This simple tool has been developed to fulfil a need on our own property and enable ear tags to be opened for re-using.
You can now open a herd management tag found hooked into netting or fence, and later replace it in the animal it came from. The convenience of being able to open a herd management tag found abandoned on a fence line has reduced the stress out of herd management, and benefits us financially as well. We are able to replace lost eartags promptly without the nuisance and cost of re-ordering. These savings by not purchasing additional tags will quickly recover the cost of purchasing the tool.
Watch the process of retaging a hiefer from its old tag of 116 to tag number 3 to match the milking herd.
Opportunities to use this valuable tool emerge with the sale of cull cows. Herd management tags can be removed safely, painlessly, and stored for using on next years herd replacements. This reduces the management overhead costs for livestock identification of the herd.
Extensive Field Trials have been performed while renumbering rising 2-yr olds, taking out their on-farm management numbers, and replacing them with numbers which fit into our current herd list. This system has the advantage of keeping our herd list to a compact size. The process is quick, easy and painless.
This same system works well for renumbering purchased or leased cows. Although it is recommended to use a headbale to restrain the cow, the job can easily be done in the milking shed, and a placid cow can have her new number inserted into the same pre-pierced hole.
Because eartags connect to each other in a similar manner, this tool will open most styles of tag, large and small, buttons and direct-to-slaughter bobby calf tags.
tagsavers are known to work with tags manufactured by:
Sheep, deer and pigs mostly get to use appropriately sized cow tags, so the tool is versatile for many breeds of animal, as tags are universal.
Crafted from aircraft grade aluminium by a professional engineer. Accessories are solid stainless steel. Quality this good is a rare find.
Made in New Zealand, by New Zealanders for the local and overseas markets.
We understand that this tool is likely to be bounced around in the bottom of the toolbox of the tractor as it goes down the race of the runoff (you know the one that you have been intending to get some more metal for over the last couple of years to fill in the pot holes). After being bounced on by the hammer and fencing pliers in the toolbox we will still expect this tool to be picked up and used first time. So we have not compromised on the quality of this product. Yes it may get a few dents and scratches over time, but it should still just work.
Patent applications:
