pen vs clamp tattoo

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bunhallarabbitry

bunhallarabbitry

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Hi guys!

So we have some rabbits that we'd like to tattoo (for showing purposes as well as just for ID). Now, I'm torn between getting a electric pen tattoo gun or a clamp style. Both have pros and cons, but it seems like many breeders are going for pens now. I'm not sure which I should get. I would love to hear which you guys use, and why you prefer it. Also which brand you have experience with would be great as well!

Thank you!
Savannah
 
Savannah,
Tattooer choice is a personal issue.
I prefer the Clamp type because that is what I am used to and
I don't think anyone perhaps even myself would be able to read
my Chicken Scratches. I take the clamp, prepare it and it's all over
in a matter of seconds. I feel [and I may be wrong] that the p[en would
expand the time spent on tattooing.
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer: :bunnyhop:
 
I second Ottersatin-- not only for the reasons he stated, but physical issues, as well. I Am considering getting a small pen type-- but then again-- there are the physical issues that would make it very hard to tatt more than one or two rabbits at a time. I really don't like having the some of the limitations of the clamp (5 digits/letter) but being able to just get the job done is a blessing--- the painful part of the clamp is 'over with' so fast,the rabbit is not in a pain induced panic anymore than we would be at the moment of a paper cut .
 
I actually prefer using a pen tattooer. They seem to hurt less, maybe because it's drawn out instead of surprising them all at once. My rabbits don't struggle much and I've had a few screamers with a clamp but never a pen.

Also I should add that I can typically tattoo a rabbit with a pen by myself. At least, the Harlequins anyways. My Checkered Giant took three people, a box, and being wrapped in a towel bunny-burrito style.
 
the painful part of the clamp is 'over with' so fast,the rabbit is not in a pain induced panic anymore than we would be at the moment of a paper cut .
Click to expand...

Maybe not your rabbits but mine scream and flail about for several minutes. Then they are hard to handle for the rest of the day. Mine seem quite determined that clamp tattooing means I just tried to kill them. I've heard they are less disturbed by a pen because the needle pricks are smaller but because it takes longer you need a second person to hold the rabbit still or build something to hold them in place with just the ear sticking out. You also have to have good handwriting. If your handwriting is good it tends to give a more readable tattoo though. It's not uncommon for someone to have to go over a tattoo with a pen to make it legible because not enough ink got shoved in part of it with the clamp.
 
I've been putting off tattooing with my new (used) clamp set, and now I have three litters to do! The person I got the clamp from recommended tatting at 5 weeks at evaluation and sexing. Makes sense, the skin and ear tissue is still very soft but for my breeds the ears are big enough to actually fit the tattoo in there, and the tattoo will grow and stretch with the rabbit to be more readable. And it's true, I've never seen one of her rabbits needing a touch up!

I guess I will report back on the trauma factor after I get all 12 (oh wait, plus 3 older 8-10 week olds that I traded for!) tattooed. Blerg.
 
All of mine had too small of ears before 8 weeks including the meat rabbits and I only do 3 or 4 digits. The ones I did that early I had problems avoiding veins or the fringe of the ear so many tats either led to lots of blood everywhere or unreadable. Most of them still screamed at 6 weeks but they did calm down quicker. It might have just been because they were handled more though. I settled on tattooing them at 8-10 weeks for the meat rabbits and 10-12weeks for the mini rex to make well placed readable tattoos. I don't bother evaluating before 8 weeks either unless I have a kit I really like and want to take pictures of early because I can't sell them and they can't breed before then so no point.
 
I like our electric tattoo gun. But you do have to go over the tat a couple of times to get a good broad stroke. The rabbits don't seem to be in pain...I've not done a LOT of ears, but so far it's mostly fighting against being held down rather than "yea gods STOP THAT PAIN!" that I'm seeing. (and the noise can be bothersome to the rabbits. We had one that would flinch and jump when i turned on the machine, but could care less about the actual tattooing.)

My understanding is that the pen style is even easier to use.
 
Hmmm, I think I may go with the pen version.
Now, do any of you guys have any tattooer for sale? Or to borrow? Anything? lol

Thank you so much for your input as well.
 
My 6 week mini Rex got hers done with a pen a.couple.of.days ago and my Dutch got hers with a tatgun today. I.will.have to.post pictures :)
 
bunhallarabbitry said:
Hi guys!

So we have some rabbits that we'd like to tattoo (for showing purposes as well as just for ID). Now, I'm torn between getting a electric pen tattoo gun or a clamp style. Both have pros and cons, but it seems like many breeders are going for pens now. I'm not sure which I should get. I would love to hear which you guys use, and why you prefer it. Also which brand you have experience with would be great as well!

