Why use RFID/EID Ear Tags on Your Herd?
There are several good reasons to use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) / EID (Electronic Identification) on your herd. The bottom line is that if you are serious about improving your herd, raising your profit potential, and complying with federal and state guidelines and in some instances, regulations, there is no better investment than an RFID/EID system.
- Improving Your Herd
Keeping electronic records of your herd allows you to see which cattle are the best and worst producers. Some tags can even track animals that are sick – allowing you to doctor and follow up with those animals to make sure that they are staying healthy year-round.
- Raising your Profit Potential
If you are going to offer cattle for consumption in today’s marketplace, you and your cattle need to be identified. A bonus to this scenario is that you can retrieve performance information back from industry partners to improve your herd, and offer a better product to these partners. The market will show loyalty to producers of quality animals, so the cost is small and the return potential is great.
- Complying with Federal and State Guidelines/Regulations for Animal Tracking
Local, state, and federal governments may require or suggest electronic identification or government 840 tags for cattle sold or purchased. Official government ear tags used to be metal, but as of January 1, 2021 metal ear tags are no longer accepted as official animal identification in the United States, being replaced by 840 electronic tags and other USDA approved dangle tags. Click here for more information about what is currently accepted in the United States.
Will I be responsible if something goes wrong while tracking my animals with RFID tags?
The cattle industry has changed forever with the introduction of Mad Cow Disease, and electronic tags provide a means to verify that you are not responsible for a particular occurrence, or that the animals in question did not come from your premises. This technology allows for the tracking, pinpointing, and quarantine of specific animals and premises in the event of an outbreak, and while it may mean your premises does go into quarantine, it will prevent the spread of disease to other areas around.
Looking for more details about RFID and EID tags?
Your local Extension Agent likely has a good base of information to help you with this decision and there is also a wealth of information available on the internet to help with getting started. Other good sources for information would be your state Department of Agriculture or the USDA/APHIS website. Be sure to check back here for more information as well!
You can also give us a call – we’re happy to chat!
Resources:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/ADT_device_ain.pdf
