[SueAllen]

Now we have our first lambs (4 - all boys) and have done the naval spraying, castrating and docking I am wondering about ear tagging.  I have the tags already but wonder when it is really necessary to do it?  They won't be leaving our holding for quite a while so I wasn't planning on tagging them until they do.  Is that what anyone else does? 

[dixie]

You are supposed to tag them now, I hadnt planned on tagging mine last year til they went to slaughter, but I had an animal health inspection so had to rush out and tag them all the day before! I ordered some tags yesterday apparently you cannot use last years tags on this years lambs, are they just going for slaughter or being kept over 12 months old?

[egglady]

i'm in the same boat and this is our first lambs so totally new to the whole process.  i thought we had to do electronic tagging - is that not the case then?

[Freddiesfarm]

DEFRA - "Lambs should be identified before 9 months of age or 6 months if housed overnight or before they leave the holding of birth which is sooner."

If you are planning on keeping them over a year old then they need to have electronic tags and you are right dixie you cannot use last years tags on this years sheep unless they just have your flock number on them in which case it is fine for slughter animals.

Don't forget as well that there are reserved colours now - yellow is electronic, red is replacement and black is for bolused sheep.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/sheep/documents/eid-quickguide.pdf

[dixie]

Whats bolused sheep?

[Freddiesfarm]

A bolus is something the sheep are made to swallow and which resides in their stomachs.  It can be either a slow release mineral bolus or some sort of electronic ID bolus and was used by the scrapie scheme to identify those animals which had been scrapie tested.

[laurad]

Up until this year, we didn't bother to tag  our sheep until they went for slaughter or to the ram. Many shepherds don't. But this year we are tagging them at about 4 - 6 weeks old. Partly because you are supposed to and partly so that we can keep a check of which lamb came from which ewe so that we know who has done well, and can eliminate genetic problems etc. I certainly wouldn't tag them any younger then that, whatever the regulations are, because it is painful and I couldn't do it to a tiny lamb.

[Freddiesfarm]

LauraD you have a few things wrong - 1.  You are not "supposed" to tag them until they are either 9 months old or are moving off the holding onto another holding.

2. Surely if you are pinching their balls and tails off with a rubber band, an earring is less painful?

I only ear tag mine when I need to - ewe lambs are done at about 3months to ensure as Laura said I know which ones come from whom, whethers destined for slaughter as done as they go making sure that I don't have to retag any animals which lose their tags etc

[laurad]

We don't castrate, so I couldn't comment on that, but in my experience, there is little or no reaction to docking if you do it carefully. I would think that means that it doesn't hurt much at the time. There is always a big reaction to ear-tagging though as there is no gentle way to shove a thick peg through an ear - rather more drastic than an ear-ring - I certainly wouldn't fancy it. As regards when you have to do it - apologies if I got that wrong - it's what I've been told - but we live and learn.

[dixie]

Hmmm my thoughts on this! ear tagging is like ear piercing, a sort sharp pain, all over in a sec through a piece of skin. Banding balls and tails, HURTS! although I do band balls and tails, I am not set up to keep ram lambs separate, and having both long and docked tailed ewes I think docked are much more hygeinic from keeping clean to seeing whats going on during lambing, although a controversial subjet

[Freddiesfarm]

Last year I managed a flock of sheep for a slightly hippy lady who felt it was cruel to dock tails - that was until I called the vet on her behalf as 4 of her ewes had such chronic flystrike on their long dangly tails that I felt it was cruel to leave them untreated. 

If you want to know what docking and castrating must feel like just stuck an elastic band on a finger!!  I had my ears pierced when I was a young thing and don't remember it hurting, but then I am old and grey now and my memory is fading fast.....

[Timothy5]

Here's my two pennies worth, I keep short tailed sheep, so no docking for me.
 
Male lambs go for slaughter before the meat is tainted, so no castrating either.

Afraid there is no way around ear tagging, but I think 3 months is plenty early enough.

[Maxxum120]

On the farm where I Shepherd we only tag our lambs the day before they go to slaughter, we get alot of inspections and there has never been an issue.

We also only tag gimmers with flock tags and replacement ewe lambs with there eid tags at the end of the fly season.

Also ear tagging affects the sheep alot less than castration, I've tagged alot of sheep and  they don't even notice, they get more annoyed by hands touching there ear than the tag going in.

[Bywaters]

We tag one tag only when they can lift their ears up properly - 2 or 3 months old. They get the other tag before market.
It is still easier, imho, to have numbers on their sides for mothering up purposes, rather than looking for tags and remembering (?) who's was who's    (not sure I have got those apostrophies right please feel free to correct)

[PK]

Who's was whose.