Allflex Cattle Tags: The Complete Australian Guide
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If you run cattle in Australia, chances are you've already handled an Allflex tag. They're one of the most widely used ear tags in the country, and for good reason, the range covers everything from NLIS electronic tags to big printed paddock tags, and the retention is hard to fault.
This guide walks through the full Allflex cattle tag range as we stock it, NLIS electronic tags, visual management tags, matching combo sets, tissue sampling units, custom printing and applicators, so you can work out exactly what your operation needs.
Who Is Allflex?
Allflex is a global livestock identification company, and their tags have been on Australian cattle for decades. Most saleyards, feedlots and properties around the country see Allflex tags every day of the week. Farm & Acre Co is an Allflex reseller, we stock the full cattle range, with pricing live on our site and orders shipped Australia-wide from Queensland.
Allflex NLIS Electronic Cattle Tags
Every beast that moves off your property needs an NLIS electronic tag. Each tag carries an RFID chip with a unique number linked to your PIC (Property Identification Code) on the NLIS database, so movements can be recorded when the animal is scanned at a saleyard, abattoir or receiving property. For a broader rundown of cattle tag types beyond Allflex, our bovine ear tags guide covers the lot.
Breeder and Post-Breeder Tags
There are two types of Allflex NLIS cattle tags, and the colour tells you which is which:
- Breeder tags, white. For cattle being tagged on the property where they were born.
- Post-breeder tags, orange. For cattle that arrive at your property without a working NLIS tag and need to be tagged to your PIC.
That white/orange split is the NLIS convention, so anyone scanning or yarding your cattle can see at a glance whether a beast is wearing its original tag.
Where the Tag Goes and How It's Read
NLIS tags go in the right (offside) ear. The electronic tag itself is a two-part button, a male and female half that lock through the ear, and it's read with an RFID reader rather than by eye. We stock Allflex readers and scanners including handheld and stick readers; if you're weighing up which reader suits your yards, our NLIS tag readers and scanners buying guide walks through the options.
We also stock the Allflex NLIS male button on its own as a replacement part.
Allflex Visual & Management Tags
Visual tags are the printed plastic tags you read from a distance, animal numbers, property codes, year colours, joining groups, whatever your system needs. They're not a substitute for an NLIS tag, but most producers run both: NLIS in the right ear, visual in the left.
Sizes: From Button to Super Maxi
The Allflex visual range we stock runs from small button tags right up to the Super Maxi:
| Tag Size | Best For |
|---|---|
| Button | Small ID marker, or the back half of a two-piece set |
| Mini | Calves and matching pairs |
| Small | Young cattle and smaller ears |
| Medium | General purpose herd ID |
| Large | The most popular all-round cattle size |
| Maxi (73mm x 99mm) | Big print area, studs, dairies, anywhere you read tags at a distance |
| Super Maxi | Maximum print space for multi-line management info |
If you're not sure, Large is the most common pick for adult cattle, big enough to read across the yards without being oversized.
Male and Female Parts Explained
Most Allflex visual tags are two-piece tags, and you need one of each part per animal:
- The female part is the larger printed panel, the face you read.
- The male part is the pin or stud that pierces the ear and locks into the female.
They're sold as separate male and female products so you can mix and match, for example, a Maxi Female panel with a Male Button back is a common setup. Just make sure you order both halves; a box of female panels on its own won't tag anything.
One-Piece Tags: A-Tag and Feedlot
Allflex also makes one-piece tags that self-pierce, with no separate male part:
- A-Tag V2: available in Large and Maxi, a fast-application one-piece visual tag.
- Feedlot tags: the original Allflex feedlot tag and the A-Tag Feedlot V2, built for short-term ID where speed matters: feedlot intake, processing groups and mob identification.
One-piece tags are quick to apply in volume, which is exactly why feedlots love them.
Matching Combos & Tissue Sampling Units
NLIS + Visual Combo Sets
If you want electronic compliance and easy paddock ID in one order, Allflex matching management sets pair an NLIS electronic tag with a matching visual tag, numbered as a matched set, so the number you read in the paddock lines up with the electronic record. The combos we stock:
| Combo Set | Visual Component |
|---|---|
| NLIS Medium + Button | Medium visual set |
| NLIS Large + Button | Large visual panel with button back |
| NLIS Large + Large | Large visual, both halves |
| NLIS Maxi + Button | Maxi visual panel with button back |
| NLIS Maxi + Maxi | Maxi visual, both halves |
| NLIS Super Maxi + Button | Super Maxi panel with button back |
Most of these are also available as TSU combo sets: the same matched pairing with a tissue sampling unit included, so you can tag and take a DNA sample in the same yard session.
Tissue Sampling Units (TSU) in Brief
A TSU takes a small ear-tissue sample as you tag, capturing it in a sealed, barcoded vial that goes off for genomic or disease testing. If you're doing genomics, parentage verification or BVDV testing, TSUs save a separate handling session. We stock the Allflex tissue sampling units along with the TSU applicator, the 96-well storage rack and a barcode scanner for matching samples to animals.
