The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: angusrr on June 28, 2017, 06:49:25 pm

Title: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: angusrr on June 28, 2017, 06:49:25 pm
hi,
a few weeks ago I bought in some lambs which were originally intended for slaughter so only came with a single slaughter tag. i have decided that i will keep a few of the ewes for breeding. do i just remove the slaughter tag and put in a pair of my own breeding tags or do i have to order separate red replacement tags? Also one of the wether lambs has lost its slaughter tag in the stock netting, i have managed to find the tag but it will need a replacement before being sent to market next week. do i just put in one of my slaughter tags or have to order a replacement tag?
Thanks
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: shep53 on June 28, 2017, 08:25:40 pm
You need to order a pair of red double tags for each of your lambs  weather  keeping or selling  with your flock number  , from july 1st all  hoggs are classed as over 1 yr old and need to be double tagged and since you purchased them you need red pairs .      You then note in your holding register  old tag number and new tag number and reason for retagging  as upgrade to double tags
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: angusrr on June 28, 2017, 09:30:30 pm
thank you,
does it matter if a fat lamb is sent to market with double tags? because I can only order red tags in breeding pairs with individual animal numbers.
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 28, 2017, 09:59:16 pm
thank you,
does it matter if a fat lamb is sent to market with double tags? because I can only order red tags in breeding pairs with individual animal numbers.

No, that's no problem.

However, what is a problem is recording the allocation of the replacement tags in your holding register.  Unless you have an electronic reader, you won't know what number is on each slaughter tag, so cannot identify which animal is retagged with which new number.  (Officially, you cannot upgrade to double tags once the animal has left its holding of birth, for this reason.)
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: shep53 on June 28, 2017, 11:02:49 pm
Please clarify  lamb born spring 2017 or hogg born spring 2016 .      Quote from gov site ( if you decide to keep a lamb or kid beyond a year old you must replace its single tag with 2 adult identifiers before its first birthday . If the lamb or kid is no longer on the holding where it was born , you can only do this if you can trace the animal back to its holding of birth  )        I upgrade a few hogs every year  , 4 this year  and I just ask some one who I know has a reader eg the mart to read the slaughter tags  for me
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: angusrr on June 29, 2017, 07:15:41 am
Thanks for the help.
Lambs born Spring 2017.
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: shep53 on June 29, 2017, 11:43:59 am
OK still easiest to order red tag pairs  for the purchased lambs , so that you can sell the wether and keep some ewe lambs for breeding . The remaining lambs ? who still have their slaughter tags and are to be sold are fine .    It is ok to replace the lost slaughter tag with an exact replica or a red slaughter tag with your flock number , but for only 1 its probably easier to stick with the double reds .     How  ? did you manage to buy  jan ? born lambs ?
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: Buttermilk on June 29, 2017, 04:21:48 pm
    How  ? did you manage to buy  jan ? born lambs ?

The usual way is with money :)
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: angusrr on June 29, 2017, 06:35:57 pm
    How  ? did you manage to buy  jan ? born lambs ?

The usual way is with money :)
Correct!
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: angusrr on June 29, 2017, 06:56:25 pm
thanks,
what i think i will do is retag all with double reds with Eid slaughter tag still in ear. i will then cut out Eid slaughter tag one at a time and use a PERMANENT marker to write on the back the animal number on the red tags. then i will take the eid slaughter tags into mart for them to read and i will make note of numbers and update holding register accordingly.
what numbers do i need to get from the mart when they read the tags? is it the equivalent of an animal number but just not printed on slaughter tags?
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: shep53 on June 29, 2017, 07:43:23 pm
Each slaughter tag will have the holding of births  UK0 ??????   visable which you entered into your holding register when they arrived ,  plus an EID chip with a 5 digit individual number for each lamb .     Very rare for jan born lambs ,so near to being finished for sale  and based on present prices would be fairly pricey ?
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 29, 2017, 08:00:58 pm

what numbers do i need to get from the mart when they read the tags? is it the equivalent of an animal number but just not printed on slaughter tags?

Exactly so.

Your proposed tactic seems sound to me :thumbsup:
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: angusrr on June 29, 2017, 08:16:16 pm
Each slaughter tag will have the holding of births  UK0 ??????   visable which you entered into your holding register when they arrived ,  plus an EID chip with a 5 digit individual number for each lamb .     Very rare for jan born lambs ,so near to being finished for sale  and based on present prices would be fairly pricey ?
charollais x lambs born march time. they were sold to me at £40 / head. i was trying to find something wrong with them because they seemed too cheap but all good strong lambs. :fc:
Title: Re: upgrading slaughter tags
Post by: shep53 on June 29, 2017, 08:26:39 pm
Sounds like a bargain to me  :thumbsup: