• Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Quick and Easy Meals
    • Salad and Veggies
    • Side Dishes
    • Main Courses
    • Breads
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Canning and Preserving
  • Skills
    • Craftmanship
      • Blacksmithing
      • Woodworking
      • Welding
    • Brewing & Distilling
      • Homebrewing
      • Distilling
    • Cooking & Food
      • Cheese & Dairy
      • Drying & Smoking
      • Canning
      • Fermentation & Pickling
    • Homemaking Skills
      • Candle Making
      • Soap Making
      • Spinning & Weaving
  • Projects
    • Workshop
      • Homes & Buildings
      • Sheds & Coops
      • Appliances & Equipment
    • Garden & Outdoor
    • Homemade Products
      • Home Remedies
      • Natural Beauty
      • Cleaning and Home
    • Textiles & Fabric Arts
      • Sewing
      • Knit and Crochet
      • Quilting Skills
      • Weaving
    • Crafts
      • Home Decor
      • Pottery
      • Upcycling
      • Gifts
      • Kids
      • Holiday
  • Gardening
    • Growing Vegetables
    • Growing Fruit
    • Growing Herbs
    • Growing Grain
    • Soil Improvement
      • Composting
      • Worm Farming
      • Fertilizers
    • Aquaculture
  • Animals
    • Raising Poultry
    • Raising Goats
    • Raising Cattle
    • Raising Pigs
    • Raising Horses
    • Raising Rabbits
    • Raising Bees
    • Raising Cats & Dogs
  • Self Sufficiency
    • Emergency Prep
      • Planning
      • How To
      • Skills & Tips
    • Defense & Protection
      • Guns
      • Knives
      • Archery
      • Tools & Weapons
    • Energy & Power
      • Solar Power
      • Fuels
      • Water
    • Home Remedies
Logo
YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE
  • Raising Poultry
  • Raising Goats
  • Raising Cattle
  • Raising Pigs
  • Raising Horses
  • Raising Rabbits
  • Raising Bees
  • Raising Cats & Dogs
You are here: Home / Animals / Goat Ear Tags | Homesteading Guide: How To Keep Goats

Goat Ear Tags | Homesteading Guide: How To Keep Goats

Reading Time: 3 minutes
All You Need To Know About Goat Ear Tags

November 5, 2019 By Jack Abner 3 Comments

Do your goat’s have ear tags? Learn more about them and how to give your goat ear tags with this homesteading guide. Part of our How To Keep Goats series.

Goat Ear Tags | Homesteading Guide: How To Keep Goats

If you’re a goat owner, you may have heard about ear tagging—but if you aren’t already doing it, you probably wonder whether it’s really necessary. The truth is that it’s not only a recommended practice, it’s actually mandatory. I’ll explain why below, but first, let’s go over some ear tagging basics.

What are Goat Ear Tags?

|

Most people who are familiar with livestock already know about ear tagging, but just as a refresher:

Ear tags are small objects made of metal or plastic which pierce the ear of your livestock.

Why Are They Used?

Goat Ear Tags | Homesteading Guide: How To Keep Goats
image source

Outside of complying with state regulations, there are a number of reasons why you might consider using ear tags for your goats (or other livestock), but here are a few main purposes:

  • Identification: Keep track of your livestock by using tags.
  • Health: Some farmers use tags to help prevent the spread of diseases among their livestock.
  • Security: You can use tags as a means of insurance against stock theft.

Goat Ear Tagging Methods

Oftentimes, tags will come with their own ID number. You can keep records of your ID numbers either electronically or by hand, depending on the type of tag you choose to purchase. Some come with digital codes, while the more traditional types feature a number that you can hand-write and keep track of manually.

shadow-birds-20-per

When it comes to applying the tag, some farmers choose to use a piercing device and insert the tag in the goat’s ear on their own. There are also hand-applied goat ear tags available, so farmers have options when it comes to deciding which method will work best for them. You can also check with your state’s Department of Agriculture to learn more about tagging regulations. Some states have national tagging programs available for farmers. Or, if you prefer not to do the tagging yourself, there may be a specialist near you who will complete the ear tagging process for you.

