[contraflow]

 
Whilst circulating our own survey into the serious welfare effects of ear tagging sheep and goats not intended for the food chain, I have come across a government consultation on alternative means of identifying sheep and goats, which will be of interest to anyone who has experienced the horrific injuries and suffering that can be caused by ear tagging. Since ear tagging was introduced it has been seen to be unnecessary mutilation by keepers of animals such as rare breed sheep, Pygmy goats and diary animals.
No one I have spoken to has been informed of the consultation which closes on the 20^th[/size]September 2013, Please show your support by visiting the links below and help circulate this information amongst like minded people. It may well be possible to change the way we identify our pets and livestock and end the unnecessary discomfort tags have caused but not without supporters.
[/size]please use the links below to access the governments consultation information and survey and our own survey into the welfare implications of ear tagging which will provide evidence to support a change in identification regulations.
Best Wishes
Juilie Westlake
1)
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/sheep-goats-and-deer-electronic-movement-reporting-and-identification
2)
www.tagsinsmallears.co.uk
 

[Hillview Farm]

How else would you Identify sheep? How would it work for med books if they don't have a number?

I feel collars are just as likely to cause accidents as ear tags, easy to get caught in a fence or even strangle themselves so I just cant see how else you can ID your sheep?

[Lesley Silvester]

By injection, similar to micro-chipping. Much kinder and more secure, not to mention being invisible.


See [size=78%]http://www.tagsinsmallears.co.uk/[/size].

[Hillview Farm]

So if one of my ewes need meds how do I know who she is to record it in my med book?

Bloody stupid idea! Where do you draw the line?? If you have a farm inspection and they want to check you have all your ewes correctly ID'd How do they do it? Drag all the sheep in costing more time and stress to the animals.... I think you should get people to learn how to tag correctly! there are soo many people who have no clue, do It incorrectly and then cause the injury themselves!

Rant over

[JulieWall]

I agree that tagging is probably the best solution but these new electronic tags, being bigger, are a liability. I have a couple of ewes with dangly earring tags because they have ripped the hole in their ear and the tags are now spinning round in the huge healed hole. Sheep stick their heads through stock fencing and either pull the tag out completely or rip the ear - even when correctly fitted - when they free themselves.
I think we should have the option to tag only when the animal first leaves the holding of birth no matter what age it is. That way, small flock keepers who know each animal individually by sight can avoid these injuries.
I seem to remember reading something about ankle tags being available from Daltons, or am I mixed up?

[clydesdaleclopper]

I agree with Julie - correctly tagged animals can still pull them out. Also some of the tags we have used in the past had a really large post (the bit which goes through the ear) which meant a bigger hole in the ear and we had a lot that got infected. We have switched brands and this year have not had any problems. It was nothing to do with tagging technique just that a big hole in a small ear creates a point of weakness.

[contraflow]

electronic implants like microchips can be easily read by the farmer, vet, inspector or whoever you wish, simply holding a hand held device against the sheep will give you their unique number, these hand held devices are easy to obtain, our's cost around £100 a couple of years ago, we wanted it to read conventional microchips in cats and dogs etc and the eid eartag chips. there is no reason if the change goes through that anyone will be able to buy these scanners and use them for their own stock. At the end of the day you need to catch up your sheep and then try and read the what could be chewed or missing ear tag to log medication, this way you don't even actual have to hold the animal, so much less stress all round. we have since seen these scanners cheaper, the reason we wanted to scan the eartag was because the numbers are often unreadable due to chewing. plus we have known of a situation where two sheep lost their tags, one had been given medication the other had not, both in this instance did not do to slaughter but if they had then it would have been possible that the medicated sheep could have ended up in the food chain. with the injectable id the farmer would have known with certainty which sheep had received the meds.

[SteveHants]

I rarely lose a shearwell tag - you can, of course ID animals you have treated with marker spray....


i guess the other option is ear notching.

[lachlanandmarcus]

I think only tagging when leaving holding of birth would make the most sense. It's already the case if desired for sheep up to 9 months old. No reason why older sheep couldn't be included. Ok they may go walkabout but lambs just as likely to, and also when I've had wanderers on here the tag numbers have never been any use in tracking down owners as most wandering sheep are the property of short term tack rental grazers and have been through a number of holdings.


At least that way it would minimise the work and the damage to ears, those who want to use management tags or full tags could do so still.

[Hillview Farm]

I'm sorry but I do not agree a micro chip is the way forward. I have NEVER had a chewed tag nor have I lost any tag to this day. I can read my ear tags without even touching my animals. It will not help large scale farmers...

[Rosemary]

I agree that the best change would be to have tagging when the sheep leaves the holding of birth.

I do tag my ewe lambs when they are quite young because I need to be sure who's who for pedigree registration. The tup lambs get done on the trailer on the way to the abattoir.

Some of my older ewes have lost tags but I know them by name and I have their replacement tags for if/ when they ever leave the holding. Some have ripped ears and since they could be around for many more years, I fear I would run out of ear.

I don't fancy microchip - I'm not good with technology and is there not  a danger that it ends up in meat?

[fifixx]

I've had problems with goats catching eartags when pushing through brambles.  But - I have read the Defra consultation and micro-chipping doesn't seem very easy. 

I had a chat to the vet who I had to call out to take out 2 tags that had become infected and tagging at birth is what the commercial sheep farmers do - and then the animal grows up knowing it has something in the ear.  Tagging later - they don't realise.

I think half the problem is my bad tagging - so I will see how it goes with tagging new-borns (and I'll probably be a bit wet and not enjoy it).

I will also look into the foot tags - which the goat keepers can now use I believe in place of the 2nd tag

[Ray Baxter]

We have also been disappointed by the damage done by ear tagging.  The numbers of sheep who catch tags and damage their ears or suffer some kind of infection make it clear that some kind of change would be helpful. Can you imagine the public outcry, if the government introduced a law that all dogs will be required to have ear tags? Newspapers would produce articles about 'Trixie the Poodle' and the distress caused by a ripped ear - a vote looser for sure!

What about tattoos on the inside of the ear? – Surely it would be easy to make a tool that tattooed a simple number or for the more adventurous we could have dolphins, Celtic designs and so on.

[henchard]

Having read the consultation it seems more about moving to electronic movement reporting and the voluntary use of microchips for non slaughter animals.


Can't really see that there are any issues.

[jaykay]

I wish we could just go back to single, non- electronic tags. I agree that electronic chips aren't very handy for the actual farmer and collars would be a liability on hill sheep.

Single non-electronic tags were thinner and lighter weight, seemed to get pulled out less often. I've had several lambs pull out tags already and in each case it's the electronic one, not the other one. And it's made such a mess of the ear, I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to put in another one.

Also when you were doing the tagging, it was over and done before the lamb knew what had happened. Now they are anticipating the second one, so they are more stressed.