Angora (Mohair) Goat Basics: Identification & recording

Agriculture, animal husbandry, goats, Angora, Mohair, breeding, recording, identification, practical advice

By Dr Clive Dalton


Identification & recording

• You cannot do worthwhile recording and breeding to improve flock performance unless all animals are identified.
• This ID must be unique so that no two animals have the same identity.
• No system of ID is ever perfect, as there are always problems with permanent tags being pulled out on fences, and temporary marks on fleeces fading or being shorn off.
  

A unique identity

• The best way to form a unique identity is to use an individual number along with the goat’s year of birth.
  
• So for example 123/05 is number 123 born in 2005. There may be other goats numbered 123, but they won’t have been born in 2005.
  
• The best ID method is a brass ear tag put in the kid’s ear at birth and then supplemented with a plastic tag later when the ear grows bigger and stronger. Some breeders put a brass tag in both ears to reduce the chance of lost identity.
• There is much less chance of a brass tag coming out or fading than a plastic tag. However, recent advances in plastics have greatly reduced the fading of numbers and colours in plastic tags from the intense sun radiation in New Zealand.
  
• So each year get your tags (both plastic and brass) to run from Number 1 to however many kids you expect to have, and add the year born on to each tag. With brass tags, get your name punched on the third side too.
• Visible plastic ear tags also have many advantages for general management such as using different colours for age groups.
  

Good permanent ID methods

Brass tags

• These have proved their worth over decades in New Zealand sheep.
• Which ear? Always put the brass tag in the left (nearside) ear, as this is the one held by the shearer when coming up around the neck.
• Where to put it? Punch it into the top of the ear, about a third of the way along from the head toward the tip, leaving room for the ear to grow and so the tag to remain in a readable position.
  
• If you put it too near the head it can grow into the skin folds, and you’ll have to fight the goat every time to read it, and the animal will remember the experience.
• Always read brass tags from left to right to avoid confusing 66 with 99.
• Keep all tagging equipment disinfected during and after use. Check for any ear infections and festering a couple of days after tagging.
• Brass tags come on sticks with a rubber band on the end, to stop them slipping off and getting out of numerical order when you drop them!
  

Very small plastic tags

• These are like a numbered pliable plastic band that bends around the edge of the ear when clinched together. They can be put in a kid’s ear at birth without causing it to droop and malform it, and little festering occurs if you keep your gear clean.
• These tags come in a range of colours and you cannot read these from a distance.
  

Medium plastic tags

• These are smaller and less expensive than the very large tags.
• Put them in the goat’s left (near) ear to help the shearers.
• They are still too heavy to put in young kids and even kid’s at weaning.
• They are easier to read than the small plastic bands, but you’ve got to be up fairly close to the goat to read them.
• They are an ideal intermediate tag, but farmers don’t like the expense and bother of replacing them so will wait till the goat is big enough for a large tag.
  

Large plastic tags

• These are “flag” type tags that you can easily read from a distance of 3-5 m and come in a range of bright colours.
• Put them in the doe’s left (near) ear to help the shearers.
• You can have them numbered or you can write your own numbers on with a supplied pen containing ink that doesn’t not fade. Some fading is inevitable in New Zealand’s intense sun.
• Don’t put these in kid’s ears until they are at least 5 months old as they are too heavy for the kid’s small ear and it will pull it down and permanently disfigure it. Also more festering can occur.
• Punch them in the middle of the ear about half way along avoiding the two main ligaments and the veins.
  
• Keep all tagging equipment disinfected during and after use. Check for any infection and festering a couple of days after tagging.
• Always put the same number on the plastic tags that is on the brass or small plastic tag, and it’s a good idea to use different colours for each year’s crop of kid’s to help sorting age groups later.
• Don’t use old plastic tags as it will only cause confusion.
• You can cut bits out of the edge of plastic tags with ear marking pliers to denote groups or ages.
• There are also plastic tags that slip through a punched hole can be used to identify age groups. These are put in the top or bottom edge of the ear and can be easily removed but they cannot be read from a distance.
  

Poor permanent ID methods

• Self-piercing aluminium tags were once popular but have not shown any great advantage over the brass tags which once the ear heals are generally trouble free.
• Tattoos. Here sharp pins in the shape of numbers and letters are held in special pliers and punched into the middle of the sheep’s ear between the ligaments. Black pigment is then rubbed in to the wound.
  
