[egglady]

I think this is right but just want cleverer folk than me to confirm please:

Single tag for lambs due for slaughter under 12 months - any colour?
Double tags for breeding stock?  What colours?  Same or different?
And for missing tags what do i need?  i seem to remember red but cant quite remember!

many thanks

laura

[lachlanandmarcus]

For animals born 1 Jan 2010 or later and going for slaughter before 12 months
One non EID slaughter tag, containing only the flock number (cant use any old ones which might have had indiv nos on them). Any colour other than red (reserved for replacements), black (reserved for sheep with bolus ID). Ideally also not yellow as recommended to use that for EID tags only as its reserved for that in rest of UK). 
If you later upgrade to keeping beyond 12 months this has to be cut out and full EID tags put in (red if not on holding of birth, colours as below if off holding of birth)


For animals born 1 Jan 2010 or later and kept over 12 months, one identifier must be electronic and the other a conventional ; both identifiers must have the same individual number - a zero then your unique flockmark followed by a five-digit indiv animal number. It's recommended but not compulsory (in Scotland) to use yellow for the EID tag, the other non EID tag can be any colour except red (reserved for replacements off holding of birth) or black(reserved for bolus tags)

Replacement identifiers applied off the holding of birth must be red (including replacement EID identifiers);

[Rosemary]

You only need to use red replacement tags if you don't know the information on the old tag. I have bought replacement tags this year for any of mine with one or sometimes 2 missing - because I knew both the flock number and individual numbers for each sheep, I could get exact replacements in the colours I use for each year.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Ah yes, didnt add that bit, thanks Rosemary, of course the suppliers do charge a nice price for those individual replacement pairs bless em...:-)

Personally if a sheep is on its holding of birth I see no traceability reasons for tagging it till it leaves. But being a rule following kind of girl I tag em all...

[Corrie Dhu]

In SCOTLAND the single slaughter tag IS EID, therefore animals born or identified after 31 December 2009 will always have one yellow EID tag in Scotland.

The first year I single EID slaughter tagged everything and upgraded the ewe lambs, this year I double tagged nearly everything and probably will do that in future.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/08120157/7

[lachlanandmarcus]

 yes you are correct not sure where the 'non' came from as it was pasted straight from the booklet-

one (EID) for under 12 months to slaughter, 2 tags, (1 EID 1 none) for over 12 months.

But they do not have to be yellow in Scotland for EID, the rules say it is recommended to match the compulsory yellow colour for EID in England and Wales but not compulsory to be that colour.

To be honest I tag none until over 6 months old and then double tag everything. The rules are so complex it's just easier tho more expensive. We do choose to use yellow for EID and then I got candy pink for the other ear non EID one so the boys all look disgusted with their girly earrings!

[Corrie Dhu]

I'd be really surprised if anyone used a colour other than yellow.  I haven't seen any going through the mart without a yellow tag.

The whole thing is utterly ridiculous and having different rules for different countries in the UK is ludicrous when there is cross border trading.  Not to mention that the cost of it in Scotland is more than anywhere else because EID is mandatory. 

[acorn zwartbles]

when u double tag, is there a set side fir the eid tag to go in? ie left or right ear.

[SallyintNorth]

Ah yes, didnt add that bit, thanks Rosemary, of course the suppliers do charge a nice price for those individual replacement pairs bless em...:-)

Shearwell supply replacement tags free for the life of the animal.  I suspect you can get a discount if you are happy to forego the free replacements though... 

I'd be really surprised if anyone used a colour other than yellow.  I haven't seen any going through the mart without a yellow tag.

Down here, just south of the border, we've seen all combinations.  Two orange.  Two blue.  One blue one pink.  One green one yellow.  Single non-yellow.  Single yellow.  Actually I haven't seen any red at all and I haven't seen any double yellow or double black.  Apart from that I think I have seen everything 

[Rosemary]

when u double tag, is there a set side fir the eid tag to go in? ie left or right ear.

I hope not :-)

[Corrie Dhu]

No there isn't but I always put the EID tag in the left ear, harking back to when tags were supposed to be in the left ear.  Try and do all your lambs the same.

[janeislay]

I couldn't get yellow tags this year; so have to go with double blue. Rules are far too complicated for the likes of me.

[shep53]

when u double tag, is there a set side fir the eid tag to go in? ie left or right ear.

    YES it states in the rules the left ear standing at the rear of the sheep looking at the back of its head.      SALLY  bought shearwell tags last year got two tagging pliers instead of replacements free for life , lost two tags so far. AND so far i have not seen a redtag.

[Anke]

Mine are all white - both the EID one and the non-EID. So far no comments from anyone, and I do not know which side I put the EID one in.... and yes all of mine (incl the goats) are double tagged with one EID, independently of when they are going. I have hassle enough as it is remembering all these different rules!

[lachlanandmarcus]

when u double tag, is there a set side fir the eid tag to go in? ie left or right ear.

    YES it states in the rules the left ear standing at the rear of the sheep looking at the back of its head.      SALLY  bought shearwell tags last year got two tagging pliers instead of replacements free for life , lost two tags so far. AND so far i have not seen a redtag.

Haha! I think of that as the right ear (I know Im wrong but still). so all mine have it in the wrong ear, noone has complained yet but Im sure its only a matter of time! will swap ears for the next lot.

Crazy system!