Author Topic: Zwartbles Ear tags (Read 6266 times)

vkmcc · « **on:** February 09, 2013, 08:06:55 pm »

I had my first zwartble lambs born two days ago and was just looking on the society website about tagging them. I know all my current zwartbles have the year letter on their tags and was wondering if anyone knew what tag company is best to use? I have had a bit of bother with getting tags in the past so was wanting any advice before trying to get them ordered.

Blacksheep · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2013, 11:11:43 am »

We have been using Allflex Babe tags for our Zwartbles kept for breeding, they have plenty of room for all the management information (which some makes can not accommodate), and are quite large making it easier to read them. However the fins do tend to break and we have had to replace quite a few, Allflex have been good about replacing them though, also they have never resulted in a ripped ear when the tag gets caught which has happened with other tags. I am just about to order this years tags and am thinking of trying their bubblegum tags though as one of my reps told me that this were better for not breaking, but the numbers will be smaller on them.
You can order from Allflex direct, and you can see their tags on their website, they are helpful when you ring them with queries etc and generally get the tags to you very quickly.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2013, 11:42:52 am »

Is the year letter part of their society registration? With Hebrideans we have a metal tag provided by the society with the reg number on, in the format 2345/09, where 09 is the year, and HSS on the other side. These are very separate from the UK tags which have your holding number on one side and the sheep's individual number on the other. These numbers are issued by the tag company using a database which all tag companies have access to, so your numbers are sequential, even if you change supplier.

We use Allflex Bubblegum tags and we are very pleased with them. They are nice and soft and don't seem to pull out.

Blacksheep · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2013, 08:19:09 pm »

Hi Fleecewife, I am a bit concerned that the bubblegum tags don't seem to allow you any room for management information, I thought that the uk flock number and the individual sheep id number would be on the same side of the tag giving you the otherside for management info. I am emailing my order so will make sure I double check, but certainly having another tag could be an option, with the ZSA we use the same individual number for the sheep as the defra number but add in the ZSA number and the year letter for the pedigree info.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2013, 12:48:33 am »

Hi Blacksheep

In fact with the Heb Soc tag we don't have to put it in unless or until we sell the animal, so there are not too many tags in. Hebs have smaller ears than Zwartbles so you could probably fit in a separate management tag.

The best thing would be to discuss it with the supplier as they will know what other Zwartbles breeders do so can advise accordingly - let us know what they say.

Blacksheep · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2013, 02:13:48 pm »

Allflex assure me that they can fit all the info onto the tags, which is good as I don't really want to be adding a 3rd tag.

We be using the bubblegum slaughter tags too this year as their others that we used nearly all came out, so hopefully these should stay put.

Have helped tagging Heb lambs a while back when I helped with lambing of a conservation grazing flock, and yes very tiny ears!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2013, 07:34:13 pm »

Quote from: Blacksheep on February 11, 2013, 02:13:48 pm

Have helped tagging Heb lambs a while back when I helped with lambing of a conservation grazing flock, and yes very tiny ears!

And then there are Soay

....very very small ears!

We don't put their permanent tags in until they are 4 months old. We use a temp tag at birth, just a little metal padlock type which is easy to remove.

Womble · « **Reply #7 on:** October 03, 2014, 03:39:13 pm »

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread to see what solutions people have found for this problem.

I've had to remove a tag from one of our Zwartbles, since it had started to work loose and was causing her pain. I'm having the same problem as the OP now though, in that I need to order a replica tag, and don't know how to do it!

The ZSA yearbook gives two options, but both involve having both government numbers on one side of the tag (e.g. UK123465 001122) and the Zwartble number and year letter on the other side (0123-100B).

After recommendations on here, we decided on Shearwell SET tags for our other sheep, which worked really well.

However, I can't order SET tags with both the government numbers on the same side of the tag, so that leaves no room for the ZSA information except for in little letters on the end of the tag (where the Canadian flag is on this one):

So can I ask what other people do? Is it really the case that a two-piece tag is a prerequisite for the Z's? I can't think of another way round this that wouldn't result in a lot of wasted DEFRA numbers each year due to the year letter changing.

Thanks in advance!

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #8 on:** October 03, 2014, 03:50:08 pm »

I leave tagging lambs as late as possible in the year, hoping their heads will by then be too large to shove through the sheep fencing and get the tags caught. We also now split the tags with scisors or footshears as soon as they're in, so at least there's no loop to get caught. I wish the bright spark in Brussels that thought up double tagging would come and find a spot for me to tag our Badger Face ewe that now needs a fifth new tag in one of her ears!

mowhaugh · « **Reply #9 on:** October 03, 2014, 09:11:15 pm »

Quote from: Womble on October 03, 2014, 03:39:13 pm

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread to see what solutions people have found for this problem.

I've had to remove a tag from one of our Zwartbles, since it had started to work loose and was causing her pain. I'm having the same problem as the OP now though, in that I need to order a replica tag, and don't know how to do it!

The ZSA yearbook gives two options, but both involve having both government numbers on one side of the tag (e.g. UK123465 001122) and the Zwartble number and year letter on the other side (0123-100B).

After recommendations on here, we decided on Shearwell SET tags for our other sheep, which worked really well.

However, I can't order SET tags with both the government numbers on the same side of the tag, so that leaves no room for the ZSA information except for in little letters on the end of the tag (where the Canadian flag is on this one):

So can I ask what other people do? Is it really the case that a two-piece tag is a prerequisite for the Z's? I can't think of another way round this that wouldn't result in a lot of wasted DEFRA numbers each year due to the year letter changing.

Thanks in advance!

The Shearwell tags work fine, they just print the extra information in two smaller lines where the Canadian flag is in your picture.

I used them when I used to have Zs, and still use them now for my Kerry Hills. In fact, I now just get the extra Kerry Hill number on all our tags, it doesn't cost any extra, and it doesn't matter that it is on the other sheep too, saves having to look for special tags when a KH is born.