[Nethermoor Pigs]

Ideas please.  Had a nasty rip out as posted earlier.  Which are best to invest in?

[Hillview Farm]

I've recently moved from Ketchum to Shearwell and they are simply so much better! Much stronger and easy to apply plus they offer free replacement I do believe but they are a little mire expensive than the other company

[Bramblecot]

I like Shearwell

[Marches Farmer]

Lost 16 Shearwelsl in a month a couple of years ago - hope they've improved since then!  Allflex Bubblegum for me.

[Foobar]

Perhaps we need a poll....

[Me]

Have only tried a few - have not tried Allflex, but Sheawell are the best I have tried in terms of going in, Dalton are the worst. By far. Don't buy Dalton.

[mowhaugh]

We use Shearwell.  We rarely lose one, and use over 700 pairs and 400 single tags/year.

[langfauld easycare]

Have only tried a few - have not tried Allflex, but Sheawell are the best I have tried in terms of going in, Dalton are the worst. By far. Don't buy Dalton.

funny i moved from shearwell to dalton 2 years ago after bother with shearwell tags pins folding also there auto tagger was dire .found dalton better but retention was poor they have a new design for last year seem to be staying in ok this time . dalton the cheapest by far if last years ewe hogs dont keep in i would continue to use there slaughter tags on price . roxan id have good write ups along with there auto tagger but tags are expensive .
i use allflex on a flock i Shepard with auto pliers good when they work but by the time you sort out any missfire you wouldbe as quick with pliers 

[devonlad]

definitely NOT Ritchey. Of the 12 tags we put in last year only one remains- they were a nightmare to put in, we even bought a new applicator thinking that would make a difference. it didn't. some broke during application and several very messy rip outs which took an age to heal. never again. from previous threads on here I've been swayed to try shearwell but happy to be convinced otherwise

[Tim W]

use 1000+ shearwell set tags every year with very few if any lost --
never had one not read with the scanner

Put them in right when they are young and you can't go wrong

[Blacksheep]

We have used Allflex Babe tags for several years, we have never had them ripped out of the ear with this brand, just one that pulled through a bit. However the fins have been breaking off, leaving the pins in the ear, and we are having to keep replacing them, Allflex claim to have improved the Babe tags now but last year we decided to change to Allflex bubblegum tags, these have the same pins which we have been happy with, as prior to using Allflex had had several torn ears (used Ritchey and Ketchum previously but now several years ago).  We had no tag loses from last years lambs with the Bubblegum tags, over 100 lambs, and so are using these again this year and hoping they will last longer than the Babes, they are 75p a set of breeding tags and since we started ordering them direct they have arrived quickly.  Have kept with Allflex as despite the problems with the fins on the Babe tags we are really pleased not to have any ripped ears from  their tags over the last 6 to 7 years we have been using them.
nb if using their slaughter tags I would also recommend the bubblegum tags over the others with the thinner pins as these didn't stay in, better for using if you don't tag until they go for slaughter though due to the thin pin.

[FiB]

NOT fearings buttons - they are huge and have caused many ripped ears.

[Azzdodd]

Another shearwell fan here if you out them in right I havnt had a lost one yet.....

[SallyintNorth]

funny i moved from shearwell to dalton 2 years ago after bother with shearwell tags pins folding also there auto tagger was dire

There were some teething problems with the first few batches of Shearwells when the compulsory electronic identification came in.  They issued new taggers, and updated jaws for old taggers, and we haven't had any problems with folding pins since.  They are also much better at going into older ears now, too, for those of us who don't like tagging young lambs.

I haven't used the auto-tagger so I can't comment on that.

We don't get very many Shearwells fall out and given that we have no choice but to tag they are probably the best bet.  The only thing I do wonder is whether the ones that are two tabs rather than a loop of plastic are less prone to tearing out.  Shearwell don't do the two tabs type.

[langfauld easycare]

funny i moved from shearwell to dalton 2 years ago after bother with shearwell tags pins folding also there auto tagger was dire

There were some teething problems with the first few batches of Shearwells when the compulsory electronic identification came in.  They issued new taggers, and updated jaws for old taggers, and we haven't had any problems with folding pins since.  They are also much better at going into older ears now, too, for those of us who don't like tagging young lambs.

I haven't used the auto-tagger so I can't comment on that.

We don't get very many Shearwells fall out and given that we have no choice but to tag they are probably the best bet.  The only thing I do wonder is whether the ones that are two tabs rather than a loop of plastic are less prone to tearing out.  Shearwell don't do the two tabs type.

i thought that as welll but the first years dalton tags were 2 tabs and retention was poor this years loop ones seem to be staying in better . but you need 2 pairs of pliers one for eid and one for visual . shearwell kept sending out differnt pliers and saying they had changed the plastic etc but it was sole destroying trying to get them in with pliers or the auto tagger (that was £50 and tags in runs for it were dearer).thats why i jumped ship. daltons service isnt great only there price is  will continue to use there slaughter tag as i only put them in when the lambs are ready to get loaded. may go back to shearwell for my pairs