1. business and industrial
2. agriculture and forestry
3. livestock

Individual
Activity
Advisor’s Guide
Lesson 4
Animal identification is an important management tool. Animal identification can be
used to track treated animals, track ownership and movement and to track disease
outbreaks.
Animal Identification Word Find
Find the words in the grid. Words can go horizontally, vertically and diagonally in
all eight directions.
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Identification
Explain what permanent identification is, and what
temporary identification is. Provide an example of
each.
Permanent:
A form of identification or markings made to a
pig so the animal can be identified from birth to
harvest. (example: ear notching)
Temporary:
A way of identifying an animal for a short period of time. (example: paint branding.
Ear Notches
Ear Tag
Identification
Marker
Paint Brand
Permanent
Pigs
Sick Pen
Temporary
Treated Animals
Goal
List one goal you have
that relates to animal
identification.
To use a permanent
form of identification
for identifying treated animals.
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Lesson 4
Advisor’s Guide
Individual
Activity
Animal identification in the swine industry helps ensure consumer confidence.
Photo Time
Photograph (or draw a picture of) three different types of identification. Place them
below and identify each one. List one benefit for each type of identification.
Ear tag – Can easily
be read.
Ear Notching – Can
be used to identify a
large number of pigs.
Animal
Marker – An
easy,
fast way to identify
a
treated animal or one
that
needs further at
tention.
Sick Pigs
Circle the pig in the pen
that you think may be sick.
How would you identify that pig?
I would first identify the pig by reading the ear notches. I would then
apply paint marks to the sick animal and record their ear notches.
How would you recognize the same pig the next day?
I would look for the marked hog and then read the ear notches to be
sure that I had the correct animal.
247
Lesson 4
Good Management
Individual
Activity
Advisor’s Guide
Your Management
Animal identification is a good
management practice. What role
does it play in the swine industry?
How do you currently identify and track
your animals? Take a picture of the animal
identification you use and place below.
Identification is used to record
performance measurements
and to track treated pigs,
ownership and disease.
I currently keep all my pigs in separate pens. I record the pen number
to keep track of which animal I
treated.
How does animal identification
impact a treatment record?
It also helps producers record
what treatments a pig has received, along with when they
received it.
Do you think you need to change the
way you track your animal? If so, how?
I could also keep track of the pigs
ear notch number incase I move
animals from one pen to another.
Ear Notching
Draw notches on the pig’s ears to show 12-4. What does the number 12 stand for?
What does the number 4 stand for?
248
Advisor’s Guide
Individual
Activity
Lesson 4
Identification Crossword
1
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T M E
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Across
H
2. Identification aids in keeping .
5. Identification that is computer-friendly.
7. Identification that is permanently written on the animal but is often
hard to read.
8. Identification that is easy to read but often wipes off over time.
Down
1. Swine should be able to be tracked from birth to .
3. A pen of pigs with the same withdrawal time is called a 4. Identification that is used by many livestock shows.
6. Identification that is permanent and often used on swine.
.
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