A traditional method of identifying sheep and cattle by cutting a small, U-shaped or semicircular notch into the cartilage of the animal's ear. Before plastic tags, these permanent notches allowed farmers to identify ownership from a distance. The location of the notch on the upper or lower edge of the ear indicated different flocks or specific years.
Heard on the job
The old flock book shows our family mark was a halfpenny on the near ear and a crop on the off ear.
Insider tip
Animal welfare regulations and mandatory electronic tagging have largely replaced physical ear notching in commercial farming.