Lamb Marking and Calf Marking: Products to Make Marking as Quick and Easy as Possible

It’s approaching the time of the year when many farmers are marking lambs or calves.

This is always a busy day on farm, and products that make marking as quick and easy as possible in both cases are important.

Lamb Marking

The tail removal process for the prevention of flystrike is now a lot easier with the Gas Cutter or “Gas Flame Heated Searing Iron.”  We stock the Te Pari Rotating Anvil Gas Cutter which seals or cauterises the skin after the tail is removed, is easy to use, and requires only a portable 8.5-kilogram barbecue gas bottle.

The tail is cut at the third joint to enable the animal to continue to effectively twitch their tail to keep flies away.  The gas cutter is surrounded by a cast iron “wind block” when not in use which keeps the cutter hot enough to remove the tail in one cut.  A wire brush is also used to keep the gas cutter clean as lamb marking progresses.

Farmers of course always avoid lamb marking in muddy conditions and use a standard disinfectant to clean equipment between marking each lamb to prevent the bacteria that cause arthritis getting into the bloodstream of the animal through broken skin.  Farmers also often administer vaccines as part of the lamb marking process, so that the animal receives all preventative treatments at the one time.  We stock the Scabigard scabby mouth vaccine as well as 5 in 1 and 7 in 1 vaccine products.  The 7 in 1 vaccine protects against pulpy kidney, tetanus, black disease, swollen head in rams, malignant oedema, blackleg, cheesy gland, and erysipelas arthritis.  It also includes vitamin B12 to address deficiency where this is a problem.

We supply elastrator pliers and elastration rings as well as a range of tagging applicators, marking pliers and ear tags.  We know how frustrating it is when the tagging applicator is not up to the job and can help with the best tagging applicator and tag to suit your preferences.  If you’re keen to get started on the eID ear tags to be adopted by January 2025, the state government is also offering a seventy-five cent per tag discount for the blue electronic identification sheep ear tags this year.

We stock quality Bainbridge mulesing shears for farmers with standard Merino breeds or other non-bare breech breeds that require mulesing.  We also carry Tri-Solfen anaesthetic and antiseptic spray and Butec anti-inflammatory spray for application on lamb tailing and mulesing wounds.  For farmers looking to prevent or manage flystrike in the future, we also carry Extinosad for lice and flystrike treatment and prevention and Clik for flystrike prevention.

Calf Marking

We supply ear marking pliers as well as a range of tagging applicators and tags, including Allflex and Leader tags for cattle.  We also carry a range of elastrator pliers, including quality Bainbridge SM Bander pliers and rings, and Bainbridge LG Bander pliers and rings.

As with lambs, we supply the commonly used 5-in-1 or 7-in-1 vaccination products.  The 7 in 1 product are used to protect cattle against pulpy kidney, tetanus, black disease, blackleg, malignant oedema (a blackleg-like disease) and leptospirosis (including protecting the reproductive system and unborn calves from the L. Hardjo strain).

For any other lamb or calf marking related enquiries, please give us a call on 9651 1312 or drop in to our Moora or Yerecoin stores.