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Northeast Iowa | From the leftovers that I have, it looks like 1998 was the first year I used pre-engraved Ritchey tags. I’ve used them ever since and love them. Valley Vet usually stocks pre-numbered tags, so I put the smaller version of this in calves and then put a large tag in first calf heifers as they calve. Discovered within the last year or two that Ritchey will pre-engrave two rows of numbers on a tag. I like to put the dam’s number on top and the regular number on the bottom. Then if you see one, you know who to give credit or blame to if she looks good or is ornery.
The key to retention is using the right pin in your tagger. Ritchey is different than AllFlex, which is different than Y-Tex. This video is the best one I’ve seen that explains why they look similar, but aren’t interchangeable. https://youtu.be/miHU9ntRiAU?si=2K6xGytII8yKRxu6
Ritchey doesn’t make them anymore, but I find the best retention rate is with the T-button. A utility knife or a tag knife won’t cut through them. It takes a side cutter pliers. The couple of cows that are professional tag losers get a T-button and then they quit losing tags.
The clover buttons work well. When I have found lost tags over the years, the tag is almost always intact. It’s usually a button problem.
Edited by RFI90 4/16/2025 10:45
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Has anyone tried
