Author Topic: can you ear tag older goats (Read 4424 times)

firemansam · « **on:** September 17, 2012, 07:46:57 pm »

Can you ear tag fully grown goats, or should it only be done when they are young?

sokel · « **Reply #1 on:** September 17, 2012, 07:52:41 pm »

My sister has an oldie that she rescued, the owner had her chained up in the garden with no shelter

she was not tagged and they had no holding number. we told them how to get a number and they got tags
we put the tags in and she was fine

jinglejoys · « **Reply #2 on:** September 17, 2012, 08:17:59 pm »

I prefer doing them when they are older...more ear and less likely to end up looking like a crossbred AN!Also at that age less likely to get their heads stuck and loose rhem

Brucklay · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2012, 08:22:52 pm »

Agree with Jinglejoys - I always leave tagging as late as possible - sometimes this may only be 3 months but if it's a kid I am keeping I would leave it either to their first 'public outing' or till they were just under a year. I am sure an older goat would cope fine - probably wouldn't like it but would forget about it quickly with any luck.

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2012, 08:30:56 pm »

By law goats have to be tagged by the time they are 6 months old, but unless you are taking her out for a show or selling her (and no inspection looming) I would alo leave it as long as possible... Their ears do grow quite a bit and it is difficult to judge how much space to leave at the end of the tag (if you are using the loop ones that is).
If she is an older goat that has come onto your holding without a tag and you don't know her original set of numbers (from her holding of birth), red tags with your flock and individual number are the ones needed.

Brucklay · « **Reply #5 on:** September 17, 2012, 08:39:59 pm »

Oops sorry I should have said 9months (re Scotland) all of mine have always had an outing before that time so have been done earlier but just wanted to make the point to leave it later rather than sooner.

firemansam · « **Reply #6 on:** September 17, 2012, 10:38:27 pm »

The original owner didnt like tagging, so kept the tags in an envelope. So I have the tags, and the goats! They are 12 months and 18months old. I need to sort out a gun (if thats the right term) for lambing next spring. So will do it over the next week or 2.

Dogwalker · « **Reply #7 on:** September 18, 2012, 08:18:32 am »

Quote from: firemansam on September 17, 2012, 10:38:27 pm

The original owner didnt like tagging, so kept the tags in an envelope. So I have the tags, and the goats! They are 12 months and 18months old. I need to sort out a gun (if thats the right term) for lambing next spring. So will do it over the next week or 2.

I've got a 7 year old here like that, Goat lady tagged her while I held her head, she didn't even squeal.

jinglejoys · « **Reply #8 on:** September 18, 2012, 12:19:55 pm »

They don't if its done properly

Anke · « **Reply #9 on:** September 18, 2012, 03:30:35 pm »

Quote from: firemansam on September 17, 2012, 10:38:27 pm

The original owner didnt like tagging, so kept the tags in an envelope. So I have the tags, and the goats! They are 12 months and 18months old. I need to sort out a gun (if thats the right term) for lambing next spring. So will do it over the next week or 2.

You would be best to make sure that your gun also matches the tags you are going to use on lambs/sheep. If you find that you really prefer a different kind of tag - all the tag companies will do replacements of the originals, so in case you find that the tagger gun for the tags you have doesn't match them anymore, just order new tags with the old number on.

jinglejoys · « **Reply #10 on:** September 18, 2012, 06:31:40 pm »

Oh yes this is another money making scam...differant guns for each make of tag!!!!!!!

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #11 on:** September 19, 2012, 02:45:02 pm »

I must admit, my girl is five now and still hasn't been tagged. She's only been off the holding for mating once and that didn't seem to matter. Shhhh. Don't tell DEFRA.