Electronic and visual identification devices for adult goats reared in semi-intensive system

Autor: Luciana Helena Kowalski, Alda Lúcia Gomes Monteiro, Fernando Hentz, Odilei Rogerio Prado, Carlos Henrique Kulik, Sergio Rodrigo Fernandes, Cláudio José Araújo da Silva
Jazyk: English<br />Spanish; Castilian<br />Portuguese
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia, Vol 43, Iss 2, Pp 100-104 (2014)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1806-9290
Popis: This study intended to evaluate three identification devices for adult goats reared in semi-intensive system. They were (1) the ruminal bolus, electronic identification device composed of non-toxic ceramic and weighing 74.4 g; (2) small ear tag on left ear, visual identification device with dimensions of 50 × 15mm; and (3) big ear tag on right ear, also a visual identification device with dimensions of 42 × 48 mm. Twenty-two crossbred Boer female goats with mean age of 4 years and mean body weight (BW) of 52.6 kg were used. The identification devices were applied on all animals. Time spent for administration/application, readability and retention rate of devices were assessed. Problems during and after the application of devices, as well as device losses were recorded. Evaluations were performed one day and one week after application, then, monthly, for six months. The time spent for administration/application of the devices showed mean of 21 s and was similar between the evaluated devices. One big ear tag was lost, which decreased the retention rate of this device to 95.5%. The other devices showed retention rate of 100%. The readability was 100% for all studied devices. Small ear tags and ruminal boluses used in this study are recommended for adult goats. Production systems, environment, and ear tags with large dimensions may affect the retention rates of these visual identification devices.
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