The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: twizzel on July 01, 2013, 09:28:52 am
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I've just booked 5 of our lambs in for slaughter next week and the slaughter house want them double tagged- they are under 12mths old. The woman said over 12mths is 1 tag and under 12mths is 2, I asked her twice if that was right and she said yes :-\ I always thought it was the other way round hence why all of our lambs are single tagged...
So now I need to tag them with the 2nd tag- do I go back to the farm I got them from earlier in the year for tags?
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You are correct
You must identify your sheep and goats within: six months of birth if housed overnight
- nine months of birth if not housed overnight
- whenever they move off the holding of birth if this is sooner
- If they will be kept for longer than 12 months you must apply two identifiers (typically ear tags). Both will bear the same unique individual ID number. For sheep one must be electronic.
If they are intended for slaughter within 12 months of age you have the option to identify them with a single ear tag (showing only your flock/herd mark).
see https://www.gov.uk/sheep-and-goats-identification-registration-and-movement (https://www.gov.uk/sheep-and-goats-identification-registration-and-movement)
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I knew I was, found the defra booklet on it online, bit worrying when the abbatoir doesn't even know the rules and regs! :-\
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that's a bit worrying that they have it completely the wrong way round! :o
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Apparently it's their policy to normally have 2 tags in lambs under 12mths... but I've just spoken to someone else from the abbatoir who in turn has checked with the vet and both are happy to accept them with 1 slaughter tag... so panic over, we will be having roast lamb in 10 days :excited:
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On a parallel vein:
I take it that a slaughter tag in sheep is just 'a tag' ie a normal non eid plastic thingy (not metal like pigs). And only if you slaughter after 12 months (not 9?) do you need to have a eid?