What is Livestock Identification?

Livestock Identification is the way that farmers, ranchers and livestock owners can keep track of their animals. Livestock are generally purchased and raised in large groups, which makes them a lot harder to keep track of than a cat or dog. To keep track of livestock, owners can mark the animals with plastic or metal tags.

These tags are fairly small and they come in different shapes, sizes, colors and materials. The tags are marked with official state coding. Owners pierce large animals' ears with these tags but smaller animals usually get round Livestock Identification tags that are secured around their ankles.

Livestock Identification Keeps Animals Safe

Livestock need Livestock Identification because it keeps them safe. It allows the state to keep track of animals that are moving in and out of state borders, which helps track and prevent disease. To get the state code that correlates with the tag, livestock owners need to prove that their animals have been vaccinated, which also prevents against disease.

Livestock Identification also keeps animals safe because it allows them to be returned home if they're lost. Without the tag, it's much harder to determine where the animal came from.

It should be noted that Livestock Identification methods, such as hot irons and ear notches, are losing popularity because people consider them inhumane. Ear and ankle tags are much more accepted.