• It’s important to put plenty of pigment on the pins and make sure the sheep do not move when it first feels the pain. Don’t flinch, and grit your teeth once you close the pliers.
• You are very lucky if the ID is readable for much of the sheep’s life, and a vivid imagination is always useful when trying to decide on the ID!
• Ear notches for numbering. Here you use the top, end and bottom of the ear to punch a single or double notch made with special pliers that cut a piece out of the ear. Each position represented a numeral and you can build up multiple-digit numbers by combinations of notches. It’s always a brain taxing to work out the code in a hurry as you have to do mental arithmetic on each ear.
• In goats it’s possible to tattoo the underside of the tail.
  

Other temporary ID methods

Raddle

• Numbers can be made with raddle on both sides of the doe. They should be at least 200mm high and be readable from 10-15m away.
  
• They work best on short hair of fleece and may last for half a season before fading. Using raddled numbers and marks is a good idea for a temporary ID of multiple kids.
• Putting lots of raddle on the fleeces is bad practice. Use these tips when using an aerosol raddle:
• Shake the can well before use.
• Hold it upright when using otherwise the propellant will be used up before the paint.
• Use very sparingly.
• Squirt the nozzle near the required spot and only make the smallest dot possible (the size of a 10c piece when dry).
• Store aerosols in a cool place out of the reach of potential graffiti artists.
  

Chalk

• You can get chalk raddle in a wide range of colours.
• It’s useful for short-term marking such as by the meat company lamb drafter.
• It usually washes off in about a week.
• It’s messy stuff to handle but a farmer has invented a plastic holder for the chalk sticks to keep your hands clean and the raddle dry when not in use.
• Only used approved products.
  

Neck tags

• These can be used for temporary ID in flocks at kidding where you don’t want to catch the doe to read her brass tag and cause disturbance, but they are a lot of work.
• You need a checklist of neck tag against brass tag.
  
• Neck tags can be made of all sorts of materials from tin and plastic lids to engraved Formica and letters need to be at least 40mm high.
• Tying the cord the correct length is important otherwise the doe gets her front legs though when grazing.
• It’s important to remember to remove all neck tags before shearing.
  

Coloured clips

• Coloured plastic clothes pegs can be used when selecting goats.
• Gripping paper clips can also be used on the fleece – and not on the ears!
  

Coloured wire twisters

• Use short lengths (about 100mm) of pliable coloured plastic wire that can be threaded through a brass tag and both ends twisted together.
• A wide range of colour combinations can be used and old electrical cable is a great source of wire.
  

New ID methods

Electronic tags

• These are now being used in some sheep breeding flocks where large amounts of performance data are being recorded.
  
• At the moment they can only be read when close to the sheep
• The potential is here for the animal’s complete data to be stored in its ear tag and act as a “passport” to record its complete history, such as feeding and health treatments and which farms it has been on.
  
• This is being driven by the need to track animals in disease outbreaks and concern over food safety and the need for “traceback” from plate to paddock.
• Costs of electronic ID will be easily accepted by breeders who keep detailed performance records and indeed it could help them, but it will pose problems for large-scale commercial sheep farmers.
  
• Put them in the goat’s left (near) ear to help the shearers.
  

Electronic chips
These would only be justified for very valuable animals as a protection from theft.

DNA profiling

• DNA profiling can be used where individual ID of kids at birth is not possible.
• Birth date is obtained by shedding off does that have not yet kidded, so the birth day is known for each paddock of kids when they are docked.
• Kids are tagged at docking (3 weeks old) and blood samples taken for ID profiling at a special laboratory.
  
• As the DNA data builds up in a flock, the parent’s ID of any kid can be determined to a very high degree of accuracy.
  
• Some labs use 6-7 genetic markers for sheep which breeders have found is not as accurate as manual recording. Only using 10-14 markers gives a high degree of accuracy.
• Using DNA markers, it has been shown that 25% of sheep twins had been sired by different rams – something that would have been unknown before DNA profiling.
  

