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Northeast Iowa | I've been using Ritchey tags since the 90's. The AllFlex buttons seemed to have the worst retention. The clover buttons are better, but still not 100%. It is almost entirely a button issue and not a cracked or broken tag when I find a tag that was lost.
17821X is correct about the T-lock buttons being better. I still have a stash of those on hand after Ritchey quit making them. A couple of cows have an incredible ability to lose two visual tags, a steel ID tag and a steel CHV tag in the five to six months between preg check and calving. No giant holes in their ears, no tears, just missing tags. T-lock buttons have stayed in since I put them in.
Ritchey will also do a great job of pre-engraving tags if you have specific numbers you want on them that aren't sequential. I send an Excel file with the dam's number for the top row and the daughter's number in larger size on the bottom. First-calf heifers get those as they calve. I just found the same source as 17821X for the T-lock buttons, so they will probably get those instead of clover buttons. The downside to T-lock buttons is that they take a side cutter pliers to take out. A regular tag knife can't slice through the stiff material.
Ritchey has a great video on the importance of using the right pin in your tagger to match the button brand. https://ritcheytags.com/blogs/how-to/the-tale-of-the-ear-tag-tool-pi... | |
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Ear tags
