# Removing an ear tag?



## imaginationacres

Hi guys, not sure if this topic has been covered before, I apologize if I'm bringing up an old topic but I need some help.

Anyone have suggestions on how to remove an ear tag?

Ribbon one of my new fainting goats must of gotten her ear tag stuck on something and sliced her entire ear in half today.. it is not able to be surgically sewn back together.. She's on antibiotics and pain meds, along with topical silver sufladiazine to help with healing. I bought two other fainting goat goats that have ears tags in them and I would like to remove them immediately to prevent this from happening again.

This is what the tags look like (Scout's right ear):









Thanks!!


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## HoosierShadow

I had to remove an ear tag last summer from a doe we bought. Her original tag had gotten broken so they put a new one on before we left....it got infected, and I couldn't get it to heal after several days. It was plastic so I just had someone hold her and cut the outside piece off and the rest slipped off through the hole. 

BTW, I know your pain...we have one that has a slit all the way down near the very tip of her ear. I had it healed by using a bandage to hold it together...but I didn't leave the bandage on long enough and she tore it open so now it won't heal closed. But she's healed up, no infection, or anything, and it doesn't phase her a bit..


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## peggy

That looks like the same tags that were in my girls ears when I got them. First of all, the ones in my girls ears were "STRICKLY" for identification purposes "ONLY". I did remove them. I have square fencing and they almost ripped an ear more than once before I removed them. I held the goat and hubby took some hand nippers and nipped off the plastic nipple that sticks out of the tag on the upper side of the ear. Clip very very close and it will just fall right out. I thought it was going to be harder than it was.


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## lissablack

I think I used my hoof trimmers. 

Jan


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## Steve

careful cutting it off,dont cut the goat.You might use a saw instead of a sharp blade,a saw is not as likely to slice anything you dont want it to.Maybe a hacksaw blade would work.

Something else i just thought of is wire snips,i call them side cutters,like pliers but with a cutting edge on one side of the nose.


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## lesserweevil

wire cutters/ pliers work best - I do it when I purchase goats 

LW


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## imaginationacres

thank you so much for the replies, I will try the trimmers/nippers in a bit to see if I can get those tags out! Ribbon is doing well this morning, but I still feel so bad for her. Hopefully she heals quickly!


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## lesserweevil

just make sure you hold her really securely when you are doing it - you dont want to cut the ear by mistake!
LW


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## goathiker

Since that is a state scrapies tag, technically if you plan to breed or show the goats, the number off those tags should be tatooed onto the goat per USDA regs, in ear, on tail, or in flank fold.
I've never figured out why the tags became such an issue when the original scrappies rules allowed for tattooing as permanant ID. Luckily my state didn't go nuts over it and tattooing is good enough for my big boys to cross state lines. .


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