# Tattoo help



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I need to get a tattoo kit so we can tattoo my kids 4-H doelings.

We won't be doing much tattooing at all, so I am looking for inexpensive tattoo kit.

I have a Jeffers catalog and was browsing it and saw that they have a Standard Tattoo outfit for $29.95, but then they have it with revolving head/ear release for $32.79
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/standar ... p/0030138/

What is the revolving head/ear release? It says it has the numbers and letters in the outfit....along with the ink.

So...would this be an okay set to get?

Also I have never seen a goat tattoo on a boer goat before....I know it goes between the veins, but I don't know how far up it would go. We'll be tattooing a 3mo old doe at some point in the next few weeks, and then a doe who is almost 6 weeks old right now.

Thanks for any help


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## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

I've also seen them at tractor supply and they were fairly inexpensive. On our does, they put the tattoo near the top half of the ear. If you are facing the goat and hold those floppy ears out to the side of their head (inside of ear towards you) it's between those big veins about an inch or two from the top and they used green ink.
I haven't done it either! Let me know how hard it is!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks! I did check the Tractor Supply store nearby and they didn't have any at all!  The local farm store has some stuff, but they are expensive on that kind of stuff. 

That's okay...because even though the girls will have their tattoos... they HAVE to have a scrapie tag too! Something we haven't done yet either! We have our tags, just never used them - nobody was concerned with having them on when they were sold...
So...looks like the boys will be my guinea pigs for getting scrapie tags first...poor babies! 

BTW....bringing that up I wonder what's best to do....tattoo first, or scrapie? Or do it all at the same time? Ridiculous that we have to have them tagged as well as tattooed...


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## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

That's crazy they have to have scrapie with registration papers and a tattoo! :roll: Pretty soon they'll have our kids giving fingerprints before they can show as well.
I don't know, but I'd probably do the tattoos first since they take up less space, and then you can figure out where to put the tag. Our doe had a tag in one ear plus tats in both. I also think most tat kits come with black ink but people recommend getting the green ink seperately. I'm not sure why to be honest.
Our 4-h goats have to have some special State tag in addition to scrapies (unregistered girls only). The wethers just have to have the State tag without the scrapie tag.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I have found that green ink shows up better and heard it lasts better. If you get the tattoo in deep it will last well. Follow the directions and apply ink again after you remove the pliers and rub it in good with your fingers. It is a simple process but the goat will need to be held by someone or in a disbuder box.


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## ()relics (Dec 25, 2010)

Perfect7 said:


> That's crazy they have to have scrapie with registration papers and a tattoo!


I would double check that if I were you...A scrapies tag is used to permanently mark a breeding animal. A tattoo with the orginal paperwork serves the same purpose, permanent marking and documentation.



Perfect7 said:


> recommend getting the green ink seperately. I'm not sure why to be honest.


Green ink shows up much better than black ink especially on dark skinned animals.


Perfect7 said:


> Our 4-h goats have to have some special State tag in addition to scrapies (unregistered girls only). The wethers just have to have the State tag without the scrapie tag.


Again any breeding animals need a permanent marking or they must have a scrapies tag. Unregistered does Do Not have any permanent id or paperwork so they need to be scrapies tagged. Wethers are not breeding animals so they Do Not need a scrapies tag. Most likely your wethers are tagged when they are weighed for your state/county registration. The wethers are tagged with a permanent id to insure you bring This particular wether to the county fair or state fair.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

I just got the basic tattoo kit from Jeffers, had to order the green ink (came with black) and had my husband hold them while I tattooed them. Quick and easy. (not nearly as bad as dehorning or shots) I kept a box of baby wipes to keep my hands basically cleaned up between babies.

If you can borrow another one from someone, it would be easier - then you can have the farm initials on one, and numbers on the other. I had to keep switching back and forth. I could have done all the farm initials first I suppose, but it seemed like a pain to keep re-catching babies.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks so much. I will order some green ink. 
It is crazy that they have to have the scrapie tag, but I don't know who I would have to double check with, they do things so odd here don't they??? 
I know that whethers have to have a scrapie tag, and then get checked my a state official where they take a sample to test for scrapie, and then they tag the whether with another tag that they must have in order to show in the fair/state fair. 

You can't show unregistered does here, does have to be percentage or fullblooded... which is okay...because our doelings are all 50% and registerable...

