The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: georgielmgm on August 13, 2014, 01:17:39 pm
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Hi everyone :wave:
Can I just ask if anyone can describe simply and easily what the new tagging rules are that are coming in next year(?) I believe they are to do with everything being EID? How does this work with buying new stock as surely the info has to be changed somehow? Do you have to buy a special tag reading gadget? Pretty confused as I want to make sure I'm getting it right with any new sheep I buy in the not to distant future and lambs next Spring!
Thanks in advance and sorry if this is a repeat post!
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Sheep are tagged at their holding of birth with the flock number of their holding of birth, and an individual number. Those tags remain with them for life.
Individual tag details are recorded each time the animal moves holding, using movement documentation / computer program, and that is how they are kept track of.
One tag is an electronic tag, which is yellow, and the other is a non-electronic copy of the electronic one, colour chosen by whoever tagged them - any colour except yellow, black, red.
Any sheep which are to live more than 12 months and/or which are to move holdings, must have the two tags.
You do not need an electronic tag reader, all the details are printed on the tags so you can read them by eye.
Lambs which will leave their holding of birth before their first birthday and go straight to slaughter need only have one tag. So-called 'slaughter tags' are electronic but the individual number is not written on the tag.
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Ah I see, a little less confusing than I thought! So is there a time limit in which you have to tag your new lambs as you wouldn't know as soon as they were born which ones we being kept/sold/sent to slaughter?
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Officially they must be tagged by the time they are 9 months old, or when they leave the holding, whichever is sooner.
In practise we find it best to tag at 6-7 months old, after flystrike season and before icy conditions. ;)
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Are you asking about the new rules that are coming in at the end of this year ,when old ewes tagged before EID came in, with double or single tags need to be uprated to full eid double tags ??. Any sheep you buy in the future should be correctly tagged by the seller