Dalton Tags provides Health & Wellbeing Tag Keyrings for the The Farming Community Network

We are extremely happy to be providing The Farming Community Network with bespoke health and wellbeing tag keyrings for this years Farm Business Innovation Show on 2nd and 3rd November.

The aim of the keyrings is to help carry positive messages about mental health, and reinforce the farming community that FCN is there to listen, support and help. Each keyring has a different quote/design to help reach out and inspire all types of individuals within the farming sector.

Alex Phillimore, FCN Head of Communications and Development stated, “Dalton Tags have been very supportive of the work of our charity. Their tags are very eye-catching, come in a variety of colours and are perfect for clipping onto bags or key chains. They’re great for capturing people’s attention and feedback is very positive!”

If you do pick one up, make sure to share on social media on your keys/farm and tag us!

What is The Farming Community Network (FNC)? 

The Farming Community Network (FCN) is a voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times.
FCN  have a network of over 400 volunteers across England and Wales, many of whom are involved in farming, or have close links with agriculture, and therefore have a great understanding of the issues that farmers, farm workers and farming families regularly face. Their volunteers provide free, confidential, pastoral and practical support to anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business-related.In addition to local groups of volunteers, FCN runs a confidential national helpline (03000 111 999) and e-helpline (help@fcn.org.uk) which is open every day of the year from 7am-11pm.The volunteers will “walk with” anyone who seeks support and help them find a positive way through their problems. FCN have helped thousands of people deal with a variety of issues, including financial difficulties, animal disease, mental health and family disputes.

Here at Dalton we provide a vast array of management and bespoke tags in a wide range of colours and printing options to suit your individual/business needs. Contact our team today by calling 01636 700990 or emailing sales@daltontags.co.uk.

Dalton Tags proudly sponsoring Women in Dairy Annual Conference 2022

This year we are proud sponsors of the annual Women in Dairy conference based in Sixways Stadium, Worcester. The event takes place on 28th September 2022 and is focused around supporting women in the dairy sector through workshops, conferences, group meetings and webinars.

Part of our sponsor package was to provide Women in Dairy tag keyrings for every delegate welcome pack on the day. We are always happy to provide our specialised laser tag service to such worthy causes and organisations.

Romany Marshall, Women in Dairy Manager has stated, “We are extremely grateful to all at Dalton Tags for their sponsorship and these fantastic keyrings. Its great for our delegates to receive something different, personalised and produced to such a high standard. The communication from Dalton on what we wanted on the tags was incredible, with a few different trials we produced a perfect keyring for our Women in Dairy Annual Conference. Thank you once again Dalton!”

What is Women in Dairy and what do they do?

Women in Dairy is an initiative from The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), designed to bring women working in the agri industry together through regional discussion group meetings to learn, network and promote the image of dairy farming.

Their aims are:

  • Connect – Bringing women together from across the dairy industry.
  • Share – Exchange knowledge and experiences to develop skills and confidence.
  • Inspire – Encouraging innovative thinking and vision for the future of UK dairy.

When you sign up, you will receive a delegate pack with one of our handy little keyrings in! Book your place here ➡️ BOOK NOW

Here at Dalton we provide a vast array of management and bespoke tags in a wide range of colours and printing options to suit your individual/business needs. Contact our team today by calling 01636 700990 or emailing sales@daltontags.co.uk.

Blackbourn Boer Goats – Customer Feature for #Farm24

What is #FARM24 all about?

24 Hours in Farming is the agricultural industry’s biggest online event with an audience reach of more than 112 million. The annual event aims to showcase the brilliant work done by British land and livestock farmers all day, every day to produce the food we eat and drink.

Here at Dalton Tags we are committed to promoting and showcasing the hard work farmers put into feeding the nation with healthy and affordable produce 365 days of the year, as well as highlighting our appreciation to all within the agriculture sector.

To kickstart our support for #FARM24, we interviewed our lovely cattle tag brand ambassador Izzi Rainey to help gain an insight into her everyday life as a beef farmer.

Katherine Cross – Customer Feature

@blackbournboergoats

Can you give us a background to your farm?

Blackbourn Boer Goats was established in October 2021 by myself, Katherine Cross, as part of a small diversification to our family arable farm in Suffolk. The family have farmed here for 5 generations and the farm is 850 acres, and is split between two farms.

What breed of goats does the farm use and why?

We use Boer goats as they are one of the best breeds of goat meat. They have a kind and docile nature which makes them easy to handle, most of the time! They are used for meat production and breeding. Goat meat is becoming more and more popular due to it being low in calories and cholesterol. This means more and more people are getting into goat farming and it is definitely growing in popularity.

