[Sbom]

So the day is approaching when piglets are ready to leave......
Now am I right in thinking that as there under six months and destined for the freezer, then they can leave here with a temporary mark and don't need a tag??

[Tudful Tamworths]

You need to have a herd mark from Animal Health and that number needs to be on the metal tags or the slap marker that you use. You have to either tag or slap-mark before they will be accepted by the abattoir. The fact that they are under 6 months doesn't matter. The only time the pigs can move under a temporary mark (i.e. a spray/paint mark) is when they are moving from the holding of birth to another holding.


Hope this helps. If not, please message me. Liz

[Fowgill Farm]

Sbom
I take it you are selling weaners on to other people for fattening? In which case they just need a coloured mark (sheep crayons do) & the new owners can send them to the abattoir on their own metal tags. On the AML when you fill it in and its says individual id just say no and put in comments coloured stripe, this will suffice for all fattening pigs under a year old. They will need a metal tag to go to slaughter.  If you are selling them as pedigree then they need to be tattooed, notched or tagged as the breed standard demands before sale.
HTH
mandy

[Sbom]

Thanks, yep there just moving to another holding for fattening on. I know they need tagging for slaughter but wasn't sure about moving weaners  thank you again!

[arwelcoed]

How about if you want to send fattening pigs under 12 months to your local market? Would they need tagging or would the stripe be ok?

[Fowgill Farm]

How about if you want to send fattening pigs under 12 months to your local market? Would they need tagging or would the stripe be ok?

Not sure of the answer so would check with your local market what they require, its only a telephone call or an e-mail.
Mandy

[Tudful Tamworths]

I thought you meant you were sending them off to the abattoir. That's the way I read your post. No problem moving on a temporary paint/spray mark to another holding if they're less than a year old.


In reply to arwelcoed - pigs of any age still need to be tagged or slapmarked if going for slaughter. The "under 12 months" rule only applies to weaners moving from the holding of birth to a second holding.

[JulieWall]

When I asked about this I was told 'it depends on the slaughterhouse as some have their own requirements'. Sure enough, the one I used asked for metal ear tags so I put them in when the gilts were still quite young. I had visions of how impossible it would be to hold a porker still to tag it so it seemed like a better plan at the time. In the end, because I tagged them whilst they were eating they didn't even flinch and just carried on troughing, lol.

Just my own opinion of course, but at least with metal ear tags you can be more sure of getting back your own pig. I have known people discover a mix-up after the pig comes back from the butchers in joints and then have the annoying problem of the butcher blaming the slaughterhouse and the slaughterhouse blame the butcher.

[Tudful Tamworths]

The only way tagging helps in that respect is if you get the head back, too. Not everyone asks for the head.
I don't slapmark, because I prefer tagging, but it does leave offer a permanent mark on the carcase which can't be removed. That's a more reliable form of traceability.

[hughesy]

Everyone seems to mistrust the abattoir. Has anyone actually had a problem with getting the right carcass back? Would you know anyway? The abattoir I use is great never had any issues with them. There is always something I recognise my pigs by such as the odd scar or ripped ear.

[JulieWall]

I think if your pig has distinctive markings or colourings it is easy to recognise. My large black x old spot still had black stubble.
The friends I heard tales from seem to have had it happen at two different slaughterhouses which did make me wonder if they were not marking their pigs properly before sending them, or even if they were just mistaken. It's not the kind of thing you ask in case it offends but it does seem a bit of an unlucky coincidence if true.
A complete stranger at the mart warned me off a local butcher saying he retained some of their meat, so it's not just slaughter houses people mistrust. I take it all with a pinch of salt as a processed animal will look much smaller when bagged up.

[Tudful Tamworths]

I have 100% confidence in my local, small-scale abattoir (D.H. Havard in Caerphilly - an excellent slaughter man and butcher, by the way. Never any doubt about getting my own pigs back.


However, I was just making the point that slap-marking is a more certain way of making sure that you get your own pigs back - if that's a concern at your particular abattoir.

[JulieWall]

Just out of interest, as I have bought the pliers and tags now, but we did wonder if the slap marks stand up to the scalding process before debristling. Can you still see the mark afterwards?
I have to use metal tags because Millers of Speyside ask for them.

[Berkshire Boy]

Slap mark is the only guaranteed way of marking your pigs. If you don't have the head it doesn't matter what type of tag you use. The slapmark is a permanent mark that survives the whole slaughter process.