Angora (Mohair) Goat Basics: Practical recording tips

Agriculture, husbandry, goats, Angora, Mohair, records, recording, practical advice



By Dr Clive Dalton


Practical recording tips
New Zealand sheep farmers, shepherds and research technicians over the years have shown amazing innovation in developing practical ways to make field recording easier. The following are some of them:

Plastic tagging adult does

• Pick a good dry day; avoid wet and humid days.
• Do the tagging as a special job. Don’t incorporate it with a variety of other tasks.
• Make sure everyone concentrates to avoid errors. Banish barking dogs.
• Avoid general chat and make sure the person who is reading the tags has a good clear voice. A loud high-pitched voice is ideal as you can hear it above the other yard noises. Don’t let smokers read tags as the cigarette stuck between their lips all day reduces their diction, as well as their long-term health prospects!
• Dip the tagging pliers into disinfectant after every sheep.
• Hold the goat firmly during tagging so pliers don’t slip half way through the job. This is not such a problem with today’s quick release pliers.
• After tagging about 10 animals, turn them out to see if the tags are in a good readable position and not too near the head. You should be able to read the numbers at 3-5 metres away.
• It’s nice to be consistent and put the plastic tag in the left (near) ear along with the brass tag to help the shearers. Some farmers don’t like this and put the plastic in the right ear – knowing that if a shearer hits it, there will be no damage to the gear compared to hitting a brass tag. Whichever is your choice – be consistent for the shearers’ benefit.
• One idea (if you can afford the time) is to punch the holes in the ears and let them heal, free from the irritation of the tag. Then go back again about a week later and put the tag through the hole, which will be a painless operation. It’s not practical when handling large numbers of goats.

Brass tagging adult goats

• This can be a tough job. The ears of the old does are tough and punching the hole with the special pliers causes pain so they need to be firmly held by one person while the other does the punching.
• Then with the goat in a foul demeanour you have to put the tag through the hole and squeeze it up correctly. If you botch this part and have to open the tag and redo it, that goat will never forget you!
• Put the tag in the top of the left (near) ear about a third of the distance from the head.
• Dip the pliers in disinfectant after every goat.
• Watch for infections for a week after tagging.
• Have plenty of sticking plasters handy as you will knock a lot of skin off yourself in this exercise!
  

Tagging kids at birth
This is the most challenging part of recording, as you can’t leave the job for another day (unless there is storm conditions) and remembering all the points made above about doe and kid behaviour at lambing. Shepherds and technicians developed many tricks over the years to get the job done in sheep. Here are a few of them.

In fine weather

• Start early in the morning (just after daybreak is ideal) and work your way around the paddock tagging kids as you go.
• If there are groups of does that have all kidded in the same place – you‘ll need to attend to them first, as there will be a high risk of parentage errors.
• On the way to the doe note her number incase she clears off, and grab the kid or kids and hold them between your knees. You can do this kneeling on the ground or sitting on your backside using your leggings for insulation.
• Use a light fishing (landing) net with collapsible handle to catch kids, especially twins and triplets and hold them together during tagging.
• If the doe runs away (most likely with two-tooths), hold a kid by the back leg and let the doe see it. If the kid doesn’t bleat –blare like a kid to attract her back! Practice and frustration makes perfect!
• Tag the kid/kids and complete any other tasks.
• Take out your record book and enter the data.
• Before you let the kid/kids go, double check the tag numbers in their ears and the doe number. If there is any doubt about parentage – clearly record this fact.
• Check the unused tags to make sure you are still in sequence and some have not been lost. Try not to drop the tags so they get out of order.
• Don’t do the recording in bits, e.g. enter the tag number after tagging each kid, etc. Do it all in one go.
• Release multiples together incase the doe takes off with one kid and you have to chase her.
• It used to be recommended if there were a lot of does that had kidded together to go in and spot mark the multiples, so you got them correctly identified with their dam when you started tagging.
  

In wet weather

• If it’s really wet, then keep away until it stops raining, as you’ll do more harm than good. Hope that it stops raining in 24 hours because after that the kids will be very mobile and harder to catch.
• If it’s only showery, then tagging can proceed, remembering that punching holes in wet ears risks more infections than with dry ears.
• Carry a towel around your neck to dry your hands before writing in the record book.
• Keep the book inside a plastic bag and write inside there.
• Use a dark pencil, as ballpoints don’t like wet paper.
• Use notebooks with waterproof paper if available.
• Don’t risk a tape recorder incase of malfunction.
• Use a palm-held computer inside a plastic cover – if you can trust its reliability.
• If there is any doubt about parentage of kids – record this fact.
  

