How many of us wish we could add time back into our days? For many of my customers who own and operate diversified operations, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. This problem is often exacerbated by the challenge of finding skilled labor.

E-ID tags can be helpful for cattle operations, offering accurate data collection, compliance with USDA standards and increased efficiency. They help producers manage cattle records and improve overall productivity.

If you have ever tried to recall where you wrote down a cow’s tag number or decipher pen marks on the back of your hand after a long day of processing cattle, you know the frustrations of recordkeeping. Recordkeeping isn’t always the easiest task, but it plays an important role in informing management decisions.

The usage of technology has also been utilized in the beef industry, such as with RFID tags, genomic testing and robotics. The newest technology to enter the ring is artificial intelligence (AI), which is continuing to develop for the use of facial recognition in cattle, which is being implemented, and which can contribute to a national disease animal traceability program with a developing app called CattleTracs.

E-ID tags can be a great tool for cattle producers looking for a simpler way to track data and automate inventory. They also come at a cost – around $1 to $3 or more per tag depending on the type, size and volume purchased.

Ranchers have used eartags for several decades. Tags packed with innovative technology may provide locations of cattle or notify operators when animals are reaching estrus or becoming ill.