Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Tagging in warmer weather  (Read 1493 times)

SallyN

  • Joined Jun 2015
  • Nr Chard, Somerset
Tagging in warmer weather
« on: May 18, 2019, 04:24:08 pm »
Hello, I have some lambs and shearlings I need to tag - a long delay involving very boring stuff to do with tag and plier availability explains why I haven't done it earlier. I know that tagging in warm weather is not a good idea because of the risk of fly strike and/or infection, but I'm reluctant to delay as I'm supposed to be selling them at some point this year.

Are there precautions I can take which will minimise the risk? There must be some tagging which happens during the season as ewes/lambs lose their tags from time to time and the Defra website says to retag within 30 days which does suggest that you have to occasionally do it in summer. Any thoughts?
Smallholding without the smallholding, on various bits of rented land and a big veg garden! Small flock of Dorset Down sheep, assorted hens and a couple of idle ponies.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Tagging in warmer weather
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2019, 04:29:02 pm »
Clean the ear with surgical spirit before tagging and a squift of purple spay at the first sign of swelling.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Tagging in warmer weather
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2019, 07:27:51 pm »
Retagging doesn’t always have to make a new hole ;)

I’d agree with Buttermilk’s advice, and might add a smear of Tea Tree Ointment or something else flies don’t like on the ear after tagging. 
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Tagging in warmer weather
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2019, 08:07:44 pm »
Personally I will only tag sheep going for killing during the summer , Roxan do  tags with an anti microbial coating to cut down on infections .   Some people have made just a hole and let it heal and then put the tags in later .  But if you must then maybe coating the tag pin and hole in pine tar or Stockholm tar may help it heal and keep it safe

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Tagging in warmer weather
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2019, 09:04:04 am »
I've never had a issue with tagging during the summer and now I think of it I've never had a sheep bleed after tagging either. The only issue I've had is when lambs catch/rip the tags when putting their heads through the stock fence to eat the hedge.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Tagging in warmer weather
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2019, 03:24:11 pm »
We have to tag calves within the first 20 days of life, never noted any difference in infection rates between those tagged in the shed during winter and those tagged in the field in summer. I tag all my lambs at birth which prevents tagging in summer though.

CarolineJ

  • Joined Dec 2015
  • North coast of Scotland
Re: Tagging in warmer weather
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2019, 09:50:41 pm »
I made up some Hibiscrub (used by vets and surgeons to scrub up before operating) and put all the tags into it, just fished each one out to load into the tagger.  Not a single one out of 30 applied got infected. 

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Tagging in warmer weather
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2019, 12:34:18 pm »
Over the years I have tagged thousands of lambs and hundreds of calves shortly after birth up to a few weeks old with only the odd problem even with no antiseptic precautions , I  assume because they are young fast growing  with less bacteria .  I have also tagged thousands of lambs and adults ( before the compulsory system really got going ) in the autumn /winter with different or no antiseptic precautions and have had plenty of problems . The modern tags have improved massively  and cause less problems , personally I dip all tags in lambing lubricant before applying .

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS