Cattle Identification: Knowing What to Use

Knowing what to use to identify cattle, can be a daunting task in itself. There are many forms of identification available nowadays from traditional branding like hot and freeze branding to ear notches, tattoos, visual and RFID (Radio Frequency) ear tags.

Cattle-ID blog will look at each form of identification, and go in details on how to use that specific method. Each type of ID has its pros and cons, like any other product. Every form of identification provides ranches with the ability to use it for additional herd management purposes.

History of Cattle Identification:

The need to identify cows has been around since the early 1900’s, when cattlemen needed a way to claim their cattle in co mingled herds. Identification became a necessity to provide proof of ownership and to decrease cattle theft. Traditional identification was hot iron branding, which consisted of a hot iron, that branded the cattle hides with the ranches logo. This main purpose was asset management, to prove cattle’s ownership. As times changed and evolved the need for further identification, was needed for to provide additonal herd management, animal movements, and animal disease traceability.

Basic types of Cattle Identification:

Hot Branding
Freeze Branding

Ear Notches
Tattoos
Neck Tags
Visual Ear Tags
RFID Ear Tags

Hot branding, freeze branding and ear notches are still used today by many cattle producers, but its practice is diminishing, as it is considered not humane for animals, but mostly due to visual and RFID ear tags becoming more common place. Hot branding used to be a cost effective way to identify cattle, but now ear tags are becoming more economical, and provide better tools for herd management.

By George Luker © Copyright 2011 Cattle Identification