The Source
The influential tag gift.
Slam! The back door blew shut from the wind. I knew Dad had finished feeding the cows and would be coming upstairs to wake me up. Dad stood at the bottom of the stairs and called for me to come down for breakfast. He told me to put on my warm chore clothes, too.
He must have a new calf that needs bottle-fed. I love to bottle-feed the calves, but this was Christmas morning and there were presents to unwrap. Couldn’t we have breakfast and open presents, then feed the calf?
Influential gift
I jumped in my clothes and hurried downstairs to gulp down breakfast. I might as well hustle so I could get back inside where it was warm.
Mom had fixed biscuits and gravy, my favorite. It was going to be hard not to savor that gravy, which was made from home-raised pork. On my plate sat a blue ear tag and a small black book. The tag had my name on it, along with my brand, a number one and 5-1-69 printed on the top.
I moved the tag and book off my plate and waited for Mom to say grace so we could dig in to those steaming hot biscuits and gravy. Mom and Dad kept staring at me like I had food all over my mouth. I used my napkin repeatedly so they would stop staring at me, but that didn’t work. Finally, I asked why.
They responded, “Aren’t you going to ask about the ear tag? Come on, and grab that tag, the book and a pen.”
Out to the barn we went. Standing with a rope halter and a red bow was the cutest black heifer calf ever.
“Go on and get the tagger so you can tag your first heifer,” Dad said. I just wanted to go pet and hug her.
Really, I get to tag her?
“She is yours, so you put your tag in her ear. Merry Christmas. Don’t forget to write her number in your book, and that is her birth date on the tag.”
That was the start of my very own herd.
Custom tags
Custom-printed tags make herd management for the rancher easier for so many reasons. Trying to find quality, custom-printed tags that don’t break the bank can be a problem, too. The American Angus Association listened to their members and have made custom-printed ear tags available online at www.customcattletags.com.
This site features Destron Fearing™ two-piece visual tags in a variety of sizes, nine colors and customizable options. It doesn’t stop there. We also have Choice Sets, Combo eTags and RFID tags, as well as many other tag-related items — like pins, markers, knives and much more.
There are step-by-step instructions so you can purchase tags with customized management numbers or sequential numbers. Add a brand or logo to the tag or tag stud. The possibilities are endless, and you can actually view a proof online before you submit your order. These are some of the lowest-cost tags on the market today. If you are looking for a neat Christmas gift that everyone will enjoy when they have to move or sort cows, then check out The Tag Store at www.customcattletags.com.
Editor's Note: Ginette Kurtz is manager of AngusSource for the American Angus Association.
[Click here to go to the top of the page.]