A calf’s life begins with tagging and, importantly, collecting a tissue sample.

This simple step helps safeguard the health and future productivity of your entire herd by enabling testing for both bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) and DNA/genomic traits.

BVD is a highly infectious disease that suppresses the immune system, leaving cattle vulnerable to pneumonia, scours, fertility problems, mastitis, and reduced performance.

Identifying and removing persistently infected (PI) animals is the only way to eradicate the disease - and the earlier this is done, the better.

The Datamars Z Tags Tissue Sampling Tag (TST) makes this simple by collecting a clean tissue sample at the same time as tagging.

Genomic testing highlights key traits relating to the performance and health of your animals, giving you the data to make smarter, more cost-effective breeding decisions.

By testing calves early, you can identify the heifers with the strongest genetics for milk yield, fertility, and overall health - avoiding the expense of raising animals that will not deliver.

You cannot see genetics by sight, but genomic testing removes the guesswork.

The Z Tags TST provides a reliable tissue sample that can be used for both BVD and DNA/genomic testing, meaning one simple process delivers:

Disease control: Early identification of PI animals to protect herd health;
Smarter breeding decisions: Data-driven selection for productivity, fertility, and resilience;
Convenience and accuracy: A larger, cleaner sample sealed in a secure capsule with dry preservative, ready for lab analysis without refrigeration;
Flexibility: The same applicator works across the full Z Tags family.

By combining BVD testing and genomic analysis through one easy-to-use tissue sampling tag, you can safeguard herd health, improve breeding outcomes, and secure stronger long-term performance for your farm.

See us at the Ploughing at Block 2 Row 2 Stand 30.