Our breeding hinds normally hibernate in one single herd. In spring, with the calving season approaching, the same groups are formed as during rut. In other words: hinds covered by the same stag are put in the same grasslands. From the first birth on, the different herds are checked several times a day. This method allows us to make note of the exact date of every hind's delivery, without causing any "stress" among the herd. . When weaning the calves in September each calf gets 2 permanent eartags. The colour of these eartags indicates the father of the calf: for example blue for Howland, yellow for Junior, . ... After that a DNA test is carried out on the calves, which results in a 100 % correct determination of maternity, and, as far as necessary, a confirmation of paternity. It goes without saying that through this method we also know the exact date of birth of all calves. . We use 2 permanent eartags in order to guarantee perfect identification. It is possible indeed that an animal loses an eartag. Moreover, we have searched for a type of eartags that is only seldom lost and one that, most important, remains perfectly legible, even after years. . That is why we have chosen 2 new Ketchum products: TRACK-BACK plastic eartag NOVA PREMIER TAG Both models have: a fade-free and clear permanent marking a loss-rate in independent trials of less than 1% As said before, the colour of the eartag stands for the father of the animal. Moreover, the eartags mention the address of our website, deerfarm.be, and a serial number.