Animal Identification

1
Animal Identification

• Methods for Marking Livestock

2
Methods of Animal Identification

• Permanent
• branding
• tattoos
• ear notches
• Temporary/Non-permanent
• ear tags
• leg or neck bands
• marking paint

3
Why Identify Individuals?

• Record Keeping
• vaccinations and medicines given
• production and breeding records
• Tracking Beyond the Farm
• if the animal becomes sick after the sale or the
  carcass is contaminated, they can track it back
  to the source

4
Lets Focus on the Universal Pig Ear Notching
System

• universal and permanent
• inexpensive, quick, and easy
• individual Identity for each animal
• other forms, such as ear tags, could cause
  problems

5
When to Ear Notch?

• best when newborn (1 to 3 days old) or at least
  less than one week old
• heal quickly when young

Image from Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Service
6
How Do You Ear Notch?

• use a tool called an ear notcher
• makes a small v-shaped notch
• not too deep or too shallow (about 1/4 on young
  pigs, 1/2 on older ones)
• well-spaced not too close to the head or too
  close together
• apply disinfectant or antiseptic when finished

7
Pigs Right Ear(left if looking at the pig)

• this is the litter number
• all pigs in the same litter must have the same
  notches in this ear

8
Pigs Left Ear(right if looking at the pig)

• this is the pig number
• each pig in the same litter must have different
  notches in this ear

9
Reading the Notchesthere may be only 1 or 2
notches per location (location 81 can only have
one)add the notches together to determine the
number (for example 1 1 9 11)
10
Lets Practice!What is this pigs litter and pig
number?
11
This Pig is 28 - 6Litter 27 1 28Pig
3 3 6