Why do you use Dalton Flexo Sheep Tags?

I use the Dalton Flexo Sheep tags because they are easy to apply and they sit nicely on the ears, as Boer goats tend to have big floppy ears and you can see that the goats don’t feel restricted or uncomfortable with them in. I am fairly new to tagging livestock as we are mainly arable and Dalton Tags have been extremely helpful when I’ve called the customer service team with any questions and queries that I may have, definitely a first class service!

Any interesting facts or information you would like to add?

I named my prefix Blackbourn because our farm was in the Blackbourn hundred when the counties were split into divisions a few hundred years ago. It is also the name of the river which runs through our farm, and when the farm used to have Suffolk Punches their prefix was also Blackbourn!

As well as goat farming, my main job is working on the arable side of the farm with my Dad. We do nearly all of it between the two of us with a bit of part time help when needed. It is a real family effort and I really enjoy this aspect of farming.

 

How to get involved?

YOU can take part on any social media platform, although Twitter or Facebook are the most popular channels on the day.
Simply tag your post #Farm24 and include @FarmersGuardian , @Morrisons and @daltontags.

Izzi Rainey Customer Feature for #Farm24

What is #FARM24 all about?

24 Hours in Farming is the agricultural industry’s biggest online event with an audience reach of more than 112 million. The annual event aims to showcase the brilliant work done by British land and livestock farmers all day, every day to produce the food we eat and drink.

Here at Dalton Tags we are committed to promoting and showcasing the hard work farmers put into feeding the nation with healthy and affordable produce 365 days of the year, as well as highlighting our appreciation to all within the agriculture sector.

To kickstart our support for #FARM24, we interviewed our lovely cattle tag brand ambassador Izzi Rainey to help gain an insight into her everyday life as a beef farmer.

Izzi Rainey – Customer Feature

@batesmoorfarm

1) When was the farm established and how many generations?

My Dad is a first generation farmer and started with Highland Cattle in 1989. We moved to Bates Moor Farm in 1994 when I was 2 years old. 

2) What breed of cattle does the farm use and why?

I have Highland cattle and Lincoln Red cattle. My Dad originally chose Highland cattle in 1989 as he was still working full time and thought they would be a good breed to start with. They are a good doing native breed, that can stay out all year round, forage on rougher ground, as well as being an easy calving breed with great maternal instinct. In 2017 I introduced Lincoln Reds as they are also a native, hardy, good doing breed with similar characteristics as the Highlands. However they are larger, faster growing with more commercial appeal.

3) What is the growth in cow numbers over the years?

In 2014 my Dad wanted to step back from farming and sold most of the cattle. At the time he gifted me 3 cows plus followers (so about 12), and I now run about 70 head of cattle between the two herds.

4) Are the cows calved year round or blocked or seasonal?

I only calve in the Spring into early Summer.

5) What is the diet of the cattle?

I am still experimenting at the moment, with my vision to be grass fed. At the moment it is just my steers which are 100% grass fed, eating out on the meadows in the summer with hay and silage in the winter. This year I have secured more grass which means I can carry this throughout my calves as well.

6) Does your farm breed all its own replacement heifers?

In the last few years it has been a mixture to build up the numbers, but on the whole I am breeding my own replacements.

7) Why do you use Dalton cattle tags and what is your experience of them thus far?

I was approached by Dalton Tags in 2021, at which time I started using their DNA tissue tags for the Highland calves. Then in 2022 I started using the Dalton BVD tags to get quick results for my calves. Unfortunately early this year I had an encounter with a positive BVD case on the farm after 20 years of BVD free accreditation. Never having had this issue on the farm before, this is very much a steep learning curve for me. Going forward, all cows and heifers on the farm will be vaccinated before turning out and any calves will be BVD tissued tagged and tested. 

So far I have found the Dalton BVD tissue tags to be very efficient and will be 100% using them every year from now on. The BVD tags comes in one strip per animal, with only one applicator needed for the BVD tag and visual tag. Additionally, the turnaround time for the BVD lab results have been really quick saving me both time and hassle.

I cannot thank the Dalton customer service team enough. Whenever I have any queries surrounding the BVD cattle tags or animal identification tags in general they are super helpful and give specialist advice. The tags are also posted out within a short space of time which I also appreciate.

8) Any interesting facts or information you would like to add?

I don’t farm full time, I work in a local shop and run a design business with my best friend! This year I started workshops with the cattle on the farm to run alongside my other diversification of beef boxes.

