NAIT Questions and Answers forum

[LongRidge]

Originally Posted by NAIT Ltd

Yes - if you have a NAIT-approved RFID tag, you can use what was the AHB primary (the yellow panel tag) as your secondary tag.

I have recently been told that absolutely no AHB tags are required, and that only one tag, the NAIT one, is now needed. Is this correct.

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by LongRidge

I have recently been told that absolutely no AHB tags are required, and that only one tag, the NAIT one, is now needed. Is this correct.

Hi Longridge - it's correct that you will no longer have to place AHB secondary ear tags on cattle and deer once the NAIT scheme comes into effect (on 1 July 2012 for cattle and 1 March 2013 for deer). Only the NAIT tag will be mandatory.

You may still wish to use other tags for management reasons, but that will be your choice. Those who use industry tracing systems, such as LIC MINDA or CRV Ambreed, should seek advice from their usual sources to find out how this change affects them.

[Jo-Otago]

Re: NAIT Questions and Answers forum
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo-Otago
Now I'm a wee bit confused
So I would be better just to order 25 TRAKA tags to use as my RFID primaries to pair up with my existing numbered AHB panel tags?
Yes

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo-Otago
Why is this better than ordering the (appropriately matching) numbered birth ID tags?
So it will be cheaper for you. You only need to buy one tag not two. Link the traka tag number to your existing visual panel tag.


BUT surely I don't need to buy two tags if I order the Birth ID tags to match to my panel tags either?? So why would TRAKAS be cheaper?
All I want to do is order NAIT RFID primary button tags numbered 25-50 to match the panel tags that I already have numbered 25-50.
Or is it not possible to actually purchase numbered Birth ID RFID tags on their own without a panel tag?

Every time I think I have this sussed, something changes . I am going to order these damn tags on my way home tonight & all I can say is that the people at CRT had better have a good handle on it.

I'd like to think I'm not a completely stupid person, I have two university science degrees but heaven help me this whole thing is doing my head in.

[Ruth]

Originally Posted by Jo-Otago

Why is this better than ordering the (appropriately matching) numbered birth ID tags?
So it will be cheaper for you. You only need to buy one tag not two. Link the traka tag number to your existing visual panel tag.


BUT surely I don't need to buy two tags if I order the Birth ID tags to match to my panel tags either?? So why would TRAKAS be cheaper?
All I want to do is order NAIT RFID primary button tags numbered 25-50 to match the panel tags that I already have numbered 25-50.
Or is it not possible to actually purchase numbered Birth ID RFID tags on their own without a panel tag? ...

Jo, you're right, that second answer is confused. You can order NAIT RFID tags to match your existing panel tags. The pair then effectively operate much as a birth id set - at least they do if the animal was born on your place and the panel tag is yours. Otherwise while they operate like a birth id set, they aren't really quite the same.

[CEW79]

Hi. Man I'm confused . I've read most of the above posts and still don't know what I am meant to be doing except that I MUST get registered with NAIT.

Can you tell me what I should be doing please .

I have 2 x 2year old heifers, who at present have been AI'd in November and just checked Tuesday and they are both in calf. I also have 2 x Weiner calves that we purchased in December.

They all have yellow (I think, tags in their ears) except for one of my heifers who has lost hers.

Can you tell me simply what I have to do, buy etc ??? Thank you

Oh also I do have a AHB Herd number

[Sue]

For the new calves when they arrive, you will need a birth set of tags for each calf.
The visible panel tag-which can now be any colour-will have the animals number, say for arguments sake the calves will be 5 and 6. There will be a matching round white electronic tag with the 'set' which goes in the right ear.
When you buy the tags you should also get a bit of paper which gives you the full electonic number of the NAIT tag-but the number will include the 5 or 6 at the end, which matches the panel tag, it will have your AHB number, and then lots of other numbers! You'll also need the new tagging pliers to put the fatter electronic (NAIT) tags in.

If the Dec weaners do not already have round white tags in their ears, you will need Traka tags for them too. These will be required when the animals leave your property in the future, either to be sold or go to the works. Easier to put them in while small.
The one that has lost her tag only needs a NAIT tag in the future, so it is up to you if you want to replace her missing panel tag as well.

For your original cows, after July 1 they will also need NAIT tags, in addition to the ones they already have. As these cows were not born on your property you can just put in Traka tags-which you buy singly (not as a set with a panel tag)


So you will need
2 x birth set of numbered and NAIT tags for the expected calves
2 x Traka tags random numbers for your expectant cows
2 x traka tags for the 4 mth olds if they haven't already got them

when you order, be sure to give the supplier your AHB number, and remember to get the electronic numbers for each tag.
Register on the NAIT website as well! This is where you will record the movements, tags you have etc.
Look up the Allflex website to see the range of tags available as well!

