efficient when it is very young, and as such will "Cleanse" even permanent Ink from the skin / fat (But not from cartilage)

Thanks
www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk - Safe Secure shopping for all your livestock equipment and supplies.
Also www.suppliesforfarmers.co.uk for more larger farm related items

lisanic

  • Joined May 2011
  • Yorkshire, England
Re: Ear tags again
« Reply #26 on: August 21, 2011, 09:00:24 pm »
We have taken 3 litters to slaughter so far and have decided tagging in the trailer on way to abattoir is the best...when we have tagged night before tags have been lost. Am now thinking of changing to slap mark when used all my tags that way you are also guaranteed you own pigs back which is always a worry for me. Good luck.

 

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