Ear Notching
 Ear notching is a permanent identification technique
used for swine, sheep and goats. It is the process of re-
moving a portion of the ear resulting in spaces or "notches"
as the animal grows. The only way that this identification
can be altered is if the animal tears the ear (or a portion of it)
off.
Horn Branding
 Horn branding is another type of hot branding used on
horned breeds of cattle such as the Hereford or Brahman. It
is the same as the hot branding described previously but the
horn is branded instead of the hide.
Body Sketching
 Body sketching is an identification method used almost
exclusively by the Holstein Association and other "spotted"
animal registries for identification of registered animals.
When registering an animal with their association, the
owner is given an animal outline and asked to "draw" the
animal in question. Since the color pattern born on theani-
mal remains with it for life, unchanging, this is an excellent
method of identifying spotted animals when it is done pre-
cisely and carefully.
Photographs
 Photographs are another permanent form of identifi-
cation useful for spotted animals. The pattern of the
animal's coat doesn't change throughout their lifetime so it
is an accurate method of identifying animals. Often,
though, this is not a practical method for large farmers due
to the bulk and inconvenience of carrying large quantities
of photos with them wherever they go. Many farmers,
however, do keep photos in their files as a secondary means
of identification.
Noseprinting
 Noseprinting is a method of identification used on dogs
and cattle. The noses of these animals have a unique pattern
to them not unlike the human fingerprint. Each individual
nose is different from all others.
 Since this is a fairly complicated (and often expensive)
method of identification and requires the use of special
training and/or a computer with a specialized program, this
technique is normally reserved for use by certain breed
associations or for very valuable animals.
Electronic Technology
 The new computer age has affected all phases of the live-
stock industry including identification. Some livestock
owners, especially those in the horse industry, are now
putting this new technology to use. They are using glass-
encased bio-medical microchips the size of a pencil lead
that are preprogrammed with unique and unalterable
identification codes. They are implanted beneath the skin
and read by a special scanner to identify livestock.
 For details on how to obtain the necessary equipment
and/or instruction on how to apply identification to your
livestock, please feel free to contact the livestock program
at the Cooperative Extension Service, phone 778-0246.


TRY WEDs NEW


THE SOFT KAISER BUN.
THE FAT TOMATOES.
THE FRESH TOPPINGS.
 THE BEEF.


 LA GRANGE

 FARMS



 Compliments of

Bob and Harriet Soffes
 and
 Family