Guaranteed Dispatch in 2 Working Days for AHB tags  New Sheep Tagger wins NZ National Fieldays Innovation Award The Ultimate Management Tag is here Duramark Survey Results Keeping up with the Smith's Important News about RFID Quick and Accurate for Kelso Guaranteed Dispatch in 2 Working Days  Terms & Conditions                     If you need to have your tags in a hurry then you will be interested in Zee Tags new “Guaranteed dispatch in 2 working days*" initiative.   This initiative is part of the Zee Tags “Simplifying ID” programme, as we strive to provide the best ID products and customer service in the world.    This applies to all AHB and management tags ordered via a retail store (excluding LIC) The Guaranteed Dispatch is within 2 full working days for the time order is received by Zee Tags from the retailer until the time the order is dispatched from Zee Tags, in Albany, North Shore. Orders must be received either via the AHB TOS site for official tags or through the retailer's ordering system, complete with order number, for management tags. Working days are Monday-Friday 9am-4pm, excluding public holidays. You or your retailer should receive the order within another 1- 2 days from the time of dispatch depending on the courier service in your area.   At Zee Tags we continue to strive to meet the needs of our customers and we have had a very successful year in terms of industry accolades.  Firstly Zee Tags won an Innovation Award at the NZ Fieldays with the prototype of our fantastic sheep tagger coming to the market soon.  Secondly Zee Tags won the NZ Export award for Deal of the Year for the purchase of the US distributor which reflects Zee Tags ability to grow and innovate. The judges commented that it was a testament to Zee Tags as a whole NZ owned company to be growing and acquiring more business around the world.   June 2009 New Sheep Tagger wins NZ National Fieldays Innovation Award “It’s all about keeping it simple,” Mike Gardner from Zee Tags told the judges for the 2009 National Fieldays Equipment Entry of the Year competition. The tagger’s design and farmer-focused features so impressed the judges that it went on to win the award ahead of 78 other entries. Mike explains “While there are other multiple tag applicators on the market; many farmers remain frustrated by traditional taggers that lack the speed and ease of use they’d like.” The Zee Tags design team focused on removing these frustrations as well as ensuring a simple, robust design that will stand up to typical yard conditions. Gardner says “Farmers at the Fieldays were very impressed when they heard that 110 lambs can be tagged in 10 minutes – making it as quick as drenching.” It is proving to be 4 times faster than traditional sheep tagging and approximately twice as fast as other, more cumbersome multi taggers. Gardner also reports that the simple loading by sliding a strip of 10 tags straight up the barrel appealed to farmers as well as the pump action which places the next tag in the applicator head ready to go. The tagger can be used on a range of angles so it is easier to place the eartags correctly again speeding up the process. Tags will come in a range of colours and can be printed to give flexibility for flock management systems. Zee Tags plan to introduce the new multitag applicator before the end of 2009 and expect high demand in key sheep markets. Australian farmers will be delighted with this tagger since sheep tagging became compulsory in 2009. Farmers wanting to reserve their tagger can put their name down here or email info@zeetags.co.nz  or phone Debbie or Jane on 0800 493 382.

The Ultimate Management tag is here! Announcing the introduction of 2in1 RFID Visual Tag This new innovative tag is an RFID tag combined with a specially designed visual tag, to give visual and electronic identification wherever an animal is being handled. The 2in1 RFID Visual tag is designed with the key elements of high retention, ease of application and readability (both electronic and visual) paramount.  The visual tag component is a similar size as a large Two Piece tag and is soft, light and flexible which minimises snagging so retention is not compromised.  Printing with Duramark® ensures that the tag remains clean, bright and easy-to-read for years.  Other key benefits are seen at tagging time since no matching of the RFID tag with a separate visual tag is required - improving accuracy and speeding the process up.  The 2in1 RFID Visual is applied with the popular two piece tagger without a requirement for special inserts or modification.  This tagger is renowned for its ease of use and the prevention of ripped ears because of its patented retractable arm and flick out pin. In New Zealand this tag can be ordered as a secondary tag and/or a management tag through LIC.  For more details contact us.