 

Izzi Rainey will be doing a takeover on our Instagram page on Thursday 4th August to discuss all things farming! Be sure to tune in where you will get the chance to ask Izzi questions as well as seeing image and video footage of Izzi’s life on the farm!

Dalton Tags now proudly incorporating Top Tags

We are pleased to announce that Dalton Tags has acquired Top Tags ID Systems to supply a more comprehensive range of livestock and management tags that will better serve current Top Tag ID customer needs and requirements. 

With a specialised customer service team and industry leading turnaround times on all tag orders, we are continually dedicated to reinforce our core company mission that we are “Leading Specialists in Animal Identification and Management Tags.

There are many options to choose from when opting for the Dalton FLEXO Cattle Tag range including Visual, BVD, DNA, and Electronic, with management print and barcode options also available. Moreover, our cattle tags have many unique features that help us stand out from our competitors.

  • One Animal, One Strip
  • Superior Retention Rates
  • Free and Frictionless 360 degree tag rotation
  • Exceptional high quality laser marking for distance readability
  • All Dalton FLEXO Cattle Tags are inserted with the Flexo Universal applicator – straight line applicator action that will drive male and female precisely together

We also supply an extensive range of sheep tags that are meticulously designed to support local identification requirements, as well as offering utmost animal safety and comfort. We supply both breeding and slaughter tags including the FLEXO range as well as Daltons own sheep tag range. Our sheep tag range guarantees superior retention rates as well as excellent readability rates for the lifetime of the animal.

Additionally, our Industrial Tags are now available to order with many laser options available to suit your needs and requirements. Our industrial tags have a number of unique features.

  • They are made from flexible weather-proof plastic
  • Durable material can be washed & disinfected
  • Ideal categorising important power cables, displaying service information, labelling assets/instructions and much more

There are many ways you can order with us including via phone, email or online. Alternatively, if you order your tags through a farm store or veterinary practice, Dalton Tags can redirect you to your nearest tag outlet.

For our extended tag range, be sure to visit our online shop.

A tag order like never bear-fore …

In June 2021, we were approached by 1300KOALAZ to produce an ear tag for Koala’s being re-released back into the wild.

1300 KOALAZ are the largest group of experienced and dedicated Volunteer Koala Carers and Rescuers in South Australia. Their mantra is “Rescue, Rehabilitate and Release”.

Adelaide and Hills Koala Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation, volunteer-run koala wildlife rescue organisation.

They started their operation in August of 2019. Their volunteers are the most experienced Koala carers in South Australia with over 10 years of industry experience with native wildlife.

They also use experienced koala vets and have SAVEM (South Australia Veterinary Emergency Management) trained individuals.

Koala Facts

Koalas are a well-known species not only in Australia but all around the world. These cue animals also have a scientific name, Phascolarctos cinereus, which is derived from the Greek word ‘phaskolos’ (“pouch”), as well as “arktos”, which means “bear”.

The word “cinereus” is Latin and translates to “ash-coloured” or “ashy” – referring to the colour of fur that koalas had when they were first encountered around Sydney by Europeans.

You may even occasionally hear koalas referred to as “drop bears”, a fictional name given to them that stemmed from Australian folklore. (This imaginary animal, described as a carnivorous predatory version of a koala, is usually used to scare tourists.)

The koala population has greatly varied historically. During 2016, there were approximately 300,000 koalas in Australia.

However, in 2019, it was estimated by the Australian Koala Foundation that there were less than 80,000 remaining in the country.

Some sources state that this number may even be as low as 43,000. At the moment, koalas are vulnerable to extinction, which is a step above being endangered.

Reports have indicated that between 350 and 1,000 koalas living in the northern part of New South Wales have died due to the recent terrible fires there. There are even some grim predictions that koalas may go extinct by the year 2050.

In saying so, there is definitely still a chance to save the koalas! The Koala Protection Act has been put in place by the Australian government to protect these unique Australian animals. This act has been put in place to ensure that koalas will receive the highest level of protection given to any animal species in Australia ever.

Testimonial

Sally from 1300KOALAZ said “We received the tags today and they are just great, thank you so much. Everyone absolutely loves them and they are just what we need. I thank you for sorting this so promptly and professionally for us and Addie and Willow are being released tomorrow”

 

 

Izzi Rainey – Daltons NEW BVD Cattle Tag Brand Ambassador

We are super excited to announce that the lovely Izzi Rainey will be documenting her BVD tagging journey with tags provided by ourselves at Dalton Tags!

Unfortunately Izzi has had a recent encounter with a positive BVD case on her farm after 20 years of BVD free accreditation. Never having had this issue on her farm before, this is very much a steep learning curve for Izzi. Going forward, all cows and heifers on Izzi’s farm will be vaccinated before turning out and any calves will be BVD tissued tagged and tested.

