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Author Topic: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?  (Read 30549 times)

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #30 on: March 28, 2011, 07:38:33 pm »
Am really confused!
Yesterday delivered two weaners that I have tagged with my number to move them from my holding - the tags have been in a week. The new owner intends removing them and slapmarking them. What's the point?!!! It's cruel and unneccessary - why can't the animals ID stay with them like it does with cows :-(
Leri
1. Stop trying to make sense of this, the rules are written by a committee of office workers who go nowhere near pigs :)
2. Pigs under a year old can move on a temporary paint mark, and have to be re-tagged in England and Wales for slaughter and don't legally need to be tagged in scotland.  So your best course of action is to stop tagging them when you sell them, just put a spray mark on.  That way the pig only gets a tag or slapmark ID shortly before slaughter - and little/no risk of ripped tags needing replacement.
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Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #31 on: March 28, 2011, 08:12:56 pm »
Hi,

I Think this makes it quite clear (for England)

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/pigs/idmovement.htm
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Mrs pig

  • Joined Nov 2010
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #32 on: April 01, 2011, 11:41:31 am »
Pigs going to slaugter do not need a tag of any kind unless the slaughter house requires it.  however, they do need by law your herd number on them - either by metal tag or by slap mark.

Someone elses herd number is not acceptable as these pigs have come from you're holding where YOU could have a notifiable disease not the previous owners.

It's all about traceability and the slaughter house must be able to trace the pigs back to you're holding.

I suggest you contact Animal Health in your area if you are unsure of what to do  - it is vital traceability is manitained!!

Dan

  • The Accidental Smallholder
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Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #33 on: April 01, 2011, 12:19:26 pm »
Hi,

I Think this makes it quite clear (for England)

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/pigs/idmovement.htm

That link's broken, this has the information very clearly stated:

http://tinyurl.com/pigmovement

Just as oaklandspigs and Mrs Pig have said, and contrary to earlier posts in this thread, there is no legal requirement for the eartagging of pigs going to slaughter in England.

"All pigs going to slaughter must be identified with their herd mark." - so it's an eartag, slapmark or tattoo; a temporary paint mark is not sufficient. And it must be the number of the herd from which they are being moved to slaughter.

Your abattoir may have their own requirements though, so check with them before moving your pigs.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2011, 12:21:11 pm by Dan »

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #34 on: April 01, 2011, 01:43:32 pm »
now for some more confusion :(
farmer black breeds and sells pedigree pigs his biddie in is an enviormentalist and does not approve of notching or tattooing so he double tags all  his pigs
farmer white buys an in pig gilt from farmer black(according to what has been posted) farmer white has to re identify that pig as his with his herd number therefore stopping him from breeding pedigree pigs because it cannot be id as the pedigree papers he was given when he sold it
farmer white gets jacked off with this and sells her on to farmer green who then has to tag her with his herd mark
farmer brown purloins this pig inserts his tag and beats the whole system and is well on his way to making his first million
no wonder we are having difficulty getting pigs back into shows in Scotland the only one that is making any money is the tag supplier
sheep and cattle are far easier to work with you apply for a replacement tag and is recordered as such (not having done this yet )
if you are sending a pig to slaughter your name on the form with address and farm code with the id number of that particular pig  irrespective of who tagged it when and with what(as long as it survives the process of slaughter)is all that is required or am i to sensible with this factious pedigree pig AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT THE WHOLE TRACEBILITY  b*****ks STOPS AT THE REMOVAL OF THE LAST TAG :wave:

Mrs pig

  • Joined Nov 2010
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #35 on: April 04, 2011, 11:49:45 am »
Hi SfS

please note that it is not a legal requirement to have  tag in for slaughter.

the legal requirement is the Herd number on the animal.  this can be a tag or a slap mark but it has to be the herd number.

Lillian is not illegal in not having a tag - however, she is illegal if she does not have the herd number in  some form on the pig eg tag or slap mark on both sides.

 I do however, agree that the abattoir that takes pigs without an Id  is in big trouble if a pig has a notifiable disease and they cannot show how to trace it back to the farm!!!! 

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #36 on: April 04, 2011, 01:37:30 pm »
now for some more confusion :(
farmer black breeds and sells pedigree pigs his biddie in is an enviormentalist and does not approve of notching or tattooing so he double tags all  his pigs
farmer white buys an in pig gilt from farmer black(according to what has been posted) farmer white has to re identify that pig as his with his herd number therefore stopping him from breeding pedigree pigs because it cannot be id as the pedigree papers he was given when he sold it
Not quite right.

