[Dogwalker]

I went to order sheep EID tags yesterday,
 after a long discussion on type - the ones I've had before for the goats don't come in EID so I need yet another pair of taggers. 
I thought it was all sorted to continue the numbering from the last plain goat ones I  bought.

I've just had a call to say cos I  haven't had EID ones before they'll start at 1.
Does it matter that I'll then end up with a goat and sheep with the same flock and individual number.
Or do I order those and not use the first few.

What do you do if you keep both goats and sheep.

[Anke]

I guess this has arisen because you are using different tag manufacturers for your goats and your sheep?

You really should use the next number from your EID tags from your sheep tag (Goats and sheep are all lumped together for herd/flock numbers). If you think your sheep tags are not suitable for goats, I would just go back to your goat tag supplier with the numbers from the sheep tags and order replacement tags (with the specific numbers).

I use only one tag manufacturer for both sheep and goats, and need to order replacement tags for my pedigree girls all the time.... they are used to it.

[Dogwalker]

Not really,
  It's the same supplier but because I got goat tags last year which aren't EID  numbers 1-25, but I've only used a few,they're saying the EID will start again from 1 not from 26 as I requested.  This is the first year I've needed EID sheep tags.

Much easier if it was different flock/herd numbers.

[wytsend]

The goats SHOULD be a different herd number...............the flock number relates to the sheep only.

Talk to Animal Health and they will help you sort it out.

[Dogwalker]

No
 I was given the same number for goats and sheep when I first registered and they confirmed that was right.

[Calvadnack]

I was offered a choice of different herd\flock number, but choose the same number as I've got lots of tags suitable for my Shetland sheep, so should be OK for future goats.

[Anke]

No
 I was given the same number for goats and sheep when I first registered and they confirmed that was right.

Yes that's correct. Goats and sheep come under the SAME flock/herd number. Stupid I know, but since when did EU rules ever made sense....

I had the same problem with my sheep numbers as I only started to keep sheep a couple of years before EID became compulsory. So I had double sets of the lower numbers too, as quite a few of my breeding ewes were homebred from the year before and got (double) tagged with numbers 1 to 15, then I started again with the same  (EID)numbers for the lambs born... I just decided that it was not my problem, and I never had anyone coming and questioning it.

[wytsend]

Think there must be different interpretations of the rules depending on where you live. !!

[BadgerFace]

I have a different flock number for my sheep and herd number for my goats. (and different herd number for my pigs). And I guess if I ever kept cows would need yet another herd number.

[ballingall]

It's true enough, when I got some orphan lambs and had to order some EID tags for them, I had to start at 1 again. Not so much of an issue for me, as we are now at 85 or so with the goat numbers, and the lowest number we have on a goat is 9, but she was bred by someone else, so doesn't have the same flock number.


I think the lowest number we have of our own is Lantana who is 48, so I can manage to keep 2-3 orphan lambs every year and hopefully shouldn't run into goat numbers.


Beth

[Dogwalker]

Maybe I'll just have to start again from 1, use EID for all of them and scrap the goat ones I'd bought ready but not yet used.


A couple of years ago I had a tag check and the lady wanted to see the sheep she had recorded on her computer print out.  I only had three goats at the time no sheep.  Whoever had done the data entry had made the error but it took some convincing and form checking.

  The goats had gone to stud and come back as sheep.  So much for movement forms and traceability.

[tizaala]

Goats and sheep = same flock numbers. Ied's will start at 0001 , in whatever colour you choose . usual combo is yellow for left ear (ied) blue or green right ear, non ied.

[Dogwalker]

Just for future reference for everyone.

I spoke to someone at trading standards today,
He said he'd be happy with them having the same number if I got different colours for the sheep and recorded the colour along side the tag numbers in my flock records.

hopefully that's one problem sorted.

[Lesley Silvester]

That's one way round it. Thank goodness for getting someone with some sense instead of a jobsworth.