Patent ID: 6736272
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: A01K,B07C,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of recycling electronic identification tags, comprising:supplying a plurality of electronic identification tags to multiple animal owners; attaching the identification tags to live animals for identification at a feeding location; electronically reading an identification number from each identification tag attached to an animal and entering the animal's characteristics into a database record associated with the identification number; moving the animals from the feeding location to a slaughter location; matching the identification numbers on the identification tags to carcasses resulting from slaughtering the animals; removing and cleaning the identification tags; aligning the identification tags in a single-file order; automatically reading the identification tags to obtain the identification numbers stored thereon; determining a destination location for each identification tag; automatically separating the identification tags based on destination so that identification tags to be sent to one animal owner are separated from identification tags to be sent to other animal owner; and re-supplying the identification tags to the multiple animal owners so that each animal owner is supplied the same identification tags it was originally supplied.