12 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

TVL-AFA-Animal Production
(Small Ruminants)
Quarter 2 – Module 3:
EAR TAGGING/NOTCHING AND
DISBUDDING
TVL-AFA-Animal Production 12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 3: Ear Tagging/Notching and Disbudding
First Edition, 2020

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TVL-AFA
ANIMAL
PRODUCTION
(Small Ruminants)
Quarter 2 – Module 3:
EAR TAGGING/NOTCHING AND
DISBUDDING
 What I Need to Know

This module deals with the different practices for growing kids/lambs. It
includes ear tagging, ear notching, and disbudding. Ear tagging or ear
notching is adopted on some farmers on their farm mainly for identification
purposes.

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. Explain ear tagging, ear notching and disbudding;

2. Show on-ear dummy how to perform ear tagging and
ear notching; and
3. Appreciate the importance of ear tagging, ear notching
and disbudding.

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 What I Know

Instruction: Choose the correct letter from the options and write
it on your activity notebook.

1. The process of putting an ear tag into the ear of a goat.

a. Ear cutting c. Ear notching
b. Ear docking d. Ear tagging

2. The process of cutting the edge of the among growing kids/lambs.

a. Castration c. Ear tagging
b. Ear notching d. Tail docking

3. Which of the following is the purpose why kids and lambs need to have an ear
tag or ear notch?
a. prevents inbreeding
b. facilitates easy identification
c. preserves the bloodline of the breed
d. eliminates undesirable odor in male animals

4. Disbudding is best defined as ______.

a. removal of hoof. c. removal of horn bud
b. removal of the tail. d. removal of the testes

5. Which among the tools below is used in tagging the ear of a lamb or kid?
a. Dehorner c. Ear tagger
b. Ear notcher d. Elastrator with a rubber band

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 Lesson
EAR TAGGING/ NOTCHING AND
1 DISBUDDING

The general rule is that you should not carry out mutilations and
interventions on your animals - procedures which involve interference with
the sensitive tissues or bone structure of the animal, other than for the
purpose of its medical treatment. However, some procedures may be justified
because of the overall welfare benefit that they provide; these are known as
‘permitted procedures’ including ear tagging/notching and disbudding.
This module will help you to understand ear tagging and disbudding, its
procedures, and the reasons why conducting these activities.

What’s In

Directions: Arrange the jumbled letters. Your words to form are some
of the management practices for growing kids or lambs. Refer
to the clue words provided below.

1. INGDDBUSID
- management practice to be done above the forehead

2. ERAINGTAG
- putting something on the ear as a means of identification

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3. INGNOTCHERA
- each cut on the ear has specific value to sum up a certain
numberDirections: Study the picture below, and answer the questions below.

What’s New

1. Describe the picture.

2. What management practice is done in first and second picture?
3. If you were a raiser, would you adapt those practices? Why?

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 What is It

Care and Management Practices for Growing

Kids/Lambs

Small ruminants are easy to raise because of their size, yet they must be
managed to attain their potentials and produce profitably. Before any care practice
is provided, be sure that all tools and instruments to be used are cleaned and
disinfected.

A. Marking/Identification

Each goat of the herd, when purchased or born into your herd, should be
permanently marked for some reasons:

1. To identify ownership.
2. To distinguish animals of the herd for record-keeping purposes.
3. To facilitate easy selection, medication, segregation, culling and disposal.

There are two modes of marking the goats: ear tagging and ear notching.

1. Ear tagging – entails placing a marker into the ear. This ear tag is
usually made up of plastic or light metal and is pre-numbered before it is
placed into the ear. Ear tag usually placed at the middle of the ear.

Fig. 1 Proper placing of ear tag

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2.Ear notching is accomplished by providing a v-shaped cut on the edge of the
ear by using an ear notcher. Each cut represents a number as
indicated in the ear notching code.

Fig. 2 Ear Notching (1443)

Ear notching code varies depending on the raiser comfort. A raiser must
have a guide of his own on the coding of the herd and must be reflected to the
record book.
On the above example, the upper right of the ear, the code value is
hundreds, the lower right ear value is tens. On the right upper ear, the value is
thousands and ones on the lower part. Each cut has its own value.

B. Disbudding

This process refers to the removal of horn-buds on kid as raiser decides to

allow the animal to be hornless as it grows. The kid may be disbudded using the
following method. It is advised to beginners that these be done by experienced hand
since neither of the two method is easy.

1. Chemical Method (potassium hydroxide stick or caustic stick) – this is used

only in 2-week old kids.

Steps:

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 1. Wrap the caustic stick with paper to protect hand from burn.
2. Restrain the animal properly to lessen stress.
3. Clip the hair around the base of the horn-bud.
4. Apply Vaseline on the clipped area. This prevents the chemical from flowing
down the eyes or burning the skin.
5. Hold the pre-wrapped stick and dip one end tip in water.
6. Apply the stick into one of the horn-buds in circular motion, about 2.5 cm in
diameter until the horn tissue is burned-off. Do the same thing on the other
horn-bud.
7. After the process, rub ample amount of Vaseline to sooth the burnt spot and
down the side of the head.

2. Hot-iron cautery Method

Steps:

1. Heat the disbudding iron to a bright cherry-red.

2. Restrain the animals properly and firmly to avoid unnecessary burning.
3. Clip the hair around the base of the horn-bud.
4. Hold the pre-heat disbudding iron and apply it exactly over the horn-bud.
Let it stay on the area for six seconds-no more, no less. Do the same on the
other bud.
5. The iron may be reheated once or twice for each horn until they have
disappeared completely.
6. Cover the burnt area with Vaseline.

Disbudding using hot-iron cautery

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 What’s More

Directions: Discuss the importance of the following management practices

involved in growing kids/lambs.

1. Marking/Identification
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

2. Disbudding
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

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 What I Have Learned

REMEMBER!

”Marking facilitates easier identification among animals in

a herd while disbudding promotes safety for the caretaker
and other animals”.

What I Can Do

Direction: On your activity notebook, draw a head of a goat and assuming that on
your farm the last number of your goat is 156. Show in your drawing the cuts with
the given number.

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 Assessment

Direction: Choose the correct letter from the options and

write it in your activity notebook.

1. The process of putting an ear tag into the ear of a goat.

a. Ear cutting c. Ear notching
b. Ear docking d. Ear tagging

2. The process of cutting the edge of the among growing kids/lambs.

a. Castration c. Ear tagging
b. Ear notching d. Tail docking

3. Which of the following is a purpose why kids and lambs need to have ear tag or
ear notch?
a. prevents inbreeding
b. facilitates easy identification
c. preserves the bloodline of the breed
d. eliminates undesirable odor in male animals

4. Disbudding is best defined as ______.

a. removal of hoof. c. removal of horn bud
b. removal of the tail. d. removal of the testes

5. Which among the tools below is used in tagging the ear of

a lamb or kid?
a. Dehorner c. Ear tagger
b. Ear notcher d. Elastrator with a rubber band

9
 Additional Activities

Directions: With the use of any improvised material, make 2 head

dummies of goats/sheeps and do the following.

A. On a first dummy, put an ear tag as identity of your goats/sheeps.

B. On the second dummy, make an ear notch. The number is 23.

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Answer Key

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References
Competency Based-Learning Material
Animal Production NC II Module: Raising Small Ruminant; pages 149-150;
153-154
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Kagawasan, Avenue, Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tel #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117

Email Address: [email protected]
Website: lrmds.depednodis.net