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Cattle Ear Tags in Canada: Approved Tags vs Visual Management Tags

What the CFIA rule on approved cattle tags says, where approved tags come from, and how the Z Tags visual management tags we list fit alongside them.

Two kinds of tag go in the ears of Canadian cattle, and they do different jobs. One is the approved tag that the federal traceability rules require. The other is the visual management tag you write or stamp a number on so you can tell animals apart at the feed ground, in the calving barn or in the alley. This guide sets out what the rules say, quoting the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and where the Z Tags visual tags we list fit.

Key takeaways

  • The CFIA rule: "Cattle, bison and sheep need to be identified with an approved tag before leaving their farm of origin."
  • Approved tags are bought through the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) or a dealer on its approved list.
  • The Z Tags we list are visual management tags (blank, printed or number-stamped). None of them is sold as an approved tag, so they go in alongside the approved tag, not instead of it.
  • Each tag style has its own applicator. Match the tagger to the tag before tagging day.

What does the federal rule require?

The CFIA's requirements page for livestock producers, which applies Part XV (Animal Identification) of the Health of Animals Regulations, starts with the core rule: "Cattle, bison and sheep need to be identified with an approved tag before leaving their farm of origin."

If you cannot tag safely at home, the same page says: "You can move your cattle or bison to an approved tagging site to be identified." You bring the approved tags with the animals.

It also limits which approved tags you can use: "You may only apply approved tags that have been issued to your site." When you put a new approved tag in an animal you received untagged, the page lists the records to keep (the new tag's number and enough information to trace the animal's origin) and says: "You must keep these records for a minimum of two years."

Sheep are in the same rule, so the small-animal visual tags below are also a management tag, not a substitute for the approved one.

Where do approved tags come from?

The CCIA sells approved indicators online at tags.canadaid.ca and publishes a list of approved animal indicator dealers on canadaid.ca. Approved tags are not part of the Z Tags range we list.

What is a visual management tag for?

A visual tag carries the number you use in your own records: the calf's number at birth, a cow's herd number, or a pen or lot number in a feedlot. Because it is large and coloured, you can read it from a distance and sort animals by colour, for example by calving year or by group. The approved tag carries the national identification number; the visual tag carries yours.

Which Z Tags should I use?

Write on blanks with the Z Tags tag marking pen, and keep the multi-cutter tag removal knife for tags that have to come out.

Which applicator fits which tag?

Replacement pins for the 1PC and universal applicators and the Z2 tagger are listed on the Z Tags brand page. If you are not sure which tagger a tag needs, check the tag package or ask us before tagging day.

The other Z Tags products we list

The tags and parts below are the rest of the Z Tags range on pipestonefarmsupply.ca. Check each product page for size, colour and pack count, and use the sections above to decide which kind of tag you need.

Stamped 1-200 cow tags and Herdsman two-piece tags (visual management tags, not CCIA-approved tags) by colour:

Tag readers we list

For reading electronic tags, we also list Tru-Test readers and accessories:

Check with the reader's maker or with us that a reader suits the tags you use before you buy.

Sources: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, "Requirements for Livestock Producers: Livestock Identification and Traceability Program" (inspection.canada.ca); Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, producer page and approved indicator dealer list (canadaid.ca); Z Tags product listings at Pipestone Farm Supply. This guide summarizes the federal rules; check the CFIA and CCIA pages for the current requirements before you move animals.