Duramark Survey Results   New Duramark® tags performance delights after 3 years Congratulations to Keith and Eve Rowland, Mangamahoe Farms, Taranaki   Keith and Eve have won a Night for two at Luxurious ‘Poet's Corner Lodge”, at Waihi Beach including dinner and breakfast worth approximately $500.00 (including GST). Plus a guided tour of a Zee Tags facility.   Here’s what farmers are saying about Duramark®… Recently 103 farmers responded to a customer survey in which they answered questions about Duramark printed tags. Farmers ranked the new Duramark tag on attributes including 1. Ease of application 2. Tagger 3. Tag Brightness 4. Easy to Read 5. Curling 6. Peeling 7. Retention 8. Delivery time 9. Customer Service Overall 90% ranked NEW Improved Duramark as good or excellent Helpful, Friendly and Efficient Team Recognised Farmers ranked Customer Service the highest of all attributes. This is testimony to Zee Tags helpful and friendly team both out in the field with both John Ritchie and Kim Barfoote being well-known and respected by many farmers and Debbie and Jane in Customer Services who are dedicated to making sure customers get the right tags on time.                     Duramark seen as better than other tags Overall most farmers felt that the New Duramark tags rank better or much better than other tags   Keeping up with the Smith's A new 50 bale rotary milking shed complimented by high tech electronic accessories has been a significant investment for the Northland dairy farmers Edwin, Ben and Hamish Smith, whose family has farmed the 100 effective Ha dairy farm near Hikurangi for four generations.  Ben now heads up the operation after earning a B. Agr. Sc. from Massey University and spending several years in rural banking.  “The whole idea is to future proof our enterprise – we have now built a platform which will allow us to make the most of technology.  Good planning was the key and we worked with a number of professionals to plan and build the new shed and electronic system.  Our vets from Piano Hill Veterinary Services, Zee Tags Ltd and Tru Test have been really involved in the whole process.” All cows are identified with Zee Tags Electronic ID because they are easy to apply and read really well.  There is one reader as the cows enter the shed and another one when they exit over the Tru Test walk over weighing system and through the automatic drafting system.  Milfos milk meters and auto cup removers are used and Protrack, from LIC installed to pull all the elements of the electronic system together.  The new system is a great time and labour saver.  It used to take 2 ½ hours to milk 320 cows through the 30 aside herringbone; now takes just over 60 mins to milk the 420 split calving herd.  The cows are relaxed – the shed is quiet and relaxed and some of them even go to sleep on the platform.  Ben says “We chose Zee Tags electronic tags because John Ritchie from Zee Tags has been there for us - helping plan the system and ensure that the tags are what we want.  We also use Zee Tags new Duramark® for our visual management tags and they are a big improvement on the old tags we had – they stay clean and clear.  The tagger itself makes a big difference – so easy to use and you don’t rip ears, waste tags or hurt yourself using them.” Ben is equally impressed by the Tru Test walk over weighing system which he understands will have the ability to draft out lame cows automatically by recognizing that they are not applying equal pressure to each limb.  This will allow the Smith’s to administer help to them quickly and therefore reduce production loss.”  But what Ben likes the most is the data provided for both day to day and long term strategic management.  There is no such thing as an average cow on our property now and we can challenge some of our traditional thinking based on data – we know each cow’s details and can manage her accordingly.  Feeding levels can be adjusted to favour the high producers, weight loss or drops in milk production are picked up and adjustments made.  Cows with withholding periods or in the colostrums mob come up with a red band on the shed control panel and the system verbally instructs the milkers not to milk the cow -reducing the chances of inhibitory substances entering the system.  Traceability is greatly enhanced and all the vet treatments are done to exact bodyweight again increasing efficiency.  Ben says it’s pretty awesome that his and Hamish’s parents have invested their retirement funds in the new technology but already it is paying dividends.  The increased production and decrease in labour and other costs means they will have paid off the capital cost a lot shorter time than initially expected. Conservatively the Smith’s are aiming for 1500 ms/ha this season from a base of 1285ms/ha last season – the biggest problem is the cost to purchase more Fonterra shares to supply the extra production!