[CEW79]

Thanks very much for that Sue, I have printed it out and will now go and digest it

It does my head in

[kindajojo]

So once the NAIT system is up and running what is going to happen to AHB as it seems that their function is somewhat redundant

I have retagged 60% of my herd of ten....still have the bull and the crazy highland to go, that may be a bit of a mission.

Now the issue I had with ordering Nait tags to match the existing big number AHB was that I could not order the older numbers, as NAIT numbers, as Allflex's computer system had they had already been issued those numbers - I think this is an Allflex ordering issue and there must be an override but not in my lifetime?

The Traka tags blurb indicated these were the like the direct to slaughter tags so I was not sure they were suitable if in time I on sold an animal
So it was easier to just order new set and re-number my large herd


Bit of a job of you have a few hundred animals...

[Sue]

Well I have got 30 to retag and have got Traka tags with my AHB number and other random numbers on them!

They will go in to all cows sold after 1st July when they leave the property-and as most will be going on their last ride at that stage-they will be as Direct to slaughter tags!
However, as most of them still have 2 AHB tags in their ears and some also a brass tag as well, I will leave tagging until they leave, or until the 3 years grace for capital stock is up!

All the 2 year olds and younger already have NAIT tags as a 'birth set' and I will use a Trakka tag to replace any that get lost. One weaner bull has already ripped his out from the centre inside of his ear-splitting it in two-and I found the tag too-beside a barred (not mesh) gate.

I've now got all my tag numbers in full-from Allflex on a spread sheet and just write beside the tag number the ID panel tag number of the cow and her purchaser/destination when she goes.
The unused Traka tag numbers will just get matched with a cow panel tag number when she is NAIT tagged.

Remembering of course all my cows are pedigree registered as well, so their tag number has to correspond with the herd number on the breed register. Thank goodness our Breed Society has now dropped tattooing as a means of identification of pedigree animals as there are not enough ears to contain tags and tattoos!

[Rangira]

Originally Posted by Kate

So...any questions?

I have purchased approx 80 weaners over the last few months. I guess most have a NAIT trakka tag in one ear and some other type of old number tag in other. How am I going to read these NAIT tags pls?t
I will need to record the NAIT numbers in July. I am worried to think I am going to have to get each one into a head bale, which they hate and won't stand still and try and read these minute, lengthy numbers. I don't believe calf rearers are going to want to buy the matching birth pair of numbers either. They are going to want to tag as cheaply as possible. Why isn't the NAIT system designed for both those with readers and those without. Why isn't it mandatory that animals are tagged with the small reader button and then a large, easily read tag for those without readers. This appears as if it will be an ongoing nightmare for beef rearers. Am I correct in my thinking? I wonder how such a tagging system has got past OSH. Has it been designed by someone at a desk who doesn't know what it's like to ask a cattle beast to hold it's head still while I stand on my head with a magnifying glass to read a button embedded in a furry ear?

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by Ruth

How will primary and secondary tags work from now and from 1 July? Which is the approved primary now and then? Is/will a secondary (be) required?

From 1 July, farmers will no longer have to use official Animal Health Board (AHB) secondary ear tags on cattle when the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme comes into effect on 1 July 2012 . Official secondary tags will no longer be required for deer when they join the scheme on 1 March 2013.

However, existing official ear tags should not be removed from stock , and in fact farmers may still wish to use other visual tags for management reasons. Those who use industry tracing systems, such as LIC MINDA or CRV Ambreed, should seek advice from their usual sources to find out how the change affects them.

From 1 July, farmers will still have the option of purchasing linked ear tag sets, comprising an electronic NAIT tag and a matching visual panel secondary tag. This will allow them to identify animals by sight via the secondary tag. Any secondary visual panel tag will be for a farmer's own on-farm purposes and not compulsory as part of the NAIT scheme.

Please find the NAIT e-news on the updated tagging rules here:
http://scnem.com/a.php?sid=2zeg4.11b...g4.11bt8gt,p=1

Please find a flyer summerizing the tagging requirements here:
http://www.nait.co.nz/assets/Uploads...ts.March.3.pdf

Please find the AHB media release on the updated tagging requirements here:
http://tbfree.org.nz/Publications-ne...item/xmid/5275

[Rangira]

Will NAIT have readers available, for loan or hire, to those who won't want to be purchasing a reader. And how much will readers cost pls?