Docking at birth

• In some recorded high-fertility flocks run with minimal labour, docking is now done at birth to avoid the work and disruption of docking later.
• There have been concerns on animal welfare grounds about the shock of docking newborn kids, and that it will increase mismothering as one kid may lie down and the mother take off with the others.
• Some breeders find that newborn kids show less reaction to having rubber rings on tails and testicles than older goats, and mismothering has not been a problem.
  

Recording kits

• Shepherds have come up with some great ideas over the years to hold all their recording gear.
• Examples have been modified builder’s aprons or bags with plenty of compartments for tags, pliers, notebook and veterinary supplies.
• Also a large flap to keep all the gear dry and which also serves as a desk top in the paddock for the notebook or to sit on when the ground is wet and cold.
  

Tagging kids when older

• When farmers have adopted minimal-shepherding systems, kids are tagged later when they are difficult to catch.
• Accuracy of parentage is usually quite good, as the does have had plenty of space for kidding being set stocked and spread out.
• It is possible to set up a pen like a docking pen and drive does into it with their kids (singly or in groups) and tag them. It’s a slow and tedious job.
• ID can be done at docking as described above but can be much more of a disruption unless you have a slick well-organised team, and are prepared for docking to take longer.
  

Recording live weight

• A set of scales is an essential piece of equipment these days for large flocks, but can always seem expensive for a small flock. Small farmers should consider joining with neighbours to share the cost or borrow scales from their vet clinic.
• Today’s electronic scales consist of two weigh bars and a platform that needs to stand on a firm base in the yards. The readout unit can be put anywhere such as on the ground, rested or hung on the fence, or hand held.
  
• It can do calculations and provide readouts such as the current weight, weight gain since the last weighing, average for the mob and the range (highest and lowest) and store all the data.
• For individual animals that you can lift, stand on the bathroom scales and get someone else to read the dial while you hold the sheep. Remember to subtract your weight!
  

Check lists

• With the best will in the world, when reading tags you’ll end up with missing numbers and duplicates that are always hard to sort out.
• The key is to have a checklist, which is simply a sheet with a list of numbers from 1 to 100 or 1 to 1000. As each tag number is read, put a line through that number on the checklist, which proves it has been read.
• Then as soon as a duplicate number appears, you can double check the number to see if it is the correct one, or the previous one was wrong. You may be able to see at the end from the numbers missing where the error was in reading the tag.
  

Common causes of errors in recording

• Misread numbers, especially on brass tags because of poor eyesight.
• People reading tags with poor diction or while smoking.
• Transcribing numbers where the number is read correctly when called out, but the digits are reversed when it’s written down. Some people are very prone to doing this and don’t know it – and will argue that they didn’t do it.
• The other variation of the above is to see the number but shout it out with some digits exchanged. Again some people have this problem and don’t know it. And they will argue too!
• For both the above problems, insist the tag readers or those who write it down repeat it.
• Poor writing in record books with blunt pencils or ballpoints in the rain.
• Failure to double check at frequent intervals.
• Failure to stick to a set routine e.g. when tagging at lambing time.
  

Recording fleece weights for selection
This is done on the shearing board using. A wide range of scales can be used. You should weigh the total greasy fleece but excluding any dags.

Cattle farm husbandry – cattle identification

Cattle, farming, husbandry, recording, identification, tags and tag placement, brands, tattoos, recording live weight

By Dr Clive Dalton

You cannot do any worthwhile breeding to improve herd performance unless all your animals have a unique identification. Apart from this, it’s now a legal requirement by the Animal Health Board (AHB) to have all your cattle identified with ear tags for Tuberculosis (Tb) control.