Tagging for Compliance

Goat Ear Tags | Homesteading Guide: How To Keep Goats
image source

State regulations require animals in the livestock industry, including goats, to have ear tags. On a federal level, the U.S. Agriculture Department has a database of the national herd, called the National Animal Identification System. One of the main purposes of maintaining this database is to prevent—and in the worst-case scenario, track—the spread of diseases. While state mandates enforce livestock tagging, even some smaller groups and clubs require tagging in their regulations. So, when it comes to ear tagging your goats, it’s not so much a matter of choice as it is a necessity.

YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE

Choosing a Tag Supplier

When it comes to finding a supplier for your goat ear tag, be sure to choose a company that is registered and licensed for supplying livestock tags. This is especially important if you intend to use devices that are more complex than the average tag, such as Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID). Companies that produce these tags must go through more licensing requirements than conventional tag suppliers, so be sure to do your research when selecting a tag company. When in doubt, just look or ask for the company’s supplier number and check to make sure that it’s in the appropriate licensing database.

For more information on goat tagging and other tips on raising goats, feel free to visit www.GoatSmarts.com.

 

Want to see how to ear tag a goat? Watch this short video tutorial from OSUMeatGoat:

 

Does this make you want to tag all the goats on your homestead? Let us know below in the comments!

Next Up: How to Trim Hooves of Goats and Sheep

YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE
YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE
square-2

Subscribe-To-Pioneer-Settler

Like This? I’m sure you’ll LOVE:

How to Raise a Baby Goat to Grow Up Big & Strong

Best Goat Breeds For Your Homesteading Needs

The 34 Cutest Baby Pygmy Goats On The Internet!

Raising Goats For Prep | The Perfect SHTF Livestock

Filed Under: Animals, Raising Goats Tagged With: goat

Trackbacks

  1. Best Goat Breeds For Your Homesteading Needs says:
    March 22, 2016 at 11:47 AM

    […] How To Ear Tag Goats […]

    Reply
  2. Raising Goats For Milk, Meat, and Profit | Homesteading Handbook | Pioneer Settler says:
    March 22, 2016 at 12:10 PM

    […] Bonus: How To Ear Tag Your Goats […]

    Reply
  3. Goat Ear Tags | Homesteading Guide: How To Keep Goats • realestate.10ztalk.com says:
    November 5, 2019 at 5:24 PM

    […] fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link .td_uid_3_5dc2046291544_rand.td-a-rec-img{text-align:left}.td_uid_3_5dc2046291544_rand.td-a-rec-img […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

REGISTER TO Get Our FREE Homesteading magazine.

DIY Projects And Get This FREE GIFT

Subscribe To Our Newsletter:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular Articles

Top 15 Ways To Make Money On Your Homestead

Kickstart Spring By Starting Your Own Straw Bale Garden

The Best Egg Laying Chickens For Your Homestead

50 Gardening Tips And Tricks To Become A Successful Homesteader

ShadowBirds
YOUR EXISTING AD GOES HERE

Important Pages

  • About Homesteading
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Returns
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Information Disclaimer

Other Great Sites

  • DIY Projects
  • Survival Life
  • Garden Season
  • Outdoor Warrior
  • Sewing.com

Resources

  • Hey Riley
  • Winter Survival
  • Raising Backyard Chickens
  • Canning & Preserving
  • Join Our Newsletter
  • Returns Policy
Homesteading
Email Support: [email protected]
Phone: 512-806-7603

Product returns go to:
1889 E Maule Ave, Ste G
Las Vegas 89119

Copyright © 2023 · Homesteading


This copyrighted material may not be republished without express permission. The information presented here is for general educational purposes only.

MATERIAL CONNECTION DISCLOSURE: You should assume that this website has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection to the persons or businesses mentioned in or linked to from this page and may receive commissions from purchases you make on subsequent web sites. You should not rely solely on information contained in this email to evaluate the product or service being endorsed. Always exercise due diligence before purchasing any product or service. This website contains advertisements.