Ear tags that stay put

[The Big Cowhuna]

I'm raising Angus cattle and the association rules state that the cattle must be permanently identified by cold or hot brand or through an ear tattoo. My wife dislikes branding, so I chose the tattoo method. My secondary identification method is just basic ear tagging. It's unfortunate, but sometimes the cows lose their tags. It's not a huge deal as the tattoo is still there, but it's become more of a hassle. When I first started out I didn't have many cows, so if a tag went missing it was easy to figure out its number and to make a new tag. Now that my operations have grown, this is becoming more cumbersome. I need those tags because it allows me to quickly identify the cow from far off. It's particularly useful to know the year the cow was born. Have you had better luck? If so, please let me know which tags stay put so I can switch.

 

[Jonny B Goode]

All I can can say is either find a more secure way to affix the tags, or just do away with them since you have the tattoo's. The only other option is to do what the wife doesn't like. You said you're growing. That's good. Sometimes with growth you have to change the way you do things and, sometimes, do things you particularly don't like to do. It is what it is.