Tags for Tb control

• The AHB operates a compulsory ID programme for cattle that requires only officially approved tags.
• All stock must be identified to their herd of origin when moved after one month of age.
• All official tags carry the AHB logo or the Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) logo.
• All tags or tag components carrying official markings must face forward.
• Two tags are required a primary and a secondary.
• Primary tags are two-piece and must be yellow and show a barcode and AHB herd number or LIC (MINDA) code.
• Secondary tags can be different colours (one piece or two-piece), metal or plastic but they must be marked with the AHB herd number or MINDA code.
• For stock going “direct to slaughter”, they need a special tag with the letter “S” on and numbers and logos as described above. A primary tag is acceptable for this purpose.
• Lost tags have to be replaced with a proper “replacement tag” with the letter “R” on them showing the herd details described above.
  

A unique ID

There is a wide range of tags available

• The best way to form a unique identity is to use an individual number along with the beast’s year of birth.
  
• So for example 123/05 is animal number 123 born in 2005. You may have other cattle numbered 123, but they won’t have been born in 2005.
  
• So each year get your tags (plastic and brass) to run from Number 1 to however many calves you expect to have, and add the year born to each tag. With brass tags, get your name punched on the third side too.
  

Where to place the tag?

• Where you put the brass tag in the ear is critical if you want to avoid problems later, remembering how the ear grows.
  
• Punch the tag in the top of the ear, about a third of the way along from the head toward the tip, leaving room for the ear to grow and the tag to remain in a readable position.
  
• If you put it too near the head it will grow into the skin folds, and you’ll have to use a head bail to read it.
  
• Punch plastic tags in the middle of the ear about half way along avoiding the two main ligaments and the veins.
• Keep all tagging equipment disinfected during and after use. Check for any infection and festering a couple of days after tagging.
• Always put the same number on the plastic tags that is on the brass, and it’s a good idea to use different coloured plastic tags for each year’s crop of calves to help sort age groups later.
  

Brands and tattoos

• Ear tattoos are useless as they are too hard to read, and only work in white ears.
  
• Similarly freeze branding that makes the hair grow white is only useful on black hides.
• Branding with caustic paste or hot irons is not recommended any more. In desperation farmers who are sick of getting their cattle rustled sometimes consider fire branding as a last resort. The thieves get round this by selling the dressed carcass and leaving the skin and offal in the paddock!
  

The future
The future is with electronic tags and they are available now. In future the entire animal’s data will be stored in its ear tag. Each animal will have a “passport” to record its complete history, e.g. feeding and health treatments and which farms it has been on. This is being driven by the need for traceback from plate to paddock by overseas markets.

Recording live weight

• If you are in the cattle business you’re automatically in the meat business, so you need to know what each animal weighs.
  
• A set of scales can be expensive for just a few stock but consider joining with neighbours to share the cost, or borrow scales from your vet clinic.
  
• Modern electronic scales consist of two weigh bars and a platform that needs to stand on a firm base in the yards. The readout unit can be put anywhere such as on the ground, rested or hung on the fence, or hand held. It can do all sorts of calculations and provide readouts such as the current weight, weight gain since the last weighing, average for the mob and the range (highest and lowest).
• Weigh bands that you stretch around the animal’s girth just behind the front legs are reasonably accurate for calves but are not much use after that.
  
• For young calves that you can lift, stand on the bathroom scales on a firm surface and get someone else to read the dial while you hold the calf. Remember to subtract your weight!
  

Records and herd size
If you just keep a few animals then it may not be worth the costs joining a formal beef cattle performance recording scheme (see NZ Contacts in Agriculture), but it’s still very important to keep formal records as you will forget what happened over time. The simplest system is to have a record card for each animal or an entry in a spreadsheet or database. Information you could record on each animal is:

• Identification
• Sex
• Sire and dam’s ID
• Birth date
• Birth weight
• Weaning date
• Weaning weight
• Yearling weight and date
• 18-month weight and date
• Fate - what happened to it finally
• Health records
  

As females come into the herd, then start new cards for their breeding records such as:

Calving 1

• Date mated (Leave a few columns for repeat matings)
• Sire used (Leave a few columns for change of sire used)
• Date calved
• Calf sex birth weight
• Fate of calf
• Fate of cow
• Health records
  

Calving 2
Ditto as above and for subsequent calvings

Disclaimer This material is provided in good faith for information purposes only, and the author does not accept any liability to any person for actions taken as a result of the information or advice (or the use of such information or advice) provided in these pages.