Farmer white can quite happily keep the pig throughout its life on his farm with no need to add any further ID or remove any. He must only ADD a tag or slapmark with his herd no. if he takes it to slaughter (England & Wales) In scotland he can take it to slaughter on paint mark if his abattoir lets him.
farmer white gets jacked off with this and sells her on to farmer green who then has to tag her with his herd mark
No, at the stage of selling farmer white would add add a tag with his herd no. if he sells it as a breeding pig to another holder over a year old, or just use a temprary mark if he sells it on under a year old (England & Wales).  In Scotland he would move it on a paint mark at any age if he sells it on as breeding pig to another farmer. Farmer Green would again need to do nothing with ID until he either sends it for alughter or sells it, when the above rules are repeated.

I would hate pigs to go the way of sheep or cattle, but would love PRIMO 2003 rules to come back in, whereby when a tag with herd no. has been added, this counts as ID for subsequent moves.

Apart from that I totally agree with your sentiments that all ID for pigs (pedigree and legal) is just very very confusing, and neither the BPA or many breed clubs really help explain it.






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oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #37 on: April 04, 2011, 01:40:52 pm »
Lillian is not illegal in not having a tag - however, she is illegal if she does not have the herd number in  some form on the pig eg tag or slap mark on both sides.
Mrs. P - Not illegal in Scotland where Lillian lives! They are still under PRIMO 1995.  see my ealier post stating the rules for all three countries.
However I would always recommend a tag or slapmark to give good tracibility through the process.
www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
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Weaners for sale - Visit our site for details

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #38 on: April 04, 2011, 02:25:09 pm »
we end up with a pigs ear that has more information on it that a spy's micro dot tattoo, notch's, tag i, tag 2 and tag 3
traceability they could not trace the white line on the road  forms can still have full traceability with the original tag. your pig goes to slaughter with your form filled out by you it has the pigs id number on it irrespective of who gave it that number now the Spanish meat inspector identifies your pig as having galloping lurgie the papers identifies the pig farmer as you with that pig and its id number does not matter what the number is simple  or is that the problem just to simple :wave:
now cattle sheep and pigs were getting along just fine with the old system that was in place for years      along comes BSE and FOOT AND MOUTH  both with suspect origins and we have some group of pen pushers that control our working day and impose legislation that we all have to ad hear to   :wave:

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #39 on: April 04, 2011, 06:16:43 pm »
Lillian,

"we end up with a pigs ear that has more information on it that a spy's micro dot tattoo, notch's, tag i, tag 2 and tag 3 "   ;D ;D
You are dead right, the solution is way out of proportion to the problem !

www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
"Perfect Pigs" the complete guide to keeping pigs; One Day Pig Courses in South East;
Weaners for sale - Visit our site for details

Mrs pig

  • Joined Nov 2010
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #40 on: April 05, 2011, 05:35:48 pm »
Oaklands
I agree with all you have said but the bottom line that all who have posted seem to be misunderstanding is that pigs can and do go to slaughter in England without ear tags.  slap marks are the usual manner for hundreds of thousands of pigs - so Lillian can send her pigs to slaughter both in Scotland and England without a tag as long as her herd number is slapped on that pig...  but I know you know this.

 


Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #41 on: April 05, 2011, 08:30:32 pm »
Hi again,

Actually the slapmark is the preferred method, as there is no chance of the pig ID being lost in the de-hairing process.

I think you would struggle to find a commercial herd with ear tags.

Also worthy of note is that the quality of slapmarking is scored by the abattoirs and three Bad slaps means a report to animal health - of course this does not apply (yet) to small producers or abattoirs.

Thanks
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robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #42 on: April 05, 2011, 08:51:37 pm »
the whole thing is b*****ks or crap or what ever expletive you want to describe it  :o :o :o
just heared of two pigs that went to slaughter on paint mark only (Scotland) and this is with a strict vet overseeing the slaughterhouse
NO TAG NO NOTCHING NO TATTOO NO SLAPMARK        :wave:

Mr Pig

  • Joined Mar 2009
Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #43 on: April 06, 2011, 08:59:18 am »
And if you go back and read Oaklands Pigs excellent explanation of 21 March, you will see that a paint mark is perfectly in order in Scotland.

Re: Ear tags for slaughter - one or two?
« Reply #44 on: April 06, 2011, 09:12:23 am »
I do like a lively debate  ;D ;D ;D
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