[Bionic]

I have Allflex bubblegum tags. Last year the local farmer put them in for me and was surprised when I asked for them to be facing forwards (like their mums). He did as I asked but said he would have faced them the otherway himself.
We are going to be doing the lambs this week and I was wondering what the rest of you do.

[Hillview Farm]

I do my tags on the front of the ear and I've never had a problem

[Anke]

I use Shearwell's SET EID tags and put them on facing backwards, with the flat bit on the outside. I know lots of people do them the other way round, but never had a problem with it.

[Marches Farmer]

I put them on facing forwards then cut then at the hinge.  That way when my Badger Face put their heads through the fence to eat the hedge (despite having excellent grazing in the field) there's more "give" and the tags hopefully don't rip up their ears on the way out.

[Fleecewife]

We put ours into the top side of the ear (catch less) with the individual number on the outside, so it can be read from a short distance ie you don't have to catch each animal to see who it is.

Marches Farmer - do you find that your cut tags tend to swing round and one bit sticks into the delicate inner ear? We used to use tags which weren't joined but found they did this and were irritating to the sheep.  It perhaps doesn't happen with large eared breeds.

[SallyintNorth]

Defra prefer them to be on the forward-facing side of the ear.  I have some done this way but we normally do it in the rear-facing edge.  We find them easier to fit this way around, plus we think they are less likely to tear out - but in truth we have no evidence for this.  Most of the ewes who do have them in the front edge do still have both tags.

Before electronics, when we switched to Shearwell, BH used to use a split tag, and yes, Fleecewife, the inner tab does twist round and get wedged inside even a larger ear.

[shep53]

My cross ewes I do on the front and my hill ewes on the back, just to easily differentiate , sale lambs I do at the back for ease .    no difference in retention .        all tags are as near the head as possible , ear is thicker

[mowhaugh]

I use Shearwell's SET EID tags and put them on facing backwards, with the flat bit on the outside.

Exactly the same as us!

[FiB]

Agh I need to know this stuff.... But can't understand the answers   Anyone got a pic? I just can't figure out my ear  back/ front top / bottoms! I am changing tags this year to one of these, from the button type

[SallyintNorth]

If you buy the Shearwell applicator, it comes with a very good explanatory leaflet.  This is reproduced on their website here but the line drawings are not so clear on my screen.

They also have some top tips on their website here; there's a link to a video showing Richard Webber tagging a lamb and a ewe according to Defra guidance too.

Top/front is the leading edge of the sheep's ear - the edge that will come to you first as the sheep approaches you.  Rear/bottom is the trailing edge, the edge that leaves you second as the sheep moves away from you. 

In the video, Richard tags his lamb in the upper/front edge - interestingly, he says the muscle is thicker there, implying that the tag will hold better on that edge.  When he does the ewe he doesn't use the strip tag, he uses a button-and-flap tag, saying that the ewe's ear is very thick and this type will work better.  I was also interested to see that he has the button inside and the flap on the back of the ear; he says that this reduces catching on wire fences and shows why.

[Fleecewife]

Good link Sally 

The only bit I would question is dipping the tag in disinfectant before applying.  Our vets are categorical in their view that you shouldn't do that. I would be happy to disinfect but I can't see how such a quick dicht could possibly disinfect anything, but it would nip the lamb.   We keep our tags in the bag they come in, until we take each one out to apply.  Perhaps the strip applicators leave more room for infection to get on the tag before it goes in?
We do tend to clean the ear with an alcohol wipe but I'm not sure how effective that is either, but it's sure to nip 
Does anyone disinfect first?

[Bionic]

Thanks for the link Sally.
I had never thought of disinfecting first and still probably won't do it. We keep our tags in the packet they came in as Fleecewife does and only takes individual ones out as the lamb is being tagged.
Does anyone spray the area with purple spray afterwards?
 
 

[Fleecewife]

Thanks for the link Sally.
I had never thought of disinfecting first and still probably won't do it. We keep our tags in the packet they came in as Fleecewife does and only takes individual ones out as the lamb is being tagged.
Does anyone spray the area with purple spray afterwards?

Yes  and Crovect too in fly season, but then we tend to do the two together anyway, tagging and spraying.

We do leave the applicator in disinfectant overnight after tagging time, as we do foot shears (and pruning shears for the garden)

[SallyintNorth]

Does anyone disinfect first?

Nah.  And I bet Richard Webber doesn't either, when he's doing his own sheep not for the camera

Flystrike afterwards is a major worry.  So we don't tag lambs until they leave, and keeping ewe hoggs after the fly season and before risk of frosts.

[shep53]

While I do not disinfect,all ewe hogg tags done in January, tags are dipped in lambing lubricant this was recommended by one of the tag manufacturers and while I don't know if it helps I get no infections so i'll keep doing it .