[LongRidge]

I understand that sale yards, stock agents and freezing works must have readers, so they will tell you which animals they have received. They will then go off your list and onto the next owners list.
NAIT, am I correct?

[Ruth]

Having maintained for some time that small farmers will not need a reader, the removal of the required individually numbered visual tag does rather change things.

Those of us who breed animals and choose to continue using visual (panel) tags, will not need readers if we maintain our own records of the tag/chip numbers. But it is looking a bit more complicated for those of you who buy in animals, probably with only the mandatory NAIT tag and no other visual identification for each individual.

[Ronney]

Originally Posted by NAIT Ltd

The scheme costs are recovered by a levy on NAIT RFID tags bought (currently $1.10) and a slaughter levy ($1.35 from 1 July 2012) on every NAIT animal slaughtered at a processing plant. These levies equate to around $2.50 over the life of an animal.

Really? I would suggest that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Using provisional figures for beef and dairy cattle in the 2009-10 year, any scheme that requires nearly $11,000,000 to "recover" costs should never have been allowed to get off the ground. And that figure is only the tag levy. For a supposed non-profit making organisation this isn't bad money at all and as somebody being bulldozed into contributing to it, I should like to know just where that money is going.

Originally Posted by Ruth

Having maintained for some time that small farmers will not need a reader, the removal of the required individually numbered visual tag does rather change things.

Those of us who breed animals and choose to continue using visual (panel) tags, will not need readers if we maintain our own records of the tag/chip numbers. But it is looking a bit more complicated for those of you who buy in animals, probably with only the mandatory NAIT tag and no other visual identification for each individual.

Just further down the same iceberg! One can either pay twice so they can have a visual tag or buy an expensive reader. This is a very cheap scheme you understand

From talking to stock agents and large and small farmers, this is going to be a nightmare. Half can't get there heads around the complicated, convoluted and confusing rules and are over it with the result that cattle are tagged but nothing is imputted to the NAIT data base - and nor will it be as they have better things to do, like earning a living. Stock agents are tearing their hair out because they know nothing is going to match. The other half may or may not do something about it at some time. In short, before it's even started everybody is over it, the time the cost and the uselessness. As one chap said, he would rather donate the $1,000 plus it's going to cost to retag his cattle, to cancer where the money might be put to better use. It's hard not to agree.

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by Rangira

I have purchased approx 80 weaners over the last few months. I guess most have a NAIT trakka tag in one ear and some other type of old number tag in other. How am I going to read these NAIT tags pls?t

This is a transitional issue ? after 1 July, newborn animals will be tagged and registered with NAIT before they move. Our advice in this situation is to check one animal to see if they have traka tags or birth tags. If they have birth tags, then the visual tags will match. If they have traka tags, the easiest way to read the electronic tags will be with a tag reader.

[Ruth]

So yes, all farmers, large and small, lifestylers or not, will need to purchase or have access to a reader. My apologies to all who read my previous opinion that having a reader would be unnecessary. I did not understand at that time that the panel tag would become optional and so the birth id set would not necessarily be present. I no longer feel anywhere near as optimistic about NAIT as I previously did.

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by Rangira

Will NAIT have readers available, for loan or hire, to those who won't want to be purchasing a reader. And how much will readers cost pls?

NAIT will not offer readers for loan or hire, but there are other options for people who do not wish to purchase a reader. This includes tagging newborn animals with a matching secondary visual/panel tag (as part of a ?birth set?) at the same time that they are tagged with NAIT RFID tags. For existing stock that already have visual/panel tags, the visual tags can be linked to NAIT RFID tags in the NAIT system. You can then record movements against the visual tag number in the system.

It?s also important to note that when sending an animal to a NAIT-accredited entity, such as an accredited sale yard or accredited meat processor, the accredited entity will record the movement in the NAIT system for you ? meaning that you won?t have to read the NAIT RFID tag on the animal. See the NAIT website for the register of NAIT-accredited entities.

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by LongRidge

I understand that sale yards, stock agents and freezing works must have readers, so they will tell you which animals they have received. They will then go off your list and onto the next owners list.
NAIT, am I correct?

When sending an animal to a NAIT-accredited entity, such as an accredited sale yard or accredited meat processor, the accredited entity will record the movement in the NAIT system for you ? you won?t have to do anything, provided the animal has been tagged with an approved NAIT tag. See the NAIT website for the register of NAIT-accredited entities. When an animal is sent to a sale yard or meat processor that is not accredited, you will still need to record the movement in the NAIT system.