Thank you!
Savannah best tattoo machine
Click to expand...
I am trying to decide which tattoo pen to buy and would appreciate any feedback on your favorite one. I also would love to hear advice on ink color and fading. Thanks! I also appreciate that there is the clamp style and it may work well for you, but I am not a fan and would rather use a pen.
 
jasminepeak said:
I am trying to decide which tattoo pen to buy and would appreciate any feedback on your favorite one. I also would love to hear advice on ink color and fading. Thanks! I also appreciate that there is the clamp style and it may work well for you, but I am not a fan and would rather use a pen.
Click to expand...
I think I would lean toward black ink--it is generally the most stable in humans, and I have a few tattoos. Blue and green can be ok, Red and white are the worst colors in my experience, fade fast, some fading in less than a year for me--I am speaking from human experience here, and my own skin, but also lore from human tattooists, who see tattoos for a lot longer than they will need to last on anybunny. For durable animal marking I would stick to black, green, blue.
 
jasminepeak said:
I am trying to decide which tattoo pen to buy and would appreciate any feedback on your favorite one. I also would love to hear advice on ink color and fading. Thanks! I also appreciate that there is the clamp style and it may work well for you, but I am not a fan and would rather use a pen.
Click to expand...
I have been tattooing for about 6 years, I haven't tried many different types of pens, maybe only 3-5, just whatever my friends had brought to shows. But out of the one I have tried I like the original one I started with best, it may just be because that’s what I got used to first, or maybe it really is that good I'm not sure.

For the pen this is the one I have, the only complaint I have is that it can be tricky to thread in new needles/re-thread after washing, but that is probably operator error because I am a little blind lol. It sits nicely in my hand and isn't too heavy so it's easy to keep control of (a common problems I've found with others), the needle hit well and sharp, and have lasted a really long time (We've had the pen for about 10 years and have only gone through three needles, and that’s mostly because we accidentally bent some, probably over tattooed over 200 rabbits), It's a nice price as well compared to others/for what it is. Plus it come from a small business, if you're into supporting that sort of thing.

For ink as eco2pia said stick to black, green, or blue. I love this ink, I've had the same bottle for a few years now and it still works like new. This ink the pen came with worked fine at first, and the tats have lasted, but after about 3 years the ink in the bottle has seemed to have gone off/separated.
 
Heartbased Homestead said:
Watch out for that Bobby guy. His tattoo one was alright, but in his other videos he has so much misinformation which set our rabbit journey back for a long time. I wouldn't trust anything from him.
Click to expand...
Here's the problem, you apparently agree with the content of this tattoo video, which is the topic of the thread
So why would you bash his other material? If you were not successful with his information, why would you interject your opinion about your failures to this topic, which is about tattoo methods?
These are rhetorical questions BTW
 
PTJeff said:
Here's the problem, you apparently agree with the content of this tattoo video, which is the topic of the thread
So why would you bash his other material? If you were not successful with his information, why would you interject your opinion about your failures to this topic, which is about tattoo methods?
These are rhetorical questions BTW
Click to expand...
Just to throw a bit of my opinion in here, just because someone says one good thing doesn't mean the other things they say can't be bad
 
I use a clamp style, but part of that is combo acces to what tools (clamp + enough letters, number and such is costly) and simple do once and done system. Before i bought it i decided what system i wanted letters and numbers wise. Mine pretty much simplifies down to 1 letter for season, 1 letter for doe line, 2 numbers for year. Does in the left ear bucks in the right (i don't do show, so no worries about needing a "free" ear). Rest of the data is in de flockbook/agenda. I just need a good way to mark the bucks i buy under one letter, keeper bucks get their dam's letter to keep easy track of what i can breed to what (spiral mating system roughly altough i prefer to bring in new bucks rather then breed keeper bucks). Some of that is fresh genetics in general and some is new colors (i like colorfull litters).
 
PTJeff said:
Here's the problem, you apparently agree with the content of this tattoo video, which is the topic of the thread
So why would you bash his other material? If you were not successful with his information, why would you interject your opinion about your failures to this topic, which is about tattoo methods?
These are rhetorical questions BTW
Click to expand...
I am not bashing, you are triggered. That is understandable and I am sorry to be the cause of you experiencing that.

I am cautioning others. He has mis/disinfo that hurt my rabbit journey and set me back a lot. Things like "bucks testicals are always internal" and "rabbits must have pellets", among others. But your questions were rhetorical. You weren't interested in the disinfo. That's ok. I posted so others who were interested could know.
 

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