Custom Printing on Allflex Tags
Most Allflex visual tags and combo sets can be custom printed before they're shipped, animal numbers, property codes, names, or multi-line management info. Options include laser printing (up to several lines depending on tag size), high-contrast printing for readability at distance, and custom numbering sequences. For the full rundown on what can be printed where, see our custom cattle tags guide.
Two practical tips: bigger tags fit more lines (that's the Maxi and Super Maxi's whole job), and it's worth keeping your printing simple, a tag you can read in two seconds across the race beats one crammed with detail you can't make out.
If you'd rather hand-write tags as you go, we also stock Allflex tag pens in black and white, they're made for tag plastic and outlast a standard marker.
Allflex Applicators
Allflex applicators are designed to match Allflex tags, and using the matching applicator is the difference between a clean application and a pinched ear or a dropped tag. The applicators we stock in the applicators and accessories collection include:
- A-Tagger V2: the standard applicator for Allflex two-piece visual tags and A-Tags.
- UltraMatic and LazaMatic: Allflex applicators for electronic button tags; each tag's product page lists its matching applicator.
- Manual feedlot applicator: for one-piece feedlot tags, with replacement needles and anvils available.
- TSU applicator: for tissue sampling units.
- Identiplier: plus replacement pins, anvils and jaw inserts across the range.
One important rule: battery-powered taggers only apply visual, standard, fly and feedlot tags, never NLIS or eID tags. Electronic tags need their matching manual applicator. If a beast rips a tag out, the Allflex tag removal knife gets the old button off cleanly before you re-tag.
If you're not sure which applicator matches your tags, check the tag's product page or just ask us, it takes thirty seconds to confirm and saves a frustrating day in the yards.
How to Order Allflex Cattle Tags
Allflex pricing is live on our site, so you can order online without waiting on a quote. Here's what to have ready:
- Your PIC: required for NLIS electronic tags, so the tags are registered to your property.
- Tag type: NLIS electronic, visual, combo set, or feedlot.
- Size: Large is the most common; go Maxi or Super Maxi if you want more print space.
- Colour: many producers follow the year-colour system for visual tags (2026 is orange, letter X; 2027 is light green, letter Y).
- Print details: what you want on the tag, if you're custom printing.
- Quantity: and remember two-piece visual tags need male and female parts.
NLIS requirements are phasing in and differ a little between states, so if you're unsure what applies to your property, check with your state's agriculture authority. The ordering process itself is straightforward, our how to order NLIS tags online guide walks through it step by step.
Tag orders ship Australia-wide from Queensland. If you're newer to cattle tags and want the full picture across every tag type before you buy, our complete cattle tags Australia guide is the place to start.
Quick Reference: Allflex Cattle Tags
- NLIS electronic: white = breeder (born on your property), orange = post-breeder (re-tagged to your PIC). Right ear, always.
- Visual sizes: Button, Mini, Small, Medium, Large, Maxi, Super Maxi. Large is the all-rounder.
- Two-piece tags: order male AND female parts. One-piece A-Tags and feedlot tags self-pierce.
- Combos: NLIS + matching visual in one numbered set; TSU versions add a DNA sample vial.
- Applicators: match the applicator to the tag. Battery taggers never apply NLIS/eID tags.
- 2026 year colour: orange, letter X.
- Shipping: Australia-wide from Queensland.
Allflex Cattle Tags: FAQ
Are Allflex cattle tags NLIS accredited?
Yes, Allflex NLIS breeder and post-breeder tags are NLIS-accredited electronic tags. You'll need your PIC when ordering so the tags are linked to your property on the NLIS database.
Which ear does an Allflex NLIS tag go in?
The right (offside) ear, that's the standard convention so scanners and saleyard staff know where to find it. Most producers put their visual management tag in the left ear.
Can I apply Allflex NLIS tags with a battery-powered tagger?
No. Battery-powered taggers are for visual, standard, fly and feedlot tags only, they never apply NLIS or eID tags. Electronic button tags need their matching manual Allflex applicator.
What's the difference between male and female tag parts?
The female part is the printed panel you read; the male part is the stud that pierces the ear and locks into it. Two-piece tags need one of each per animal. More tag questions? Our cattle ear tags FAQ covers the common ones.
What size Allflex tag should I get for adult cattle?
Large is the most popular all-round size. Step up to Maxi (73mm x 99mm) or Super Maxi if you want multi-line printing you can read from a distance, studs, dairies and feedlots usually go big.
Get Your Allflex Tags Sorted
Not sure which tag fits your setup? Send us your tag details, herd size or a photo of what you're running now, call 0431 183 421 or email farmandacreco@gmail.com and we'll point you in the right direction.