The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: moony on October 08, 2013, 01:43:08 pm

Title: Sheep identification
Post by: moony on October 08, 2013, 01:43:08 pm: I have a question regarding tagging. Thanks to a dog I now have one sheep with only one ear and one with both removed. Presumably in the one with an ear remaining I can just double tag that ear but what do I do with the one with no ears?
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on October 08, 2013, 02:12:44 pm: Quote from: moony on October 08, 2013, 01:43:08 pm
I have a question regarding tagging. Thanks to a dog I now have one sheep with only one ear and one with both removed. Presumably in the one with an ear remaining I can just double tag that ear but what do I do with the one with no ears?

Probably the best option to comply would be a Bolus, small round tag they swallow. Altho normally Bolused sheep have a single tag to show they are Bolused. But it would be the nearest you could get to meeting the regs, and I'm not sure the ear tag for Bolused sheep is compulsory, might want to check with council animal health on that or Deathra 'help" line...:-)
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: kanisha on October 08, 2013, 02:49:35 pm: I understand pastern bands are approved under EU law whether you can get them for sheep not sure...
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: Marches Farmer on October 08, 2013, 02:54:18 pm: How about asking DEFRA? I'd be interested to know their answer because I have a ewe that's torn out 5 tags by putting her head through the fence to eat hawthorn leaves in the hedge and has very little ear left on either side.
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: Fleecewife on October 08, 2013, 03:06:01 pm: Yes a definitive answer from the mouth of the oracle itself would be good. Hoping it won't be 'cull them' :o :sheep: :sheep:

I too have some sheep with shredded ears, but they're older and not going anywhere so their replacement tags live in the house with their pedigrees. Tags inevitably have their drawbacks, but so do boli (which are easily coughed up) and pastern bands (which could constrict a growing leg).

I'm sorry to hear that your sheep were attacked by a dog. A slight comfort is that the dog may have swallowed the existing tags and will have some problems ejecting them from the other end. One way to identify the culprit - scan it !

Please let us know what Defra decide.
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: zarzar on October 08, 2013, 08:13:09 pm: I have seen some of our local sheep with a collar on containing a tag that looks like one you would use on a cow as they seem to shred their ears to. Pic is off google thou
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 09, 2013, 04:32:53 am: They look like milk sheep - Frieslands. So probably a dairy herd, and managed similarly to a bovine dairy herd, where collars are more common.

I wonder if it's in the UK?
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: mowhaugh on October 09, 2013, 06:32:22 am: Sorry to hear that, moony. I, too would like to know what the answer from the powers that be is.
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: shep53 on October 09, 2013, 12:50:04 pm: Seen the odd lamb sold at market with tag tied around neck
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: Sbom on October 09, 2013, 02:20:45 pm: I've just been ordering more tags and noticed that that also sell collars for sheep with tags that attach at Shearwell Data.
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: Foobar on October 09, 2013, 03:38:52 pm: Quote from: Sbom on October 09, 2013, 02:20:45 pm
I've just been ordering more tags and noticed that that also sell collars for sheep with tags that attach at Shearwell Data.
...aww, and bells!!! ;D
Title: Re: Sheep identification
Post by: zarzar on October 09, 2013, 09:07:30 pm: My girls would go made if a bell attached to them lol as we have one that rings for feed time (they would think they getting feed all day long lol)