Most show pigs are individually identified using a universal system known as ear notching. Students attention will be captured by looking at different types of identification documents that we use in our everyday lives. Ear notching is a simple and handy method to identify animals individually from a distance. Proper way to ear notch pigs university of nebraskalincoln. Start over with number i at the beginning of each year. Each pig will have different notches in the left ear. Production cycle of swine uc davis western institute for. Proper pistol grip navy seal teaches how to grip a pistol duration. Here is a good resource page to help with the ear notching system. I think i could probably still ear notch in my sleep. What is the universal swine identification system called.
V oc ab u l ar y ear notcher a tool that makes a v shaped notch by cutting an ear, used for identifying animals. If you do not have a herd mark, you must obtain one from the national swine. The litter mark ear is divided into five sections, and each section has a numerical value, either 1, 3, 9, 27, or 81 figure 2. Learning to read ear notches is a valuable tool, not only for identifying animals but because reading ear notches is a. The standard ear notch system will consist of a standard set of numbers and notches located in specific areas. Pig pro to make recording staff skills simple and robust best of 2015 cute funny animals perfect chart to use when talking about identification in animals. Universal swine ear notching system chart extension dodge. Meanwhile the 3 notch is located on the side of the ear close to the tip. See more ideas about pig ears, animal science and livestock judging. H youth development ear notching is a very traditional method of identification in swine in which pigs are identified based on their. Still holding the pig, but now using the cutting edge of the. Only pigs have ear notching because they can rip out the tags.
It is done for a variety of reasons including verification of ownership, biosecurity control, and tracking for research or agricultural purposes. Universal ear notching system g1880 proper way to ear notch pigs scott e. It is also essential to notch each pig differently. Newborn baby pigs are prime candidates for ear notching, as they will need it for identification purposes from a very young age. The left ear is divided into three sections, with values of 1, 3, and 9. Reference guide for ear notching in swine purdue extension. Ear notching universal ear notching system must be used to identify purebred hogs.
There are variations in systems, but all of them identify a pig by litter number and individual pig number. Swine housing requirements swine home study course penn. H youth development ear notching is a very traditional method of identification in swine in which pigs are identified based on their birth order within a given farrowing. Ear notching is done on both ears, with the location and number of notches signifying different things. Be it for a 4h project or for commercial purposes, it benefits anyone involved in the swine industry to have a handle on the universal ear notching system. Right ear is used for litter mark and all pigs in same litter must have the same ear notches in the ear. Nov 15, 2015 demonstration of ear notching a pig with the ear notch 831. Tattooing and ear notching techniques farmers weekly. This is a quiz called pig ear notching and was created by member unionffa. Usda backtags only when used on swine moving in slaughter channels.
Ear notching, with breed registration acceptable if accompanied by documentation listing the breed registration number pending registrations are not acceptable. Ear notching home montgomery county public schools. Lesson 4 group activity instructions advisors guide ear. Students will be able to utilize their notes to correctly paint their paper mache pigs per specific breed standards given by the instructor and learn how to ear notch after being given their litter number and birth order using an ear notcher. As smallscale producers, you probably wont want to invest in stateoftheart facilities. The simplest method and the one recommended by most breed associations is ear notching.
If you have a backup animal, you will need to submit this information for that animal as well. Each section, except for 81, can have 1 or 2 notches only. Proper way to ear notch pigs university of nebraska. The key to successfully notching pigs lies in putting the notches in the right locations. I will get hubby to scan the official berkshire ear notching system into my computer and try to email it to you over the weekend. Ear notching is an ear marking system that allows each piglet to be individually marked, and if done correctly the marks are clearly visible throughout the life of. Earnotching helps identify a pigs litter and which pig in the litter it is, giving each pig a unique identity number. Ear notching can also be used in other animal species, but it is not utilized as widely as it is in the swine industry. To develop a number, use the pig ear notching tool to make notches in different parts of the ear in such a way that their numerical values will add up to the desired number. If a pig has a notch cut close to his head on the bottom of both his left ear and his right ear, his number is.
