[robd]

Our first Glouscester Old Spot piglets are now approaching their slaughter weight so I am looking into the necessary arrangements for the first time. I understand they need to be either ear tagged or slap marked before going to the abbattoir. I have read elsewhere that slap marking equipment is very expensive and that ear tagging is cheaper, although some abbattoirs may insist on slap marking.
I would be very grateful for others experience, including suggestions of where to purchase the relevent equipment at a reasonable price...
Many thanks in advance

[HappyHippy]

Hi Robd,
I'd suggest phoning the abattoir that you'll be using to see which form of ID they prefer, that way you're certain it's going to be okay 
There are loads of places to buy - Supplies for smallholders, fearing international, ebay, ketchum ..... to name but a few.
HTH
Karen 

[oaklandspigs]

Very rough idea

Slapmarker around £70, buy once with some ink, no more expense
Tagger tool around £20, tags around 50p each

Slapmarker - don't need to handle pig
Ear tag - need to lift ear to apply

Both easiest done whilst pigs are eating

Slapmark can be done early, suggest you don;t tag until just vefore they go, as they can pull then out - pig with damaged ear to look after, 50p wated tag plus have to do it again.

[robd]

Many thanks for the above. If slap marking, what happens with heavilly pigmented skins (one of my boys has a large black spot over the whole of one shoulder)?

[violet]

I slapmarked an all black tamworth/saddleback cross - I use green ink ( these were a one off as I'm a Tammie purist) - The tatoo showed on the carcass.
I slapmark at most 3 days before slaughter - that way the ink is still on them & the tatoo is less likely to fade ( though this is highly unlikely), also the slaughter house never queried the mark, as I had entered it on the documents.

Hope that helps 

[welshlass181]

I've got some hand press ear tags that the abattoir will accept and they're fairly cheap and don't need an applicator.  I also slap mark them with purple spray

[SallyintNorth]

I've got some hand press ear tags that the abattoir will accept and they're fairly cheap and don't need an applicator. 

They sound good.  Where did you get them and what make are they? 

[white-blazes]

I've got some hand press ear tags that the abattoir will accept and they're fairly cheap and don't need an applicator. 

They sound good.  Where did you get them and what make are they? 

I'd like to know more about them too please, anything must be better than metal tags

[Hannes]

Interesting...Our Abbatoir accepts them only with a spray mark...easily done when loading or even with the arm stuck through the wall of the trailer...

[oaklandspigs]

Interesting...Our Abbatoir accepts them only with a spray mark...easily done when loading or even with the arm stuck through the wall of the trailer...

Hannes - you are in Scotland and the rules are different from England and Wales (and indeed France!) - one EU law - lots of different interpretations!

See
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=17866.msg168719#msg168719

for a detailed description

[oaklandspigs]

Many thanks for the above. If slap marking, what happens with heavilly pigmented skins (one of my boys has a large black spot over the whole of one shoulder)?

You can slapmark any colour pigs, it is a tatoo and all pigs dress out white. The abattoir just need to be able to see that it has been slapped as it arrives.  We do black ink on black shoulders for some of our crossbreeds, and the tatoo is a ink dark black against the lighter black of the pig, and shows clearly if done a day or two before.

[JulieS]

Definitely best to check with your particular abattoir, as they all seem to vary in what they will accept.

Ours will only accept if they have a metal eartag.

[welshlass181]

Hubby has the car this morning and they're in the boot so when he comes back i'll take a photo of one and post it on here.  I get them from my local farmers shop.  Maesteg Abattoir takes them we took one down to make sure that they would be ok and they said yes.

Give me until this afternoon and i'll have a photo

[welshlass181]

Right as promised lol even if they're a bit late.









the herd number is on the other side.  I get them from http://www.cpfltd.co.uk/ (website is down but the phone numbers are there) i think they work out about 30p each which suits us as we only keep a small amount of animals and i didn't need a applicator.  Maddocks meats in Maesteg take them and say they're ok to go through the process of slaughter

[SallyintNorth]

Very helpful welshlass181, I will follow up on that.  Thanks