Buying tags
Find out which NAIT tags to buy and where to order them.
Three manufacturers of NAIT-approved tags
New Zealand has 3 manufacturers of NAIT-approved tags:
- Allflex.
- Leader.
- Datamars, which also manufactures ZeeTags.
When you buy tags, you may also need to get a tag applicator to fit the tags — using the wrong applicator can damage them. The manufacturers can tell you which applicators work with the tags you're buying.
Where to order tags
You can order NAIT tags through:
- your local farm supply store
- most vets
- the manufacturer's online store (where available)
- some NAIT-accredited organisations.
Included in the purchase price of NAIT-approved tags is a tag levy of $0.97 (plus GST), which goes towards running the NAIT scheme.
Types of tags you can buy
Birth tags and replacement tags are different for beef, dairy and deer herds.
White tags are for cattle — both the front and back are white. For deer, the front part is orange and the back can be any colour except white.
If your animals are beef or deer, your tags may have your NAIT location number printed on them. If you have dairy animals, your tags may have your NAIT location number or dairy participant code printed on them.
When you buy your tags, the tag manufacturer issues them to your NAIT location number and makes them available to use in your NAIT account.
Once you've applied a tag to an animal, you need to register the animal in NAIT. Registering animals after tagging ensures they can be traced to their farm of birth.
Tags do not come pre-registered — registration is a manual step.
RFID tags are available in 2 different types or modes:
- Half-duplex (HDX).
- Full-duplex (FDX).
HDX tags have a better scan range and are required by many automated dairy platforms.
Tags for newborn animals
Tags for newborn animals are known as birth tags. They can come with a NAIT RFID tag and a matching visual ID panel tag. The visual ID makes it much easier to identify your animals, especially if you don't have a scanner.
The visual ID can be printed with:
- your NAIT location number or dairy participant code — you can choose which is best for you
- the year
- the animal's sequence number — this is a 1 to 4 digit number unique to this tag.
Example of a cattle birth tag
Example of a deer birth tag
Replacement tags
Replacement tags are to be used when an animal's previous tag has been lost or damaged. They are printed with:
- a NAIT location number or dairy participant code
- the tag's RFID number.
Example of a cattle replacement tag
Example of a deer replacement tag