Important News about RFID Tag your calves this year with RFID and SAVE time, money and hassle The National Animal Identification and Tracing project (NAIT) has recently announced that farmers will be legally required to electronically tag all cattle with RFID by 2011. This is to provide NZ with a universal livestock identification system, supported by a core registry of data linking people, property and animals. This system will make it possible to fully trace animals from birth to death.     Why pay for a secondary visual tag now and an RFID tag in 2011 when one tag will do? … You can now buy New Zealand-made Zee Tags RFID, that are fully compliant with the NAIT system. If you order dairy, beef and deer tags through LIC, these can be inserted as your official secondary tags. This means you can save yourself money and hassles because you won’t need to purchase a normal secondary tag (approximately $0.70) now and replace it with an RFID tag in 2011. Beef and deer farmers who usually order AHB or AgriQuality tags can order NAIT approved RFID tags now but will still require an ordinary secondary tag if they want to sell stock via saleyards or to another farm. You may have already ordered or received your calf tags but it’s not too late…read on for more. Here’s the good news… Save for now and the future With the market going mandatory soon, Zee Tags wants to offer you the chance to buy NAIT compliant RFID tags now at the price you’d expect to pay in 2011 – in fact it’s less than the Australians are paying now and they have had a mandatory scheme for a number of years. Get into RFID NOW, Special Introductory Offer, ZEE TAGS RFID for only $2.95 plus GST Place or change your calf tag order via LIC now and you can take advantage of this offer and get a Zee Tags RFID tag for only $2.95 + GST. If you’ve already received your tags Zee Tags will upgrade the secondary for $2.50 + GST. Don’t worry Zee Tags RFID are as easy to insert as normal Zee Tags because you can use the same 2 piece tagger for the RFID tags so it will be a quick and efficient tagging process. Talk to ZEE TAGS for advice on 0800493 382 The key to making these smart RFID tags work to your best advantage is to get your system set up well from the start. If you already have an RFID system installed please check with the supplier to ensure that the reader is ISO compliant and can read both HDX & FDX tags. You may just choose to put these tags in now to prepare for mandatory RFID, however if you are interested in how to get the most advantage out of RFID then have a chat to our team of experts listed below who have experience in helping set up numerous properties with the right gear for their enterprise. Go to zeetags.co.nz for more details

RFID Tags - accurate and quick Matt Holden from Onga Onga uses Zee Tag RFID eartags on his stud sheep and the system has been a big time saver for him - so much so that says he almost takes the benefits for granted now.  Matt and Emma Holden, and sons Will (5) and Johnny (3), farm 550 hectares of easy, rolling country at Onga Onga in Hawkes Bay.  Matt runs 2400 ewes, that are part of the Kelso Stud, and says he’s pleased with his decision to switch to an RFID system. He says the electronic tags are very light and so are ideal for smaller animals - the tags can be put in very young lambs.  The tags also have a new cutting tip that cuts cleanly allowing the ear to heal quickly and tightly around the tag... “We started using RFID in June and have been really pleased with the efficiencies the system offers.  As with any stud operation it is absolutely essential that we correctly ID all stock and in the past this has been a time consuming task and one that is open to human error. Matt says an EDiT ID panel reader is permanently attached to the Racewell Sheephandler and each sheep is recorded as they move through the Racewell - there can be no duplication or missed stock, and the whole process takes a fraction of the time it used to. “We need information on individual sheep and since we have many mobs that we need to collect information for DNA from it's been a time consuming task. We had to run each mob through at docking time and collect all the info but now it's done in one hit which literally saves hours of work. The system is linked straight into the Tru Test 3000 indicator where all information is collected - "from there it's taken home and downloaded straight into an Excel spreadsheet where it can be emailed anywhere in the country." Matt says the system saves a lot of time and is 100% accurate - it also minimises the number of times information is handled plus there's just no room for typos.