Izzi’s Story

Farming is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow.

This week has been one of those weeks, it has taken until today to talk about it. I want to be honest and it is important to know that not everything is plain sailing. On Monday I had to have a yearling bullock shot, a homebred calf which was born here on the farm last Spring. This was done by the knacker man and was not for the food chain. Hearing that ring throughout the yard, heart breaking.

To look at he was perfectly healthy, well fleshed, bright and happy but sadly when we did our annual blood test he came back as a PI (permanent infector) for BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea) this is the first time I have ever experienced this. We have been accredited BVD free for 20 years and have held an Elite Status. To say we are devastated is an understatement. This bullock had to go as he was a risk to the herd. What it means is somehow his Mum was exposed to BVD in the first 120 days of her pregnancy and therefore the calf’s immune system was not strong enough. We have no idea how this has happened, it was in 2020 she must have been exposed, we did no shows and she wasn’t exposed to any cattle who had not been tested and isolated. It is gutting. The way BVD works is the cow is fine as it is just a virus to her which she ‘gets over’ but the calf she has will be permanently infecting throughout its life so has to go.

Having never had this, this has all been a steep learning curve. We have to assume it could be contracted through wild deer potentially. So from now on all the cows and heifers will be vaccinated before turning out and any calves will be BVD tissue tagged and tested. I am working with Dalton Tags who I am a brand ambassador and they have kindly given me tags which I can use this year.

Onwards and Upwards. I am just thankful it was one animal alone.

 

We are so excited and honoured to be part of Izzi’s tagging journey. Make sure to go and give her a follow on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date on all things tags and BVD!

AHDB AgriLeader Forum Name Lanyards Provided by Dalton Tags

It was a huge honour to provide conference name lanyards for the 2022 AHDB AgriLeader Forum.

Mark Campbell, AgriLeader Knowledge Exchange Manager states, “I just wanted to send a quick say a quick thank you for your help, sponsorship and support designing and producing the conference name tags for the AHDB AgriLeader Forum. The Forum was a huge success, receiving positive feedback with all delegates being able to easily identify each other.”

Amy Eggleston, also known as ‘The Dairy Daughter’ who is a well known Dairy Farmer from Leicestershire and Tesco Future Farmer 2019, attended the conference. Amy states, “I love seeing the Dalton management tags being used for event lanyards because it’s something personal but different! Lots of people complimented them on the day and they really stood out!”

Speaking on behalf of Dalton Tags, General Manager Paul Vickers highlights “By all accounts our lasered name lanyards went down a huge success and exceeded expectations! We are always so excited to help out events such as the AHDB AgriLeader Forum as it highlights that we can do more than just Livestock ID tags, and can in fact can do tags for virtually anything!”

We supply Management Tags for a wide range of bespoke purposes with a vast array of shapes and colours to choose from. Our tags guarantee exceptional high quality laser marking for distance readability! Get in contact with our specialist team at Dalton Tags today!

Orphaned Seal Rescued by RSPCA after being identified by Dalton Tag on flipper

Now for something a little different!

An orphaned seal that was rehabilitated by the RSPCA after being rescued from an island in the Irish Sea in 2016, has been seen again in North Wales – this time with her nine-day-old pup.The grey seal named Admiral’s Ale was identified by the Dalton Tag in her flipper.

After receiving initial treatment and care, she was transferred across to finish her rehabilitation in deeper pools at the animal welfare charity’s East Winch Wildlife Centre in Norfolk, from where she was successfully released in early 2017, weighing 50 kilograms.

On Sunday she was spotted with her newborn pup on a beach in North Wales and later identified by Kate Williams of the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust because of the orange Dalton tag visible in the webbing of her right flipper.

Her pup was born on Friday 12 November and has been named Gwener.

Evangelos Achilleos, manager at East Winch Wildlife Centre stresses “Her and Gwener are the ultimate success story and the reason we all do what we do. We’re so thankful that members of the public share images of the tags on the seals’ flippers, which allows us to map their whereabouts. It was heartwarming to see the pictures on the weekend, which were taken at a distance with a long lens; this is crucially important during pupping season when people should be admiring these wonderful animals from afar.”

Speaking on behalf of Dalton Tags, General Manager Paul Vickers states, “We are so delighted to hear that our Prima-flex identification tags are the reason Admiral’s Ale and Gwener were recused and taken into safety. It is news like this that emphasises the importance of our identification tags.” 

