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Author Topic: ear tags  (Read 7348 times)

peartreewoodlandsmallholding

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • staffordshire
ear tags
« on: July 18, 2012, 08:07:36 pm »
Hi ive 8 hebrideans and 3 of them only have 1 flock tag in.all the rest have the 2.you can see that they have had tags in
in before they have marks in there ear.s ive only  had them 2 weeks.there 3 years old and for breeding.do i need get replacements.if so
do i use my details or previous owners?? Thanks emma

Mallows Flock

  • Joined Apr 2012
  • Shepton mallet
    • Somerset Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
Re: ear tags
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2012, 09:40:39 pm »
Hi Emma
LOL @ natives... they just LOVE ripping their ear tags out!
You have 2 choices so I believe... one is to buy replacement tags if you know the numbers/details with the original details on but these will probably cost you about £4 each OR you can order yourself a strip of 10 red replacement tags - individual and EID... and put an additional 2 tags in.
I guess it despends what you are doing with them! If they go to market or slaughter, the auctioneer told us as long as they have ONE tag in they are ok!
What date were they born? they may have been born before the date EID tags became mandatory!
 
From 3 to 30 and still flocking up!

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: ear tags
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2012, 11:20:39 pm »
I believe, as they're 3 years old, that they don't need eid ear tags. It's only been for the last 2 years that  electronic tags have been required for sheep that are being retained.
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

peartreewoodlandsmallholding

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • staffordshire
Re: ear tags
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2012, 12:19:27 am »
Well all of them are 3 / 4 years old and only 3 of them are missing
eid tag the others have them so i dont know if i should get them ?? Its all puzzling to me ive read
the defra book on tags but still non the wiser oh there for breeding.thanks x

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: ear tags
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2012, 10:09:33 am »
When you say flock tag, do you mean they don't have individual id numbers?  (ie they just have the flock number, and no other number) 

If they are 3 or 4 years old then they only need one ear tag, but it needs to have the flock number and an individual ID number. It doesn't need to be EID.


So, if they have the two numbers on their tags they are ok.  If they only have the flock number on they are not ok, and you will need to get a set of red replacements tags which will have your flock number on and individual id numbers, and you will need to record these tags in the "replacement tags" section of you flock book.  You may as well get EID tag pairs (one EID and one non-EID) as you will have some left over and the likelihood is you will use those on newer sheep which will need EID.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: ear tags
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2012, 01:22:29 pm »
Given the grief and cost of replacing EID tags - has anyone tried, or given any thought to, using the bolus alternative?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: ear tags
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2012, 07:27:33 pm »
f they are 3 or 4 years old then they only need one ear tag, but it needs to have the flock number and an individual ID number. It doesn't need to be EID.


.
             Sheep born 2011   EID      Sheep born  2010  EID     Sheep born  2009  EID        Sheep born  2008    Two tags   non - eid        Sheep born  2007   Single tag .     On  01/01/2010   the tags changed  a 0 was added after   UK  and the  individual numbers  started at  1   five numbers ,  six numbers in 2008-9   .  Only  individual numbers of sheep born after  1-1-2010 must be recorded in the continuous register upon death or sale

LecturerGem

  • Joined Jul 2012
Re: ear tags
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2012, 02:08:30 pm »
Hi all, having a problem with ear tags myself.  My colleague has brought 3 Texel lambs onsite this month and when I was catching up the group for foot checks I noticed that the tags on these lambs don't have the UK flock number on.  They have the individual numbers on but the other side is blank.  Never seen this before on tags!!! The lambs have come from a very reputable Texel breeder and the flock number is on all the paperwork.  Any ideas why the number is not on the tags?? Will we have to replace the tags with our own flock number??  Any advice much appreciated!

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: ear tags
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2012, 07:07:24 pm »
 First call should be to the breeder, are they bolused ??? or ear tattooed ???   , one tag or two???

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: ear tags
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2012, 09:56:44 pm »
If they still have one tag with two numbers (individual and flock) it is easier to get a replacment of that, only use red tags if you don't have the individual numbers at all - and you should have their numbers on the movement documents anyway.
 
You should also check that they do not have a tattoo in their ears - one individual and one flock number. Just a possibility. Then you don't have to do anything.
 
Re the texel lambs - I would definitely check for tattoos if they come from a reputable breeder, if he has any sense and quality stock he would tattoo - makes it a lot harder to sell stolen tups on as breeding stock!

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: ear tags
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2012, 09:15:29 am »
Are the black tags?  If so, they have a bolus.

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: ear tags
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2012, 09:46:20 am »
re the bolus idea, if the theft of sheep continues to increase as it is at the moment, it is likely that boluses will become more common, since they cant be removed as readily as ear tags. Mind you it stil depends on someone along the chain having any morals and being concerned as to where they come from

CaroleBulmer

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Barrington, Somerset
Re: ear tags
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2012, 11:31:11 am »
the problem with Boluses (!) is that they are harder to insert than you think.  During the "Scrapie" days when animal health officers inserted them for registered sheep many an animal was injured / died and this was done by experienced operators so I would be very wary about going down this route.

LecturerGem

  • Joined Jul 2012
Re: ear tags
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2012, 12:50:24 pm »
The tags are not black so no bolus, I will catch them up and check for tattoos.  They have one tag in each ear but each tag has only the individual 3 digit number.  The other side of the tag (where the flock number should be) is blank

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: ear tags
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2012, 03:01:20 pm »
the problem with Boluses (!) is that they are harder to insert than you think.  During the "Scrapie" days when animal health officers inserted them for registered sheep many an animal was injured / died and this was done by experienced operators so I would be very wary about going down this route.

 
....BUT they are relatively easy to hack back up.  With the NSP boli as well as the copper ones we put in some years, we would find a fair sprinkling dotted around the pastures.  With EIDs as with the NSP boli, you then need a reader to find who is missing their bolus.   At least with eartags you have a visual clue as to who has lost one.
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