Empty bvd samples

visatorro · 24-02-2021 9:41am #1

Anyone else having trouble. Iv lost count of the empty tags this year. If anything I'm more careful. Still with eurotags. I'll have to switch. Getting to be abit of a joke. Are cormac better?

sandman30 · 24-02-2021 9:51am

visatorro wrote: »

Anyone else having trouble. Iv lost count of the empty tags this year. If anything I'm more careful. Still with eurotags. I'll have to switch. Getting to be abit of a joke. Are cormac better?

Could be to do with a faulty pin on the tagger.

timple23 · 24-02-2021 10:11am

sandman30 wrote: »

Could be to do with a faulty pin on the tagger.

There is no pin used on the bvd tagger, only pin is on the tag itself.

Try and keep sample pin upwards so sample can't fall out.

You could also shine a light down the pinhole to see if there is something in there.

whelan2 · 24-02-2021 10:19am

No empty samples here so far this year. What lab are you using? Was one sample that broke and I assumed that would be empty but it wasn't

Packrat · 24-02-2021 10:46am

A lad I know always puts a tuft of ear hair in with the sample pin to be sure.

orm0nd · 24-02-2021 11:28am

Had 1 empty with cormac since we started but I knew it was my own fault.

Wildsurfer · 24-02-2021 11:31am

You have to get through this years batch anyway so ring up Mullinahone, give them an earful and get them to send you a new tagger and see does that help

visatorro · 24-02-2021 12:41pm

whelan2 wrote:

No empty samples here so far this year. What lab are you using? Was one sample that broke and I assumed that would be empty but it

Was enfer but moved to Oldcastle. very frustrating
What tag are you using?

visatorro · 24-02-2021 12:42pm

Packrat wrote:

A lad I know always puts a tuft of ear hair in with the sample pin to be sure.

Does this work?

tanko · 24-02-2021 12:57pm

After you tag the calf you could punch his ear again with the sample collector still in the taggers to make sure there's something in it.

whelan2 · 24-02-2021 1:08pm

visatorro wrote: »

whelan2 wrote:

No empty samples here so far this year. What lab are you using? Was one sample that broke and I assumed that would be empty but it

Was enfer but moved to Oldcastle. very frustrating
What tag are you using?

Mullinahone and enfer

SuperTortoise · 24-02-2021 8:12pm

It seems to be a bit random, had none empty last year, and several the year before.
I often look into the pin before closing the sample tube and see absolutely nothing in it, and yet they are all sound.

Mooooo · 24-02-2021 9:17pm

Cormac here and no empty sample this year yet anyway. Sample bottle seals as you close the tag and tagger holds the sample bottle so very handy I find

orm0nd · 24-02-2021 9:36pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Cormac here and no empty sample this year yet anyway. Sample bottle seals as you close the tag and tagger holds the sample bottle so very handy I find

Really good system. No fook acting with capsules and way smaller too for postage.

Don't drop one of them in the straw though.

Dunedin · 24-02-2021 9:49pm

orm0nd wrote: »

Really good system. No fook acting with capsules and way smaller too for postage.

Don't drop one of them in the straw though.

I got of them holders you put around your wrist. Holds ten samples and find fierce handy as often loss the odd one beforehand.

Timmaay · 24-02-2021 10:04pm

Cormac tags here the last 3yrs and haven't had one empty in that time. With eurotags use to have afew every year.

Have to say I'm well impressed how fast enfer managed to get results back to me with my large batch last week, about 3working days from when I sent them in, fair play.

lab man · 24-02-2021 10:33pm

Was with mullinahone too but left 3 yrs ago aswell went to cormac I had 1 empty last year and phoned cormac answered straight away they told me that if the lab drops one and /or loses it they just say it was empty which makes sence to me

Dunedin · 24-02-2021 11:09pm

Cormac here too and pros being tagger a lot easier to use and samples come out done. Tags stay in as opposed to mullinahone and like the way the tags come in the set of 4. Great service too when ringing them and find the staff very friendly and helpful on the phone.

No cons really but would usually have maybe one per year that the sample might come out empty or broke a little

visatorro · 25-02-2021 9:26am

I don't think iv much choice really but to try cormac at least.

whelan2 · 25-02-2021 10:19am

visatorro wrote: »

I don't think iv much choice really but to try cormac at least.

Did you get the new sample tags this year from mullinahone?

TooOldBoots · 25-02-2021 10:46am

Not going to mention the lab I use but I sent BVD samples close to Christmas. I had a hunch in the back of my mind that they might not have staff on that week. I double checked both samples and could see the skin tag inside.
Got the text message back empty samples, I was raging but what could I do.
At this stage I believe the whole thing to be a scam, and an a useless expense on farmers.

visatorro · 25-02-2021 3:26pm

whelan2 wrote:

Did you get the new sample tags this year from mullinahone?

I ordered this springs tags off mullinahone. Didn't notice a difference tbh. Just more empties.

whelan2 · 25-02-2021 6:00pm

visatorro wrote: »

I ordered this springs tags off mullinahone. Didn't notice a difference tbh. Just more empties.

There's no fiddly cap on the new ones

alps · 25-02-2021 11:22pm

Never had an empty sample...

Probably jinxed that now..

Bitten & Hisses · 26-02-2021 10:54am

alps wrote: »

Never had an empty sample...

Probably jinxed that now..

Neither have I, apart from the one time that I used the female side from the conventional tag and not from the BVD one. I've never understood the hate towards Allflex/Mullinahone, at least not since you can order online and no longer have to speak to the unpleasant lady in their office.

Dunedin · 26-02-2021 10:22pm

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

I've never understood the hate towards Allflex/Mullinahone, at least not since you can order online and no longer have to speak to the unpleasant lady in their office.

