[john and helen]

i hope this isn't a silly question, ..but when buying new stock, how soon would you change the ear tags..

and i guess, you would get your ear tags made up once you have your CPH and holding numbers ,
i know the pigs numbers are different …

[hughesy]

I can only speak for pigs as we don't keep any other livestock that use a tagging system. It's slightly complicated when you're new to it but essentially once a pig has been tagged you don't change it. Pigs under a year old and not intended for breeding can be moved onto your holding on a temporary mark, eg a sprayed or crayoned mark, and once they're ready for slaughter they'll need a metal tag with YOUR herd number. Breeding pigs will have their own individual ID which will stay with them for life. The various breeds use different means of identifying individual pigs so  some use ear notches plus tags, others use tattoos etc.

[Bionic]

Pigs under a year old and not intended for breeding can be moved onto your holding on a temporary mark, eg a sprayed or crayoned mark, and once they're ready for slaughter they'll need a metal tag with YOUR herd number.

Hughesy I don't agree with this. We buy weaners which come to us with a temporary mark (a blue stripe on their backs) and when they go to slaughter they do need our own herd no but it doesn't have to be a metal tag. Ours are slap marked. It may be that the abbatoir you takes yours to has a preference for metal tags but obviously not all do.
I like the tattoo because its clearly visible when you get your meat back so you know its yours. 

[Rosemary]

You never change ear tags - the only time you replace ear tags is if they fall out and get lost. Sometimes you can replace like for like if you know the exact numbers, say in pedigree stock, or you get special replacement tags which are red (I think) for sheep.

When you breed your own stock, you'll put in ear tags with your flock / herd number and the unique numbers but you don't take out existing tags of stock you buy in and put in your own.

[john and helen]

agh….so pigs can have a temp mark.whilst bringing them from seller to your place .if under 12 months old, but when you send them off to slaughter they need to be tagged with your own tags, metal or otherwise

unless they are breeding pigs, and they will have their own number throughout their lives…i am guessing this is done at selection..ie breeding/ slaughter..by the breeder

sheep and cattle ..you keep the same tag as supplied by the breeder, but if you breed from them, the offspring gets tagged by you with your number


so i guess that means , you could have sheep and cattle with other peoples holding number on in your fields and they would also have your own tag on them…. is that right..or am i being totally thick 

[SallyintNorth]

so i guess that means , you could have sheep and cattle with other peoples holding number on in your fields and they would also have your own tag on them…. is that right..or am i being totally thick 

No, each animal has one tag (or pair of tags) only.  With the exception of pigs, these are applied at the holding of birth and carry the herd or flock mark of the holding of birth.  The animal wears these tags for the whole of its life and you do not put your own tags in on arrival, or indeed at any time.  When you move them onto your holding you will record their ear tag numbers in your movement book, and you will do the same when they move off.

Animals born on your own holding get your ear tags with your flock/herd number, and keep these for the whole of their lives.

Pigs under 12 months old can be moved on a temporary mark but must be tagged for slaughter.  On the pig movement documentation you must list the holding of birth, so traceability is achieved here too.

[hughesy]

Pigs under a year old and not intended for breeding can be moved onto your holding on a temporary mark, eg a sprayed or crayoned mark, and once they're ready for slaughter they'll need a metal tag with YOUR herd number.

Hughesy I don't agree with this. We buy weaners which come to us with a temporary mark (a blue stripe on their backs) and when they go to slaughter they do need our own herd no but it doesn't have to be a metal tag. Ours are slap marked. It may be that the abbatoir you takes yours to has a preference for metal tags but obviously not all do.
I like the tattoo because its clearly visible when you get your meat back so you know its yours.

Yes OK slap marks are used by some I was trying to keep it simple.

[tizaala]

When you buy in new stock you record it in your stock records book so if you get inspected it is all there backed up with the movement sheets, any animals born on your place will carry your ear tags.

[john and helen]

thanks guys  that was perfect sally in the north…got it now 

sheep and cattle keep the same ear tags as 1st issued..you just keep their number in your book

pigs under 12 months can arrive with a temp marking, but must be tagged before leaving for slaughter,with my tags  and it must be documented of the pigs birth holding ..

breeding sows will keep the same number throughout their life ….

[Lesley Silvester]

And, just in case, goats are the same as sheep and cows. 

[Backinwellies]

The definitive guide to sheep and goats!

http://www.defra.gov.uk/farming-advice/files/SMR-8-Sheep-Identification-and-Movement-QA-Updated-July-2012.pdf

[john and helen]

just one other question….. so i know the goats, sheep and cattle keep their number for life, as does mrs breeding sow….

so when i buy my 1st pigs, they will come with a temp tag, or marking…and i know that when its time to move them off for slaughter, they need to be tagged…and the original holding needs to be documented ….. so here is the question…do you tag your new pigs right away, or just the day before going off to slaughter

[john and helen]

thanks linda

[Womble]

To add to John & Helen's question:  When you do slaughter tag your pigs, whose tag do you use?  I take it it's for your OWN herd number?

[Fowgill Farm]

Can only comment on pigs but ours don't get their slaughter tags or slap mark until the day before they go otherwise there's a chance they'll get ripped out or lost, do it while they have their last feed the night before and they hardly bat an eyelid, make sure you don't hit a vein in the ear or they bleed like hell.
The tags have my herd mark + a numerical number think we're upto our 140th slaughter pig! We ordered the tags & pliers from our ag merchant think they're ketchum but Fearings do them as well.
HTH
Mandy