RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION
Free RFID tags available to Idaho producers Information courtesy of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has received a limited number of no-cost Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ear tags to distribute to Idaho-accredited veterinarians and to cattle and bison producers for use in replacement breeding cattle. The tags are offered as an alternative to the official calfhood vaccination (OCV) tags, which are orange, and the metal “brite” tags, which are silver. ISDA is encouraging veterinarians
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LINE RIDER JANUARY 2022
and producers to order RFID tags while they are still available free of charge. ISDA’s allotment, which includes white and orange RFID tags, is available for order immediately. Producers may order white RFIDs for their breeding herd by completing the RFID tag order form. Orange RFID vaccination tags are available to accredited veterinarians only. Producers who wish to transition to electronic identification should notify their herd veterinarian prior to vaccinating/testing their herd.
RFID READER RENTAL PROGRAM
ISDA has developed a reader rental program that allows producers to utilize RFID technology without the added expense of purchasing an RFID wand. ISDA has several Tru-Test EID stick readers available that connect easily (via Bluetooth) to Apple and Android smartphones. The readers allow herd owners and managers to rapidly view individual animal data, capture management information and upload data to a smartphone, tablet or computer.
www.idahocattle.org
