Author Topic: My pig's lost her tag (Read 2865 times)

SmallTimeSmallholder · « **on:** July 01, 2012, 08:08:24 pm »

Help! My pigs are due at the abattoir tomorrow and one of them has lost her tag!! What should I do? Give her a new number or will a temporary mark be acceptable?
Panicing ever so slightly now!

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 01, 2012, 08:35:27 pm »

I'd say re-tag, as long as the tag numbers match your paperwork it should be fine

Some abattoirs will accept a temporary mark, it might be worth a phonecall before setting off just to check with them

Hope all goes smoothly tomorrow,
Karen

SmallTimeSmallholder · « **Reply #2 on:** July 01, 2012, 08:48:51 pm »

Thanks Karen,
I think you're right. Hoping I might get away with not having to re-tag & also wondering what DEFRA might make of my 'missing' pig, but as long as my paperwork tallys, then I'm sure it'll be fine.
All part of the learning curve!

manian · « **Reply #3 on:** July 01, 2012, 08:51:21 pm »

i would phone the abbatoir- many will only accept tags or slapmark nowadays

oaklandspigs · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2012, 08:47:39 am »

No abattoirs can accept a temporary mark anymore, rules changed last year for scotland.

The tag only needs your herdmark on it, there is no individual ID required for pigs.

If the pigs came to you with a tag, then legally you should re-tag (leaving the old one in) with your herdmark when they go to slaughter. However since no-one checks that the herdmark matches the sending holding, this is largely ignored, and having more than one tag just adds confusion at the abattoir.

As long as the number of pigs on your holding matches the net of your on and off moves, Defra will be happy, and once killed of course there is nothing to match paperwork against !