I never imagined all the loops that are involved just to get a goat into 4-H! And that's not including getting the animal ready. But my kids want to try it and since they aren't into playing sports or any other school related activity, I am trying my best to get them the chance. There is soooo much to learn!


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

i find that my best tattoos are when i go all the way through the ear. They show up better later in life when the goat bled.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Yeah I noticed my two older does tattoos are basically gone. I'd wonder if they were even done, but I can see a tiny puncture or two on each side. Was going to redo them next time I had them up for hoof trimming, I don't want them to associate being up on the stand for milking with anything else that is negative. When I tattooed my babies i crimped them pretty well, so i'm hoping they will stick.

That scrapies tag is annoying. I don't want to tag mine. If you have an unregistered animal you should be given the option to tag or microchip. Maybe they would allow a special ear tattoo to indicate they have a microchip. 

After i had my girls tested last year I got a visit from the ag dept, they asked all sorts of questions, I thought it was for the NAIS so I told the person I thought it was voluntary. She told me I was wrong, that scrapies was not voluntary, and also the reason they knew I had goats was that when i had them tested an alert popped up letting them know I was around. Yet another reason to avoid testing imo. 

And since I am a procrastinator, i haven't gotten around to the scrapies registration. With a closed herd, I don't know how you could get it anyway. I'll probably get another visit from the ag dept, but since the state is running out of money, maybe they don't have enough people to run around nagging farmers to tag their animals.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

For my goats I cant have tag in their ear or it can cause issues with their show wins. So I contacted the state vet and she said if I register my ADGA tattoo with the scrapies program I dont have to tag. Ashley had this issue with a vet and shipping a goat just last month and she called her state vet and they said the same thing that the ADGA tattoo would serve as her scrapies ID # instead of tags but any goats going to slaughter needed tags. 

are your goats registered with any registry? if so see if the state vet will associate with your scrapies ID. 

The state vets are SO NICE its the vets who try to force you to do something thats against the actual law that are mean about it. I have no idea why they insist on the tags when they are show animals UGH especially when its not necessary.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

The scrapie tags are under my name, but the goats are registered with IBGA - under my kids names. We couldn't even have them registered under a farm name with my kids names listed in the farm name ownership they HAVE to be in the kids names solely. It's ridiculous! I don't mind having to tag the girls too, but think it's ridiculous that it has to be done on an animal that is already tattooed with registration information...they DO check registration papers at all the shows here too....
I'll give the state vet a call and see what they have to say. They sure don't make it easy for these kids to get into 4-H! no wonder my kids are the only ones in our county showing goats in 4-H


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

My problem is that one of my girls is unregistered. But I had her dehorned at 1 yo b/c i didn't want things that could catch on stuff - so why would I want a giant tag on her ear? I did give her a tattoo when I did the babies, but I can't register her, so it is kind of useless except for identification (which i will point out IF they show up again)

I did tattoo all the wethers. One person wants both of hers registered. The other person didn't ask, but I have a record of their tattoo ids in my files.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

the state vet said to tattoo and put NJ (for my state) in front of the Tattoo on any goats not registered. The tattoo is still associated with my name under scrapies ID so it doesnt matter if they have papers or not. But she said the NJ would help also with IDing the goat if needed to. I find it all confusing about the NJ but thats waht she said to do so I did it on the wethers I sold to the Zoo.


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## ()relics (Dec 25, 2010)

StaceyRoop said:


> the state vet said to tattoo and put NJ (for my state) in front of the Tattoo on any goats not registered. The tattoo is still associated with my name under scrapies ID so it doesnt matter if they have papers or not. But she said the NJ would help also with IDing the goat if needed to. I find it all confusing about the NJ but thats waht she said to do so I did it on the wethers I sold to the Zoo.


...here too...I would just add IN in front of my herd id# in the right ear and that is then my scrapies ID#...as long as I record it should I ever be auditted


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yes I wrote it all down too. Always write stuff down


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I had to run errands so didn't get a chance to call today, but I'll give them a call tomorrow.

None of my does are registered, just my buck. Technically one doe should have papers but I haven't gotten them from my friend yet....not sure I will get any papers on her <I got her really cheap so not complaining too much>. She did say the tag goes in a certain ear for bucks and does, and so that doe and my buck are both tagged correctly for the scrapie, I'd have to go look to say which ear they are in though...

Knowing my luck...they will say they have to have the tag... so I guess the sooner I can get the tattoo kit the better.


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