Microchip for livestock, would you?

secuono

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Considering offering microchipping for my lambs from next spring onward.

Most people want them as pets, so seems like a fair guess they may also want them chipped in case a tag is lost and need extra security verifying sheep identity and ownership.

Chipping is pretty common here at least.

My two geldings are chipped and I'll be doing my two minis soon as well as my barn kittens.

This is what I used on my LGD puppies & would be using it on the others.
https://www.microchipidsystems.com/product/pro-id-standard-microchip/

I would buy the heavy duty scanner to prove the lambs are chipped.

Manufacturers pricing-
$8 chip alone.
$23 lifetime reg + chip.

I would do pricing as follows-
$9 chip alone.
$25 lifetime reg + chip.
Just a touch more to help eventually pay for the scanner, which would take forever, lol, but that's okay.

What do you guys think?
 

Goat Whisperer

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I have a goat that is chipped, but personally I don't do it.

I like tattooing best. You don't have to rely on scanners and it is immediate. You just need to tattoo good and it will last the life of the goat. With goats you do the ears or tail. Not sure you could do a sheeps tail though. Don't know about their ears?
 

secuono

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Can cut an ear off, that's why dogs, cats and horses are tattooed on the thigh or lip.

My sheep are too woolly for a tattoo in the ear and with black sheep, can't see it, even green ink.
 

Southern by choice

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Personally I do not care for chips.
Another thing that no one wants to really report on long term issues and the statistics behind it... cancer, tumors... just sayin'.
Having the appropriate reader is also important. Not all readers read all chips.

Black sheep or black skin - doesn't matter if doing raised tattoos then you can always see it regardless of color.
 

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So far, haven't had a pet react to a chip. But do have a cat who grew a tiny lump from vet injection when it moved from under neck skim to rump muscle. I've been watching it, no change, over a year. Vet wanted over 1k to start for diagnostics, when they caused it and knew it would! I asked about a lump in that area and what it might be, they said a vaccine there usually causes issues......but they do it anyway....what???

Anywho, colt got a chip after his castration, she didn't clean the site, it swelled a bit. Fine now.

Haven't found much info on chips causing issues. But if anyone has solid independent studies and not loonies posting w/e happens to be on their minds at the moment, then I'd love to read them. Very hard to find truth through all the net madness these days.... =/
 
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Goat Whisperer

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Not trying to be argumentative here, but how would tattooing cut the ear off? I understand it might not work for you in your situation but if you are using the standard clamp tattoo set and the animal is restrained you aren't going to cut the ear off.
 

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