The Prima-Flex tag are used and approved by the RSPCA. With the tag being super lightweight, they are ideal from birth. The tag separates in the middle to allow for frictionless 360 degree rotation. With the Prima-Flex tags being made from premium grade materials, we guarantee no tag deterioration or fading over time.

We supply a wide range of other identification tags for a vast array of wildlife species. Tags can be lasered to suit your needs and requirements, with electronic management tags also available to purchase. 

#FARM24

What is #FARM24 all about?

24 Hours in Farming is the agricultural industry’s biggest online event with an audience reach of more than 112 million. The annual event aims to showcase the brilliant work done by British land and livestock farmers all day, every day to produce the food we eat and drink. Dalton Tags support’s 24 Hours in farming #FARM24.

Support

Vicki Welch, Manger at Dalton Tags says: ‘It’s so important that we are apart of #FARM24 to showcase and support what brilliant work our customers do 365 days a year. The Dalton Tags team and I are proud to be a part of this day supporting the best of British farming showing the care and vast effort which goes into producing the food and drink we consume and countryside we have all enjoyed, especially in the last 18 months’

Customer Feature– The Damble Herd

@thefarmingblonde

Lianne is a third generation beef and sheep farmer based in Staffordshire. She had a lifelong dream to own a pedigree herd of cattle but was unsure which breed to invest in. After months of research she decided to invest in South Devon Cattle. They have a very quiet temperament which makes them easy and safe to handle. The cattle are hardy, adaptable and have great beef conformation. The dams are excellent mothers with a lot of milk, so the calves grow very well and are great forage converters.

She now owns The Damble Herd of Pedigree South Devon Cattle and over the past 11 years have grown the herd to over 60 head of cattle. Majority are suckler cows with 2 stock bulls alongside breeding heifers and fattening steers. A couple of years ago they took on a tenancy of a small holding broadening her aspirations for the herd and increasing options available for meat production.

Meat Box Success

Previously, Lianne had sold her South Devon heifers and steers at around 10 months to a local livestock market but the fluctuating trade and competition against more commercial meat breeds made her reconsider their goals for the herd and wanted more recognition for the high quality meat they produce. Last year she decided to start selling beef boxes and they were a huge success. South Devon meat is full of flavour . Lianne said “I am proud to produce home grown grass fed meat that is raised to a very high welfare standard. The beef box sales and support I received was overwhelming. I realised a lot of customers were very focused on eating meat they knew where it had come from”.

As the beef boxes were a fantastic accomplishment, she also started to sell home grown lamb and mutton boxes. Then during lockdown, last year, they invested in pigs to produce home reared pork which was a fantastic step.

In 2018, they started showing the cattle to help advertise the herd, highlight the great quality stock and promote the meat boxes. It all started by halter training a home bred Pedigree South Devon Bull which went onto winning Native Junior Bull Champion and Reserve Native Bull Champion in several shows. 2019 brought them even more rosettes, as they showed 2 heifers that went onto to win Native Heifer Champion at various shows. Lianne’s passion really shines thorough on the show circuit.

Lianne also said that “We take our bespoke Dalton Tag keyrings to each show to use as business cards and hand out to customers that have purchased a meat box from us. They have a logo and contact details on them, the tags are fantastic quality and very effective for our business. Instead of customers putting a business card in their pocket or leave on the kitchen side they can use the keying’s every day. Dalton Tags are a fantastic company to work with, they have such a wide variety of chose and were so helpful. I contacted them with the idea, and they made the rest happen with such friendly customer service.

What does #farm24 mean to you?

With 24 Hours in farming happening this week, we asked Lianne what it meant to her. She said that “#farm24 is a fantastic event to provide the nation with an insight as to how food is produced, and the huge variety of roles and responsibilities taken on by farmers as food producers and custodians of the countryside. Farming unfortunately can be misunderstood and receives a lot of scrutiny for all the wrong reasons. Regardless of people’s dietary preference, the nation needs farmers to put high-quality food on peoples plates. #farm24 is the perfect platform to promote all the hard work we as farmers put into the feeding the nation with healthy and affordable produce! It’s an opportunity for the nation to see how British farming plays a role in our day to day lives and to showcase our passion and commitment. So many people have enjoyed the countryside over the past challenging year and now it’s time to celebrate our incredible industry!”

How to get involved?

YOU can take part on any social media platform, although Twitter or Facebook are the most popular channels on the day.
Simply tag your post #Farm24 and include @FarmersGuardian , @Morrisons and @daltontags.

THIS year they are asking farmers to commit to taking part on the day by signing up on their website.

Download your free 24 Hours in Farming poster and either share with others on your farm or send a picture in