# How do you know your tattoo?



## laststraw (Oct 7, 2007)

I know this has got to sound silly - and I'm probably over-thinking it... but, how do you know what to tattoo on your goat? This is our first round of births. Our AGS letters are LS2 and I understand that the letter for 2007 is X. So, do I tattoo them like this:

1st born: LS2X1
2nd born: LS2X2
3rd born: LS2 X3

And, if this is correct, how in the world do those of you with "real" sized herds keep track???? :shock: 

Thanks! ~ Erin


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The tattoo prefix you were assigned goes in the left ear and the "year" letter in the right ear as well as the kids birth number...example, LS2(Left).. X1(Right) and you have the idea...but it is something how those that have a BIG herd are able to keep track AND tattoo all those babies! Can you imagine tattooing kid #30 or even 50?


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I am sure glad someone posted that cause I had no idea either - but I have no registered babies coming right now - as I don't have a registered doe :-(


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I should have been a bit more specific, The right ear has the kids number in birth order. If you have a doe kid with triplets then you record the number that they were born so you can get the number right in the tattoo...1st kid black doeling...tat would be X1, second kid gray buck...tattoo=X2, third kid...tat=X3.
The second doe to kid has a single so the tattoo would be X4 the number goes up with each kid it doesn't start over for each doe giving birth. Hope I wasn't too confusing


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## laststraw (Oct 7, 2007)

Not at all - thank you so much! I'm going to recheck the tattoos on our girls because I thought that they were just tattooed on the right ear. Are some people putting the entire tattoo on the right ear in case of dual registration, or do you add numbers/letters to one of the existing tattoos for that? Not that we're dual registering at the moment... just trying to keep our options open.  

As I was typing, DH handed me the paperwork. I will have to go look at their left ears... According to this, Zuni has W64 in her right ear and PWP1 in her left ear. I'm thinking that's backwards: PWP1 should be the heard ID I am pretty sure. Was the letter for 2006 a W? Then she was the 64th birth at Prairie Wood in 2006. That seems about right since that is a large ranch. Does this make sense?


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## laststraw (Oct 7, 2007)

I looked at the paperwork and Zuni seems to be tattooed backwards, but I'll have to go check her left ear. This paper says: right ear W64 (was W the letter for 2006?) and left ear PWP1 which should be the Prairie Wood herd ID I think.

So, how do you add numbers/letters if you dual register? Not that we're dual registering right now, but keeping our options open.


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## laststraw (Oct 7, 2007)

I'm having difficulties posting today - don't know why... It keeps throwing me out and not showing me if my posts went through. If I shut down my browser and log back in, things are showing up... I have some chores to do and will check back later... :? 

Thanks for the help, Liz!!! Since tattoos are permanent, I want to get this right!


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## hornless (Oct 5, 2007)

Liz is correct, I think. can't remember what goes in what ear though. There's also microchipping... that's what I'm plannig on doing. A little less stressful than tatooong, IMO.


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

I don't know if someone already clarified this or not but you put the herd tattoo in the RIGHT ear, individual goat in the LEFT ear.

So for example, my newborn doeling would be:
Right Ear : SGM1 (for my farm)
Left Ear : X20 (since she's the 20th kid born this year, X for the year.

P.S. This is for ADGA, AGS & NDGA, always put yourself in the goat's position. It's the goat's left ear and the goat's right ear etc.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you Ashley!! See, typical Liz, got it backwards. I even had the booklet in front of me and STILL got it backward, blonde moment...DUH. 

Laststraw...please DISREGARD my left/right "instructions" obviously your does tattoos are correct....after 64 kids, I don't think her previous owner would have made that mistake! LOL.

Sorry about the mis-information....next time I post on something this serious I'll double check before "I put my foot in my mouth" so to speak. :? 

BTW....You can double register with the SAME tattoo prefix as long as the one given by , NDGA for example is available with other organizations such as AGS and ADGA. Mine is DAH with both registries.


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## fritzie (Oct 6, 2007)

:lol: liz it is so easy to get confused. i always have to check my papers before i start. as my does are kiding i write down who came out first & so on. if you do have one that is backwards or upside down you can always do a revised tattoo to adga.


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

We all have those moments. 

Before I had kids born I contacted all 3 registries to make sure my herdname and tattoo would work. I originally wanted Sweet Gum Minis but couldn't get that so SGM it became. I was going to use SGM for my tattoo but it had to be SGM1 to work with all 3 registries. Just remember it has to be the same with all 3 to be valid.


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## laststraw (Oct 7, 2007)

Hmmm... I checked and our girls are tattooed backwards! The year/birth # is on the right and the herd ID is on the left. Their paperwork lists the tattoos as they are - backwards, so I guess that's okay since it is the way they're registered and everything matches up. :? 

So, do ALL goats need to be tattooed? Or just those that are being registered and/or shown?

Do I need to tattoo the wethers before I let the new owners pick them up next weekend? I've never done it before, so I'm wondering if I'm just trying to shirk out of it... I've read the process several times, I just never like to cause my animals any pain if I can avoid it.

Thanks! ~ Erin


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

All that matters is that the tattoos on the goat match what it says on the paperwork. 

A lot of breeders do not tattoo their kids, if they choose to show a specific goat or someone buys a kid and chooses to show then the person can tattoo the goat. I personally tattoo them all. Easier to keep up with who has been tattooed than who hasn't. I have had to tattoo several adult goats and its much easier to tattoo a kid, but its not that hard to tattoo an adult either.

I would say its up to you. Like I said, I do tattoo all of mine now, but I didn't use to. I use to have unregistered goats who didn't have tattoos anyway. All of our goats now are registered so we do tattoo all kids.


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## fritzie (Oct 6, 2007)

i do all mine except last year i know i was going to have to ship the buck kids so i did not reg them or tattoo them. it depends on what you are going to do with them. but if you are going to regestar them then you have to put it on there papers. like sweet gums said it is alot easier to do a kid than an adult.


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