[Thyme]

As a complete novice with all this to deal with next year, I can tell you that tagging is really confusing. Even you guys cant agree what's legal so what hope for me? 

Keep it simple and double tag them all at 3-4 months.  And don't bring in any that aren't already double tagged.  Works for me

[Paulie]

Thanks for all the input guys, this stuff is really complicated for a beginner and I realise I have made a number of errors.

 In response to kibo

Hellybee and shep53, you're both assuming the hoggs were initially sold as stores.
Snowyriver you're assuming the hoggs were sold for breeding purposes.

I didn't purchase them from the breeder but from their second owner so I'm unsure of what was originally intended for them. But the person I purchased them from was keeping them for breeding.
I didn't go and see them before I purchased them and was unaware of the tagging situation initially.
Though when I was made aware in my naivety I just thought I pop one of my eids in 
Now it seems I'm in the wrong no matter what I do 

[shep53]

Please don't stress  , you'll  only be a couple of months late in putting in the upgrades  ( the end of june is when all hoggs  are  officially  1 yr old )    and better late than never  .    Make sure you put in details of  both previous owners in the  holding   register .

As a complete novice with all this to deal with next year, I can tell you that tagging is really confusing. Even you guys cant agree what's legal so what hope for me? 

Keep it simple and double tag them all at 3-4 months.  And don't bring in any that aren't already double tagged.  Works for me

          Good system   

[Paulie]

Thanks shep53 I will be sure to follow the above! 

[snowyriver]

There's every possibility that parts of all your posts are correct.

We can’t argue with that now can we!

Now it seems I'm in the wrong no matter what I do 

Don’t dishearten over this misunderstanding, the only thing I think you’ve done wrong is have tegs over 12 months old on your holding with slaughter tags (for 6 weeks as shep53 says). Just follow the advice given and you should be OK.

Keep it simple and double tag them all at 3-4 months.

Totally agree with keeping things simple.
By tagging at that age (July-ish) do you not find that flies play havoc with the lambs’ ears, or do you use a fly repellent? We’re now hole punching both ears at marking in May and it’s all healed up nicely by the time we need to tag them at weaning.

[Thyme]

I haven't yet found flies to be a problem with the ear tagging, but it's been very cool all summer where I am (hardly ever over 20 degrees) and I think that has kept the flies down.  The tags go in pretty cleanly with no blood and heal up quick.  Also I dosed all the lambs with Dysect at the same time.  But maybe it'll be different in a different summer, will have to see.     

[snowyriver]

Also I dosed all the lambs with Dysect at the same time.

When a system works for you, stick with it.
Dysect is reported to 'reduce the incidence of headfly strike in sheep and lambs for up to 6 weeks'.

[clydesdaleclopper]

We’re now hole punching both ears at marking in May and it’s all healed up nicely by the time we need to tag them at weaning.

I've not heard of this before. What do you use for the hole punching?

[snowyriver]

I've not heard of this before. What do you use for the hole punching?

Hi clydesdaleclopper.

We use a 1/4" Ear Punch, which punches a circle shape.
You can use this for identification or to punch holes for ear tags.

It's much the same as the one in this link:-
http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livestock/health-care/ear-punch/140019-1-4-ear-punch.html

[clydesdaleclopper]

Snowy do you find you have fewer tag problems doing it that way? Also what age are they when you do it?

[snowyriver]

Lambs are born mid March onwards and we mark and ear punch them around 7 to 8 weeks old.

We tag the lambs at weaning end of July, by that time the punch holes have healed completely, so you already have a small hole in the ear to put the tag through and we would be very unlucky to have any problems with tags.

Before we started punching the ears, we always had problems with ears going bad after tagging, whether they were lambs in aftermath, rape and we've even had some going bad after the ewe lambs were sent away to tack.

It works for us.