Tattooing a goat is common among farmers and breeders for various reasons. The main reason is for the identification and tracking of the animal. Here are a few reasons why tattooing a goat is important:
- Identification: A tattoo is a permanent and easy way for farmers and breeders to identify individual goats. By tracking their animals, they can keep accurate records of purebred goats’ health, breeding, and performance—often used for showing or breeding purposes.
- Record Keeping: Tattoos are a helpful way to record important information about goats, including vaccinations and breeding details. These records help you make informed decisions about the animal’s health or whether to breed it with other members of its species.
- Disease control: It can also be used as a way to control and prevent the spread of diseases. Farmers can quickly identify sick goats to treat or remove those too far from their herds by placing individual animals.
- Herd Management: Tattooing a goat can also be used as a management tool, including identifying breeding stock (so that you know who’s in heat and who isn’t), tracking the breeding cycle, and determining which doe gave birth to each fawn.
- Showing and Sale: Tattoos are also commonly used to indicate that an animal is purebred or registered, which can affect its value. In addition to identifying the animal, tattoos can also mean the animal’s breed and registration number, which can be helpful in showing and sales.
A professional does tattooing on both the inner ear. It is a relatively simple and painless procedure for the goat, and it should not cause harm as long as an experienced person does it, and proper care is taken during and after the procedure.
In conclusion, tattooing a goat is an important practice for farmers and breeders for identification, record keeping, disease control, herd management, and showing and sales. It provides a permanent and reliable way to identify and track individual animals, which can help to improve herd health and management.
Sarah Lane has been a farm wife since 2010 and mother of two children for nearly as long. She and her husband, Jonathan, live on a small farm in Texas where they raise dairy goats and beef cattle as well as chickens for eggs and meat. In addition to growing their own hay, straw and garden produce, the Lane family works with other nearby farms to source organic grain from which they make artisan bread sold at local farmer’s market.
