[jheard]

Hi all!

I am sure this is simple but my small brain is struggling!

We are on the cusp of getting our first lambs and hopefully have everything ready to go. They are about 2 months old and currently not ear tagged. Our plan is to finish them mainly on grass until 6-8M old, depending in their size.

My question is about ear tagging requirements. Obviously they need tagging before movement onto our land. What tags do we need and with what info?

As I said,  in my mind this should be a very simple answer but I'm struggling to work it out, and a lot of forms online seem to be documented as "out of date" with no updated versions.

Cheers everyone for your help!

[SallyintNorth]

Whoever you are getting them from needs to tag them with the tags for his or her holding.  One electronic (yellow) tag and one non-electronic, one in each ear, both with the flock number and the same individual number on them.

You may be told that they only need one single electronic (slaughter) tag.  A slaughter tag has no visible individual number, just the flock number, although the individual number is electronically readable.

In practise, if you plan to eat them yourselves or sell them before they are 12 months old, the single slaughter tag will probably suffice.  But the legislation calls for two tags, showing the individual number, for any animal that is leaving its holding of birth for other than a slaughter market or the abattoir.  So it's safest to insist on this.

[jheard]

Thanks! Just what I needed to know!

The tags don't need our CPH or flock number on them then?

Cheers!

[Womble]

No. For dual tags it's always the flock number from the holding they were born on, plus the animal's individual sequential number. (The CPH number relates to your physical location, so whilst it might be linked to your flock number via you, it doesn't appear on the tags at all.)

[SallyintNorth]

The tags don't need our CPH or flock number on them then?

No.  The CPH does not appear on tags at all.

All sheep (and cattle too) are tagged at their holding of birth, with that holding's flock (or herd) number.  Those tags stay with the animal right through its life.

You'll only need to use your own tags, with your own flock number on them, when you have some lambs born on your holding.

[jheard]

Thanks everyone!  I think I was confusing myself but you've set me straight!!!