Goat Identification

Soon Daisy and her sisters, Bella and Rosey will be sporting green ears. No, the leprechauns have not come to town. Rather, it has been 9 weeks and the girls need to visit the Rexroat's tattoo parlor. Didn't know we ran one. Well, we do. It's an exclusive club for goats only. Every eligible young buck and maiden strolls through and comes out with green ink smeared ears and a number/letter identification all their own.

No, it isn't because I can't tell them apart. I'm not that dense. They have distinct personalities and markings being Nubians. But, I did have some trouble with the all white Saanens we use to raise. I would often put different colored collars on them to be able to quickly tell them apart.

When the girls are tattooed, I'll send in the paper work to the American Dairy Goat Association for registration. Time to say goodbye to one or two of these little ones whom I've grown very attached to.

But before the tattoo parlor can open, we have to first clean the equipment. Yup, big no, no, we  just put it away, smeared in tattoo ink. All that green ink had dried and stuck to the plates. that's where the empty windshield washer container comes in. Kirk cut it in half and put corroborator cleaner inside with the tattoo number and letter plates. After a good soaking, they cleaned easily with soap/water and a small brush.

Then after a good washing with dish soap and hot water, I poured boiling water over them twice and let them soak, then drained ou the water in between. Now we are ready to do the terrible deed.  

The herd initials go in one ear and in the other the designated letter for the year. This year it is C and then what birth order the kid is. For example, HKR for our herd identification. In the other ear, C 1 for Bella who was born first, C 2 doe Daisy, and C 3 for Rosey.

Luckily, the whole thing will be over in a matter of minutes.