"Give it a Pinch"

A copper colored hand held tool that pinches together to give a number on an animal.
Image Caption
A copper colored hand held tool that pinches together to imprint a number on an animal's ear. Ink is then spread into the imprint to create the tattoo.
Close up of the numbers on an animal tattoo plier.
Image Caption
Close up of the numbers on an animal tattoo pliers used to imprint an ID number on an animal's ear.
Animal tattoo pliers pinch the ear of an animal, leaving an imprint of ID number. Ink is then rubbed into the imprint, creating a permanent mark.

This heavy clamp-like tool marks animals. It is an animal tattoo plier and is featured as this week鈥檚 What鈥檚 New Wednesday. Animal identification helps with management. This tool works by rotating the four reels in the center to the desired ID number for the animal. The numbers need to be in reverse order; the tattoo plier will be flipped to make the mark. After immobilizing the head of the animal, the producer applies ink to the clean ear of the animal being marked. The ear is clamped in the tattooer, with the needles of the numbers going through the skin. After rubbing the ink into the holes, a tattoo of the desired number remains. Some producers prefer this method of marking their herd as it is permanent in comparison to just an ear tag that can be lost or removed. Tattoo pliers are still used as a marking method today.

2024:012:0007 SDAHM Donated by Reid Christopherson

By South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum staff
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