[Paul and Caroline]

Hi everyone

I have been following a thread on FB re pig movements and an issue has arisen which has caused me concern and I thought I would 'chuck it up in the Air' for some advice or comments from you guys.

In everything that follows I refer to weaners under a year old and not breeding sows or boars.

A number of pig keepers on this thread have stated that when you take pigs to the abattoir they MUST be tagged with your own herd number. If yours is not the holding of birth then you should either retag or ensure the pig bears a slap mark showing your own herd number.

I am under the apprehension that the pig MUST be tagged/marked with the Holding of Birth herd number. The passage of the livestock through all of its handlers is recorded and therefore traceable via the Animal Movement Licences/Forms which are lodged either electronically at (for Scotland) SCOT EID or on paper with SAMU.

I also thought that Livestock should only be retagged with the current handlers herd number if the original tag was lost.

My thoughts are that if the current handler retags or slap marks their own number on an animal how confusing would that get if it went through say 10 different handlers during its life? 10 different tags in the ears (or 9 holes and no solid ear left to insert a new tag never mind the pain you would cause the animal removing all of those tags) or 10 different slap marks on the rump and no way of knowing the chronology of all of those slap marks nor which is actually the current handlers mark...

This post might take a couple of reads to make sense but I am hoping for some reassurance that I have been doing it correctly.....

[pharnorth]

Yes and no. Since pigs do not, unlike sheep and goats, have to have tags or identity until they are moved, and can be moved on a temporary Mark such as an orange dot, the situation is different. In the past I have bought tagged weaners, and untagged weaners (who moved on a temporary Mark). I understand that I could take the tagged pigs to the abbatior on that original tag but as it happened one lost their tag so it was easier to slap mark both of them for simplicity on the movemeets form with my slap mark. The abbatior was fine with this, so it seems is the e pig movement. The piglets that arrive with a temporary Mark always go to the abbatior with my slap Mark, not the breeders identity. Since these non breeding stock always go to the abbatior within the year the scenario you suggest of multiple owners is unlikely.

[Marches Farmer]

Weaners move on a coloured mark.  Breeding stock gets eartagged.  Stock to slaughter gets slapmarked.

[harmony]

Don't think livestock think animal species.


Pigs under a year of age can move under a temporary mark as stated above. It is generally pointless then for those selling weaners to tag them. However through a livestock market they must be tagged regardless of age.


You did say only think weaners so they really aren't likely to have more than two homes. One where they are bred and one where they are finished.