[littlelugs]

Hi all,
We have just bought a small holding and will be moving our pigs from there current holding to their new home, i have two sows who are just over a year old they are not tagged currently as i originally moved them prior to 12mth old using paint marks.... my question is do i have to tag them with my current flock No. and then re-tag them once we are at the new place because obviously the holding number will be different or do the flock numbers transfer?.
 i dont really want to do notching if avoidable and it seems crazy tagging them for a 20min journey and then having to re tag them.. obviously i want to do everything right and inline with regulations... i know the piglets can be moved on paint marks but its the two girls im concerned about..
thanks in advance
Lea

[robert waddell]

if your new premises are in the same county it is logical to assume that you could retain the cph number
but remember this is government we are talking about and they do not do simple
i would ask fist at the office that issues the cph number
you only need to notch if pedigree 

[Berkshire Boy]

Also you can't notch a year old pig, has to be done as weaners.

[SallyintNorth]

if your new premises are in the same county it is logical to assume that you could retain the cph number
but remember this is government we are talking about and they do not do simple
i would ask fist at the office that issues the cph number
you only need to notch if pedigree 

English CPH number is CC/PPP/FFFF where CC is county, PPP is parish and FFFF is farm.  So I think you'd have to be staying in the same parish to be able to keep the CPH number.

However, the herd number may well transfer, and it's the herd number which is on the tag not the CPH number.  So hopefully you would be able to tag them (or tattoo them) just once.  Talk to animal health (who would have issued your herd number.)

[ambriel]

you only need to notch if pedigree

Is this mandatory (in Scotland) ?

Our three pedigree Kunes arrived on a paint mark and have never been tagged, Another posting stated that pigs over a year old can't be notched (not that I'd want to, anyway).

Confused of Kinlochbervie...

[oaklandspigs]

On the original question

If in Scotland, it can move on a further temporary paint maek.

If in england and wales, It is the herd number that neeeds to go onto the tag, not the CPH (nor your flock no. that you have for your sheep!),  and yes this has to be from the holding that it is moving from ie your current number.

In England and Wales, a pig moving to over 1 year old comes under PRIMO 2007 (2008 in Wales) under part 3 regulation 7 which states
7.—(1) No person may move a pig off a holding unless it has—
(a)an ear tag with the letters “UK” followed by the herdmark of the holding from which it is being moved; or.
(b)a tattoo showing that herdmark (with or without the letters “UK”).
Regulation 6(c) states that
(2) A tattoo must be applied either by tattoo forceps, in which case it must be on an ear, or by slap-marking equipment, in which case it must be on each shoulder.

Once the pig(s) have arrived at the destination, they need no further ID to remain there, unless or until they move again, either to another buyer, because you move again(!) or they go to slaughter.

So tag with your current herd no. and nothing further needed.

Once you have moved, advise your local Animal Health, and you should be able to get your current herd no. transferred to your new CPH (assuming you get a new CPH - the rules on CPH's are far too complicated to go into here, and in most cases you'll go for a new CPH, or inherit the one that comes with the land you buy).  Some AH's don't like transferring herd. no.'s so try and get you to have a new one.

Ambreil - your KK's are tatooed not notched - some breeds are notched (eg saddleback) and some are tatooed (eg old spots).

If pigs arrive under 1 year old, then they typically will not have a tag, NOR do they need one as long as they remain with you, only when they move from your holding.

[ambriel]

Nope. My boys have neither tags nor tattoos.

They'll be a year old in October and I appreciate that they will need tagging before any of them go off to the abattoir, but it was the notching bit I was wondering about.

[lill]

Hi Ambriel,
Only pedigree breeds such as  Hampshire, Large Black, Saddleback are notched. I know that i have missed out some other breeds but if you go onto the bpa website it tell you all the breeds that need to be notched.
HTH

[oaklandspigs]

Ambriel,

Their are two requirements 1. legal and 2. pedigree

For the legal side, the above covers, so yours arriving on a paint mark is fine.

Pedigree pigs are then either notched or tatooed.  This enables then to be "birth notified" and if subsequently used for breeding "registered".  To birth notify, the breeder either notches for some breeds or does ear tatoos for other breeds.  They then inform their register-keeper - KK's have their own register kept by wendy scudamore, most other breeds have their register kept by the British Pig association  (BPA). 

If the buyer then uses the pig for meat, if a BPA breed, they can get a "meat certificate" that enables them to sell as say "British Saddleback" pork with proof.  Don't think the KK society does this, as KK meat is not (yet) prized.

If the buyer decides to breed later, then the pig can be registered if it has been birth notified and marked.

Many people only want a meat pig, and are not premium pricing a breed, or indeed selling beyond family and friends, so don't need a birth notified pig, and many sellers don't mark pigs intended for this as it costs money to birth notify and register.

Some other breeders don't birth notify any pigs that don't meet breed standard to prevent them being registered and bred from later, and sell mismarked/non-conforming un-marked and not birth notified, although these are purebred.

It may well be (and I hope it is the case) that your pigs come from registered parents, so are purebred, but as you are taking for meat, have not been tatooed or birth notified.