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For more information, please contact the team at Mole Valley Plus on 01769 576201 or email molevalleyplus@molevalleyfarmers.com. |
Animal Identification
Ear Tag Order Hotline: 0845 6016926
We have a local rate telephone number set up to put you in direct contact with a sales co-ordinator who can process your order for ear tags. Dialling 0845 6016926 ensures that your order can dealt with by a trained and informed member of our team. If you are ordering ministry tags please be sure to have you herd/flock number and your CPH (holding) number to hand as this information will be required. With lots of numbers and letters involved it can often be easier to fax or email the information to us. If you would like to do this, our fax number is 01769 576223 and our email address is eartags@molevalleyfarmers.com.
- Regulations for cattle
- Regulations for sheep (including advice about the new EID rules introduced on 31 December 2009)
- Regulations for goats (including advice about the new EID rules)
Please remember that applicators are often specific to individual types of ear tags. Using the wrong applicator can result in the two halves of the tag not joining together properly and, potentially, the loss of the tag.
Our ear tag suppliers include:
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Dalton |
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Ministry regulations for cattle
Ministry Regulations - England, Scotland, Wales. All cattle born after 1 January 2000 must be double tagged with a primary tag in one ear and a secondary tag in the other. The primary tag (both male and female parts) must be yellow plastic, be distance readable, and be indelibly printed with the crown logo and the letters UK, a 6 digit herd number of the holding of birth, and a further 6 digit animal identification number eg UK 800675 202145. The secondary tag must carry the same information, but may also carry management information. Any tag which is lost must be replaced with a new tag printed with exactly the same information as the original lost tag. It is an offence to move cattle which are not double tagged.
Important tagging information for sheep keepers in England
New rules on the EID of sheep were introduced from 31 Dec 2009. If you’re a farmer with sheep it’s important for you to know what this will mean.
Download and print for future reference - A Farmer's Guide to EID by EBLEX BRP (PDF, 228KB).
Ritchey have also produced a handy guide to Sheep EID from 31 December 2009 (PDF, 2.34MB).
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Sheep born or identified after 31 December 2009, which are not intended for slaughter within 12 months of age, must be electronically tagged. -
Sheep intended for slaughter within 12 months of age may be identified with a single visual tag bearing only your herd/flock number and no individual number (ie. non-electronic slaughter batch tag). You may choose to electronically identify these sheep if you think there is a chance that they may not be slaughtered.
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Individual recording will be required for all sheep, except for those identified with a slaughter batch tag. A phased introduction to individual recording has been agreed to give industry time to adjust to the new recording rules.
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You do not have to purchase electronic reading equipment. You can choose to record individual numbers manually if you prefer.
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Tags printed in the existing format will not be able to be used in 2010 as from 1st January batch tags must only have your flock/herd number printed (ie. No individual number). Yellow will only be available for electronic tags. Black tags will signify that a sheep is fitted with a bolus and Red tags will continue to be used only for replacement tags.
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Electronic tags and new series batch tags will be available from September 2009 when the DEFRA database goes live.
Frequently asked questions:
When will EID be introduced?
31 December 2009.
What does this mean for sheep keepers?
Sheep, which live beyond 12 months of age, will need to be electronically tagged and individual records kept.
What about animals intended for slaughter?
Animals intended for slaughter within 12 months of age can be tagged with a single non-electronic slaughter batch tag. Individual recording of these animals is not required. The rules do, however, require the number of animals with different identities within a batch to be recorded. This may be difficult for some premises, such as markets, which handle large volumes of animals at speed and they may require the application of an EID tag to be able to handle your stock. We’ll keep you informed as this develops.
Will I need to purchase reading equipment and a computer?
No. Individual animal information can be recorded manually if you choose. It is up to you to decide whether it will be easier for you to use electronic reading equipment to capture individual animal information. If you need further information we can help.
What do I have to do and when?
01 APRIL 2009
Identification
Buy only enough tags that you need up until 31st December.
Plan ahead and place your order for slaughter batch tags and electronic tags to avoid delays. (specify the date you require them and they will be delivered and billed at that time).
31 DEC 2009
Identification
Apply two ear tags to animals to be kept beyond 12 months of age. One of the identifiers must be electronic and both must bear the same individual number.
Apply a single non-electronic slaughter batch tag to animals intended for slaughter within 12 months of age. This can be electronic if you wish or your customers require it.
Holding Register
Individual animal information must be recorded for electronically tagged animals born after 31 December 2009. Batch records continue for slaughter animals and animals born before 31 December 2009.
01 JAN 2011
Movement documents
Individual animal information must be recorded for electronically tagged animals (i.e. born after 31 December 2009). Batch movement documents continue for slaughter animals and animals born before 31 December 2009.
Movement documents
Individual information must be recorded for all animals, except for animals born before 31 December 2009 which are moving direct to slaughter or via a market to slaughter where batch movement documents continue to apply.
What happens next?
DEFRA will be consulting on proposals to implement the new sheep identification and traceability rules early in the Spring. Further information will be provided as more details of the new requirements are agreed.
What should I do?
Speak to the Mole Valley Plus “tag team” to discuss the type of tag and reading Equipment available (if appropriate).
Ear Tag Order Hotline: 08456 016926
Important tagging information for goat keepers in England
Implementation of Electronic Identifcation (EID), and individual recording from 31 December 2009
- EID for goats in not a mandatory requirement as our goat population is below the EU threshold. The current double-tagging rules for goats therefore continue to apply from 31 December 2009.
- Main change for goat keepers is the introduction of mandatory individual recording elements (ie changes to record keeping rules). This will apply to all goats irrespective of their age.
Record keeping rules
- Goats born or identified after 31 December 2009 will need to be individually recorded in a holding register from 31st December 2009.
- Goats born or identified after 31 December 2009 will need to be individually recorded on a movement document from 1st January 2011.
Defra have secured an amendment to the regulation to limit the impact of the introduction of individual recording requirements for older animals (ie born before 31 December 2009)
- Goats born before 31 December 2009 will not have to be individually recorded on a holding register. On and off movements can continue to be recorded on a batch basis.
- Goats born before 31 December 2009 will not have to be individually recorded on a movement document until 31 December 2011.
- Goats intended for slaughter within 12 months of age do not need to be electronically identified or have individual numbers recorded. They can continue to be recorded on a batch basis. However, where mixed batches of animals (ie with different holding of birth identities are moved) the holding register must record the number of animals with the same holding of birth identity within the batch.
- Keepers are not required to maintain records electronically, so you won’t need to use a computer or electronic reading equipment unless you want to.
Consultation
- Defra undertook a consultation (31 March-23 June 2009) on the new EU rules for sheep and goat keepers with implementation of EID and the individual recording elements. The consultation is still available on the Defra website for information at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/eid/index.htm
- Defra undertook a further consultation (6 August – 31 August) as we have secured a further beneficial change (Central Point Recording) which enables alternative implementation options to be considered – see webpage. Central Point reporting means electronically identified animals can be read on behalf of keepers at approved reading points, such as markets and abattoirs.
For more information about EID and the individual recording elements telephone Defra on 08459 335577 or see their website.
For website enquiries and online orders phone 08456 033622 (8am – 8pm 7 days a week)
