[Mo]

Hi,
We have spent ages reading all posts about ear-tagging - interesting and confusing 

Our original enquiry was about where to actually place metal tags but most of the placement related advice we have seen (everywhere we've looked) is about placing plastic tags in the middle of the ear.
What we can't find out is if pigs have forked veins in their ears the way cattle do?
We would still like any advice about where to put metal tags.

We were advised to tag our weaners early, mainly becuase they are easier to handle at an early age. Now it seems that the majority of keepers seem to prefer tagging just before the pigs go on their last journey.
Notwithstanding the advice about early tagging, we have been dithering for a while and our 2 our now 14 weeks old.

Thanks for any advice.

[YorkshireSmallholder]

SteveMo,

we tag ours the morning they go to slaughter. This reduces the risk of them becoming infected, ripped out etc. If you do it while they're feeding they'll barely notice. Not sure abouy the forked vains but as long as you avoid the main veins which are easy to spot you won't have a problem. We must have tagged dozens now & never had a problem so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[oaklandspigs]

If you are only tagging for slaughter then no point in tagging early - there is a chance that they will rip it out, in which case you will have to do it again, and the earlier you do it the more you need to judge how much the ear will grow.  It is in fact just as easy if not easier with a bigger pig that you have tamed down.  Just do it the day before they go off when they are eating.  They normally just jump a bit and then go straight back to eating. 

If done the day before you can do it in the top of the ear where there is less blood.  You would not want the top of the ear with a younster as with lop ears this will then flop into their eye.

So no I would not recommend to tag early.

[piggy]

We also do ours on the morning of slaughter.

[Mo]

Thanks guys.
We shall probably wait on tagging then. It actually makes more sense when we think about it. We have Old Spots so pretty loppy ears.
Thanks again