Tamworth ear notching system guide for showing location and value of ear notches for marking litters and individual pigs. Universal ear notching system swine home study course. Objectives explain the importance of identification of swine. The pigs left ear is used to show individual identification for each pig in the litter. Piglets may undergo a battery of procedures during the first few days or weeks of life, potentially including toothclipping, tail docking, castration, and ear notching or another identification method such as tagging or tattooing. You must participate in the clark county 4h skillathonproject judging to complete your project. Notches are placed in one of five locations in the pig s ear. Please complete the diagram above with the correct notching. Pig ear notchers stone manufacturing company swine. Students will be introduced to different methods of swine identification, with an emphasis on the universal ear notching system. If the participant exceeds 5 minutes please ask them to stop and calculate the points that they have completed. If your competing in a showmen contest with your show pig, it is critical to understand your pig s ear notch. The left ear is used for notches to show an individual pig s number in the litter.
The notches, symbolizing specific numbers, are added together for each ear and then read starting with the litter number. Left ear pig number the left ear is the pig s specific number. I ordered the baby pig notcher after call the company for more information. Ear notching is a very traditional method of identification in swine in which pigs are identified based on their birth order within a given farrowing. Each pig in a litter will have a different notch in the left right ear litter number the right ear is the litter number and all pigs of the litter will have the same notch in the right ear.
Mar 20, 2014 tattooing and ear notching are widely used techniques to mark livestock. Ear notching figure 1 ear notching is widely used in the swine industry as a system of animal identification. Reese, extension swine specialist this publication is designed to serve as a guide in notching pigs and for reference in conducting a training. Right ear left ear litter number pig number figure 1. How to read a show pigs ear notches show barn supplies. Ear notching introduction why do we use animal identification. For instance, pig 234 was born in the 23rd litter, and was the 4th pig.
Ear notches ear notching is done on new born baby pigs for the purpose of identification. Ear notching both commercial swine and show pigs are individually identified using a universal system known as ear notching. Using the other hand to operate the specific tool the ears can be notched in a pattern corresponding to the litter right ear and pig left ear. Also as critical is the ability to read an ear notch while in the show ring in case the judge ask you to switch pigs while competing. Universal ear notching system each ear is divided into four parts. For instance, pig 234 was born in the 23rd litter, and was the 4th pig identified.
The national swine registry will be operating with limited staff and providing only critical inoffice services beginning tuesday, march 24, 2020 until tuesday, april 7, 2020. This also offers an opportune time for identification. All swine exhibitors are required to submit a diagram of their hogs ear notching. Breeding hogs must be ear notched for identification purposes. Identify pigs by ear notching revised by craig painter and jason l. Left ear is used for notches to show individual pig number in the litter. History of swine production history of swine ancestors asia and europe 25 million years ago domestication 6,000 to 8,000 bc biblical accounts ancestors of todays domestic pigs european wild boar pigs of chinese origin european wild boar characteristics of swinechinese pig how did pigs get to the north america and the usa. In each of the four areas, you can have up to 2 notches. Owners herd mark print your herd mark in the designated box.
