[piggy]

Just been out in the garden and found an ear tag on the lawn,its a blue button tag,have just looked on ped certs to see who it belonged to so i had an idea who i should be trying to catch(they are soays) and the second bit of the tag doesnt match who i found it should belong to.Sorry if this doesnt make sence,the tag has the same uk number but the tag number is different than what it is on my ped cert,the ear tag says 7 and the cert says 1.
So for a replacement tag do i match it to what its says on the ped cert or the tag that came out of the ear or does it not matter?
I bought the sheep so they are not my tags.
The sheep is fine thank goodness,bl***y tags.

Thanks

[Fleecewife]

Yes, it matters. 
Check there are not two sheep missing their ear tags.  The UK number is the flock from which the sheep originated (so all sheep from that flock will carry the same UK number), the individual number obviously is specific to that animal, so the pedigree cert is only for the animal with the eartag which matches exactly what is written on the certificate.  From past observation, it is possible (but unlikely)  that the breeder made a mistake when putting in the tags, or has given the wrong certificate when selling that animal.  Check the movement document which came with the sheep which should (in England, I think) record the individual tag numbers of the sheep which arrived.  That way you can check whether you do have an animal with a number which exactly matches the pedigree, unless the numbers were recorded from the certificate, not from the actual ears...in which case it's still a mystery.
All Soay registrations are recorded in The Combined Flock Book of the RBST and if you are member of the Soay Sheep Soc you have access to that and can look up to see if the sheep with the certificate you have (if you don't also have it yourself) is owned by another member.  Before you do that perhaps you should check the whole flock for their tag numbers so you know exactly what the situation is.  If you can't work it out then in theory that sheep is not registered.
I don't know the rules for re-tagging in England. If you are still stuck then check with Julie Suffolk.
Wretched eartags indeed

[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