[Rangira]

Referring back to the NAIT reply that the Tags would be read by accredited receivers-the list only has 10 of these entities listed . The big sale yards don't appear on the list??? So how is that supposed to work?

[Rangira]

A reply to the NAIT statement that the problem of trying to read the tags of bought in cattle with only one tag is a transitional issue.....if I buy 30 angus heifers - all identical, and I buy 10 from one seller and 20 from another. OK i am going to get a list of cattle bought but How am I going to know what tag number belongs to what beast? If an animal should get out and, say wander, how am I going to know which animal it is. This NAIT tagging system has not been thought through.

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by Rangira

Referring back to the NAIT reply that the Tags would be read by accredited receivers-the list only has 10 of these entities listed . The big sale yards don't appear on the list??? So how is that supposed to work?

The list of accredited entities is continuing to grow and a number of the large sale yard operators are currently going through the accreditation process.

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by Rangira

A reply to the NAIT statement that the problem of trying to read the tags of bought in cattle with only one tag is a transitional issue.....if I buy 30 angus heifers - all identical, and I buy 10 from one seller and 20 from another. OK i am going to get a list of cattle bought but How am I going to know what tag number belongs to what beast? If an animal should get out and, say wander, how am I going to know which animal it is. This NAIT tagging system has not been thought through.

Hi Rangira ? in this situation you would need to read the tags on the other animals to identify which animal is missing. As mentioned above, if the animals have been tagged with birth sets (i.e. an RFID tag and a matching visual tag) you could read the visual tag, or you can read the number on the RFID tag although this can often be difficult. If there is no visual tag, the easiest way to read the electronic tag will be with a tag reader.

[Furball]

I have a question regarding NAIT tags and how they apply to animals intended for homekill, as this doesn't seem to be clear from reading the NAIT site.

Ok. Here are the scenarios:

I have 4 steers. None of them have NAIT tags right now.

Steer1 is due to be homekilled in June, but because the homekill guy is popular and often overbooked, he might not get round to doing the kill until July which is when NAIT becomes mandatory. Does Steer1 need a NAIT tag?

Steers 2 and 3 will be homekilled in the next 3 years - i.e. within the 3-year "grace" period that NAIT states that adult animals don't need a NAIT tag. There is 0% chance of them being offsold or sent to works - they are for homekilling only.
Do Steer2 and Steer3 need a NAIT tag?

Steer4 will be homekilled outside the 3-year grace period. Again, there is 0% chance of it being worksed. Does Steer4 need a NAIT tag?

(Ok, I know that in life circumstances change, a volcano may erupt under my block and I might suddenly have to send all my animals to the works, in which case I would of course need to apply NAIT tags to them as soon as I intend them to leave my block, but for the scenarios above, assume that the animals do not leave the block until they have already been shot in the head)

[NAIT Ltd]

Originally Posted by Furball

I have a question regarding NAIT tags and how they apply to animals intended for homekill, as this doesn't seem to be clear from reading the NAIT site.

Ok. Here are the scenarios:

In relation to homekill for the next three years, if the animal does not leave the property alive, they will not need a NAIT-approved RFID tag so the answers to your questions are:

Originally Posted by Furball

I have 4 steers. None of them have NAIT tags right now.

Steer1 is due to be homekilled in June, but because the homekill guy is popular and often overbooked, he might not get round to doing the kill until July which is when NAIT becomes mandatory. Does Steer1 need a NAIT tag?

NO, if killed on the property.

Originally Posted by Furball

Steers 2 and 3 will be homekilled in the next 3 years - i.e. within the 3-year "grace" period that NAIT states that adult animals don't need a NAIT tag. There is 0% chance of them being offsold or sent to works - they are for homekilling only.
Do Steer2 and Steer3 need a NAIT tag?

NO, if killed on the property.

Originally Posted by Furball

Steer4 will be homekilled outside the 3-year grace period. Again, there is 0% chance of it being worksed. Does Steer4 need a NAIT tag?

(Ok, I know that in life circumstances change, a volcano may erupt under my block and I might suddenly have to send all my animals to the works, in which case I would of course need to apply NAIT tags to them as soon as I intend them to leave my block, but for the scenarios above, assume that the animals do not leave the block until they have already been shot in the head)

Yes. Any existing animals after the 3 year exemption period ends will need to have an RFID tag applied to it and registered with NAIT as being on that property. You will also have the obligation to record the animal as a death at such time when it killed as homekill so NAIT knows the animal no longer exists.