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From the A.M.B.A. President’s Desk
To be a member in good standing, you must have a means of identifying one pig from another.
Other methods that some have suggested are implanted chips, ear notching and tattooing. The 3 cautions on these 3 methods are: 1) Most people don’t have a chip reader and that could break chain of custody, making the hogs unidentifiable and potentially requiring we drop hogs from the herd book. 2) Most buyers don’t want those ears altered, at all! 3) Because of the Meishans black pigment, tattoos don’t really work.
There is no AMBA requirement on this as long as it meets the requirement of identifying one pig from another. However, ‘840’ ear tags are preferred and are legally required by federal law to move hogs across state lines with the exception of slaughter house delivery.
Basic ear tags can be bought from your local farm store.
Pro Tip: Use metal tip tags so that they will pierce those big ears and buy a tagging gun with a metal, not plastic, male end.
Those are custom ordered. And, almost impossible to duplicate, hence why they are preferred. They are called an 840 tag because the most common kind starts with the number 840. There is a second kind of 840 tag that lists your actual premise id and a number of your choice on the tag.
Online ear tag supply stores. Your local feed stores can’t supply those. Also, you may ask your state vet if your state supplies those free of charge. Some states do. Allow 3-4 weeks delivery if ordering online!!!
That’s a number assigned to you by your state vet. It’s typically simple to obtain. Search out your state vets office number and call them. Tell them you raise hogs and need a Premise ID. They will assign you one. Also ask if they offer free ear tags.
It’s for tracking in case of an outbreak that the USDA would want to pursue.
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The American Meishan Breeders Association is the official registry for Meishans, offering the only on-line pedigree database of verified pure Meishan pigs.
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