Ear notching for identification pig forum the forum. Using an ear notcher, producers are able to make small notches in the pigs ear that represent a universal code that is used by most all pig producers. All pigs in the same litter should have the same ear notch in the right ear. Ear notching requires a degree of practice, confident animal handling skills, good eyesight and a steady hand. G1880 proper way to ear notch pigs clemson university. Ear notching grades 78 pre algebra o b je c ti ve s students identify procedures used to ear notch pigs and then read the ear notches to determine the pigs litter number and individual number. Ear notching junior swine equipment id instructions have write each ear notch on the line under each pig head. This publication is designed to serve as a guide in notching pigs and for reference in conducting a training session at a 4h club meeting. Please refer to universal ear notching key for details of notching system. Ear notching is the practice of cutting a small usually triangular section out of the edge of a pig s ear in order to identify the owner of that pig, similar to branding of horses and cows. Universal ear notching system certified pedigreed swine. While requiring a significant capital investment, this type of system relies on quantity and maximum efficiency to raise pigs as inexpensively as possible. The pig s right ear denotes the litter number and the left ear identifies the pig number. Whereas ear tags may be lost or damaged, ear notching remains in place to provide a unique identification for each animal.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Explain the equipment needed and the safety procedures to follow when ear notching swine. Foam circles foam rectangles to cut ears out of googlie eyes. Each has its own advantages, disadvantages, application techniques and specific uses. Commercially, largescale swine producers raise pigs indoors in very large, climatecontrolled buildings. Tattooing is a marking technique in which a permanent mark is placed in an unobtrusive area such as on the ear of an animal. Lesson 4 group activity instructions advisors guide ear notching. Within the first two weeks of a baby piglets life, name one of the five steps that should be done to maintain a healthy animal. Im all ears understanding the universal earnotching. Notches are placed in one of five locations in the pigs ear. Identify pigs by ear notching college of agricultural.
Pen mates not notched maybe attracted to the bloody notches and start ear biting. It also allows for a producer to cull if there appear to be problems in a particular litter, and to identify outstanding litters. As noted in figure 1, the right ear designates litter number, while the left ear indicates pig. If notching ears on older or larger pigs, it may be necessary to house them in separate pens until the notches heal. The left ear is used for notches to show individual pig number in the litter. This is the only system which will be permitted after january l, 1967 number litters consecutively for one calendar year. To further describe the universal ear notching system, pictures are required. Ear notching if the ear notching has been recorded in the book of record of a purebred registry association. Official swine tattoos issued and authorized by state or federal animal health officials on swine moving in slaughter channels.
The successful manager clips the needle teeth and navel cords as soon after birth as possible. Please see instructions on back of page for information on identifying. I purchased this to mark some of my three week old pigs. Most common form of animal identification for swine also used for sheep and cattle. This standard operating procedure sop provides advice on the safe administration of permanent marking of mammals using ear notching. Because of this, ear notching has become a preferred means of pig identification. Avoid making notches too shallow, as they may become hard to read or possibly heal.
There are variations in systems, but each identifies the animal by an individual number expressed in the relative positions of a combination of notches in the ear rim. The right ear is used for litter mark, and all pigs in the same litter must have the same ear notches in this ear. Ear tags are often used in conjunction with ear notches in a breeding herd. Typically, the notch indents from the edge of the ear by 0. Ear notching is a permanent method of pig identification. Welfare implications of teeth clipping, tail docking and. Swine ear notching worksheet montgomery county schools. Both commercial swine and show pigs are individually identified using a universal system known as ear notching. To know the importance of ear notching in pig identification to identify equipment used in notching pigs to know the safety precautions when ear notching to know the quadrant values on a pigs ear to be able to correctly read ear notches materials.
The pigs right ear denotes the litter number and the left ear identifies the pig number. The notches from the right and left ear should combine to give each pig a unique identification number. Processing may include teeth clipping, ear notching, tail docking, and administering supple mental iron. Ear notching system the key 27 right right ear litter number left ear pig number litter mark. Swine ear notching pig litter mates importance of the topic identification of litter mates is important to help swine producers determine if the dam and sire are producing fast gaining meat type hogs. Animal identification using a means of marking is a process done to identify and track specific animals. Standard notches in the pig s right ear are the 1 notch located on the bottom of the ear near the pig s head. The 14 represents a pig from the 14th litter and the 6 represents the 6th pig within the 14th litter.
Earnotching helps identify a pig s litter and which pig in the litter it is, giving each pig a unique identity number. To notch pigs properly, one must know the identity of each notch and its proper location. Proper way to ear notch pigs extensionpublications. The notches in a pig s left ear indicate the animals. After notching, an individual pig s identification would be read as something like 146.
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