How to Tattoo A Goat

There are several reasons for tattooing the most common is to register the goat or to have some form of identification in the occurance of theft or loss.

Tattooing is a somewhat simple process and if done correctly can last years. I had an 18 year old doe named Mam maw that was tattooed when she was 4 months old and even though it had slightly faded in color- the tattoo was still visible with a flash light behind the ear.

In this article I am going to be demonstrating the technique of how to tattoo a registerable goat- and the photos I will be using will be from dairy animals. To register a dairy goat you are assigned a herd sequence tattoo- this shows the rest of the dairy world that this animal was bred by you. A herd sequence runs from 2 to 4 letters. For this article we are going to use the herd tattoo sequence ABCD as an example.

Then each year an association will assign a letter to represent the year. The association I am through this year has assigned the letter C. Ok after you have your letter for the year then each kid or goat is assigned a different number according to the sequence they were born.

So any kids born in 2012 that can be registered through the association would be C and if she was the 7th kid born in 2012 her tattoo on the left side would be C7 and the right side would be ABCD. 

There are some that use more items than I list here and some that use less. I have used the following with great success for years and so I am only going to list what I use.

• 2 sets of Tattoo Pliers (for goats the Pet 300's or small animal tattoo kits work great)
• Set of Tattoo Letters (it is a good idea to have multiple of some letters)
• Set of Tattoo Numbers (again a good idea to have multiples of numbers)
• Baking Soda
• Green Tattoo Ink
• A Soft toothbrush- (this needs to be a used one that you arent using anymore)
• A Pair of disposable Gloves
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Paper Towels
• A Stanchion to put the goat in (optional)
• Someone to Help you- on goats with ears this is optionable



Most goats that will be tattooed each year is tattooed in this manner. Tattoo ink is very messy so it is suggested that you put on gloves before beginning. TEST your tattoo letters and numbers on a piece of paper to make sure they are in correctly before beginning.

Right Ear:

1. Take a paper towel and pour some rubbing alcohol on towel and wipe the inside of the ears to remove all dirt and other debris.
2. Take your green ink and rub a small amount on the inside of the ear.
3. Take your tattoo pliers that has your herd tattoo sequence- this would be the ABCD in the example and tattoo the right ear. If you are looking directly at the goat this ear would be the one in front of your left hand.
4. Being sure to avoid the veins and aiming for the middle of the ear. apply the tattoo pliers very firmly.
5. Remove tattoo pliers from ear
6. Immediately apply more tattoo ink and rub in with your toothbrush. Sometimes the tattoo area will bleed a little- keep applying ink and rubbing in until the bleeding stops. If you don't the tattoo wont set as good.
7. after you have finished rubbing ink in the holes apply baking soda.on top of the ink. This will help "raise" the tattoo and make it legible longer.
8. Once you have finished with one side proceed to the other side with the other pair of clamps with the year and birth sequence. This would be the C7 one we used in the example. Repeat steps 1 through 7.

It is also optional to add Preperation H on top of the baking soda. It is said this helps to reduce any swelling that might take place.

LaManchas are usually tattooed in this manner. Tattoo ink is very messy so it is suggested that you put on gloves before beginning. TEST your tattoo letters and numbers on a piece of paper to make sure they are in correctly before beginning.:

1. Take a paper towel and pour some rubbing alcohol on towel and wipe the bottom of the tail to remove all dirt and other debris. This would be where the skin part of the tail is.
2. Take your green ink and rub a small amount on the side of the tail web.
3. Take your tattoo pliers and apply then on a small piece of paper to make sure you have the correct letters.
4. Stretch the skin away from the muscle area- Being sure to avoid the veins and aiming for the far side of the tail web. apply the tattoo pliers very firmly.
5. Remove tattoo pliers from tail
6. Immediately apply more tattoo ink and rub in with your toothbrush. Sometimes the tattoo area will bleed a little- keep applying ink and rubbing in until the bleeding stops. If you don't the tattoo wont set as good.
7. after you have finished rubbing ink in the holes apply baking soda.on top of the ink. This will help "raise" the tattoo and make it legible longer.
8. Once you have finished with one side proceed to the other side with the other pair of clamps with the year and birth sequence. This would be the C7 one we used in the example. Repeat steps 1 through 7.

It is also optional to add Preperation H on top of the baking soda. It is said this helps to reduce any swelling that might take place.

Always remember to apply clamps firmly because if possible you don't want to have to retatto. When tattooing the tail webs of LaManchas you will usually have to have help to hold the goat and stretch the skin away from the muscle and bone area of the tail.