New electronic ear tag for cattle
EZid, a division of Avid Identification Systems, announces the U.S. release of their EZid HDX Electronic Ear Tag for cattle. The ear tag provides accurate, cost-effective RFID identification for use in feedlots, dairy parlors and cow/calf operations. These ear tags deliver the industry’s longest read distance. And, unlike other tags on the market, the design of these tags delivers maximum read performance from the side – allowing for easier, faster scans when using handheld or stationary readers. This electronic ear tag contains an ISO HDX transponder molded into an easy-to-read tag that features a unique identification number.

Tag information can be easily read into Excel and Access spreadsheets or other industry management software, providing immediate access to individual animal records. These tags work with any ISO- compliant HDX/FDX reader, making them easy to implement. An early adopter of these tags is Upper Valley Holstein in Austin, Colorado. Andy Wick, owner, said his primary reason for selecting EZid is its superior side-reading capability. He implemented EZid ear tags in his 615-cow dairy parlor over a year ago with excellent results. Wick commented, “We are just delighted with the tags.” He replaced an older battery-operated necklace system that was expensive and labor- intensive.
—From EZid news release

Colostrum pasteurization system introduced
Dairy Tech, Inc. announces the arrival of the DT10G colostrum pasteurizer. This machine is an enhanced but smaller version of its big sister, the DT30w. Development of the pasteurizer was spurred by the increasing interest by small dairies to have an affordable piece of equipment to pasteurize with, as well as something reliable and capable of handling small volumes. Even sizable dairies which do not always have large volumes of colostrums benefit from utilizing a machine that manages small batches of colostrum in a manner that avoids the pitfalls of handling the colostrum multiple times. Pasteurization has become common practice for a large number of dairies across the global dairy industry.

Despite the trend to go larger, there are still 50,000 dairies in the U.S. alone that require affordable equipment engineered for dairies with fewer animals. Especially in this down economy, the improved health, coupled with huge savings on milk replacer, colostrum replacements and supplements, make pasteurization a must-have tool for all dairies. Special features include multiple treatment menus that can be customized, auto-restart in case of power outages, temperature graphing capabilities, easy-to-read control instructions, full stainless steel tank, valve and dispensing nozzle, delayed start functions, auto-cooling, 12-month warranty and an included electronic parts replacement kit.  PD
—From Dairy Tech, Inc. news release