2 issues for me.

Tags falling out was the big one. Have lost one tag in 3-4 years with Cormac. Would lose 4-5 a year with mullinahone

Having to change the pin/puncher in the tagger from the ordinary tag to when doing the sample tag (maybe this has since changed). Kept losing the puncher so in the end just bought a second tagger. With Cormac it’s a one size fits all with the tagger and find even the tags seem to be sharper and go into the ear a lot easier.

Also, Cormac way quicker in sending out tags and office staff very friendly and helpful. (Is that 3 issues!!!)

lab man · 26-02-2021 11:15pm

Dunedin wrote: »

2 issues for me.

Tags falling out was the big one. Have lost one tag in 3-4 years with Cormac. Would lose 4-5 a year with mullinahone

Having to change the pin/puncher in the tagger from the ordinary tag to when doing the sample tag (maybe this has since changed). Kept losing the puncher so in the end just bought a second tagger. With Cormac it’s a one size fits all with the tagger and find even the tags seem to be sharper and go into the ear a lot easier.

Also, Cormac way quicker in sending out tags and office staff very friendly and helpful. (Is that 3 issues!!!)

Jaysus yet wan in the office compared to the cormac girls is chalk and cheese a great thing about the cormac tags are the 4 stuck together

Dunedin · 27-02-2021 12:10am

lab man wrote: »

Jaysus yet wan in the office compared to the cormac girls is chalk and cheese a great thing about the cormac tags are the 4 stuck together

4 tags together is fierce handy alright

Sacrolyte · 27-02-2021 1:50am

Packrat wrote: »

A lad I know always puts a tuft of ear hair in with the sample pin to be sure.

He must have fierce hairy ears

JustAThought · 27-02-2021 1:54am

Sacrolyte wrote: »

He must have fierce hairy ears

Must hurt too. Ever pull out a handful of nostril hair - not funny.

orm0nd · 27-02-2021 7:37am

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

. I've never understood the hate towards Allflex/Mullinahone, at least not since you can order online and no longer have to speak to the unpleasant lady in their office.

Remind me some day I have a half hour to spare and I'll answer that.

lefthooker · 11-04-2022 7:10am

Are many people having trouble with empty samples this year?

Always use Mullinahone tags. I had one empty sample back in 2015, but this being my first year using EID tags I’m getting around 25% empty samples from the lab.

Dunedin · 11-04-2022 7:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118909361#Comment_118909361

I’m with Cormac and on the EID tags and I’ve had no empties this year.

whelan2 · 11-04-2022 9:18am

With Mullinahone, haven't had an empty in years

Mooooo · 11-04-2022 9:26am

Eid should have nothing to with the sample tag. Use cormac here and haven't had empties in a few years. Would always tag the ear with which 8 have better control using sample tag to make sure anyway

hopeso · 11-04-2022 9:38am

A little off topic, but I’m about to start on the EID tags… Are they supposed to go in a specific ear, or does it matter?

ABitofsense · 11-04-2022 9:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118909675#Comment_118909675

I rang Cormac tags to ask to be sure. Said it didn't matter unless your using a EID system on the farm and want a specific ear tagged

K.G. · 11-04-2022 10:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118909675#Comment_118909675

Not a 100 % on this as I don't have an auto feeder but I believe the reader for the tags is on the left side.our crush the wall is on the right so we have been putting them on the left with years

blue5000 · 11-04-2022 11:08am

2 empty eurotags so far this year, never had one before. I reckon there's a new intern in the lab. How many more years have we to put up with this racket? At least now the dept of aggravation are restricting the messers with +ives.

lefthooker · 11-04-2022 12:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118910120#Comment_118910120

Really frustrating. In all the years of testing only ever had one empty, and that in the very first year. It has me second guessing myself now when 1 in 4 samples comes back as empty.

ginger22 · 11-04-2022 12:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118910046#Comment_118910046

for our jfc auto feeder the reader is on the right

Mooooo · 11-04-2022 2:08pm

Do they need to be that close to read the tags?

hopeso · 11-04-2022 2:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118910120#Comment_118910120

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118910435#Comment_118910435

Is it the same lab that's reporting all the empty samples this year, or is it widespread?

K.G. · 11-04-2022 3:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118911127#Comment_118911127

Many phones can read them.called near field recognition I think

K.G. · 11-04-2022 3:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118911242#Comment_118911242

Might have one empty every year

Neddyusa · 12-04-2022 9:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118910435#Comment_118910435

What lab. I'd an empty for the first time (enfer) last week and there was definitely tissue in the bottle. Cormac tag.

How do you go about getting another sample tag?

Hard Knocks · 13-04-2022 7:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118918621#Comment_118918621

We’d 1 this year with Eurotags, you can buy a replacement BVD tag which comes out quick enough and retest

mr.stonewall · 13-04-2022 8:12am

Had 10 samples go missing 2 years ago with enfer. Had to order sample kits,re tag these Suckler calves, post and get the results back. To rub salt to the wounds, got a call 3 weeks later saying that they had 10 samples( the one that went missing) and that they had insufficient funds in their online account to test them. Well i stuck into them firmly,but professional. Got them to refund for the 10 missing samples, tags and the cost of the registered post for the posting of the re samples kits. Threatened to go to the small claims court, and look for the above and a labour cost for retagging.

Im truly sick of this money racket

lefthooker · 15-04-2022 9:10am

25 samples sent on Monday. Results back this morning, 6 more empty. 13 so far this spring😡

whelan2 · 15-04-2022 9:29am

6 empty in 1 go?

lefthooker · 15-04-2022 9:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118929796#Comment_118929796

Yes. Of the 24 samples 18 returned negative while 6 were deemed empty

Empty bvd samples

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