Sheep & Goats
The new rules regarding the identification of sheep and goats was introduced on 31 December 2009 and replaced all existing arrangements for sheep and goats. This system was introduced in order to comply with Council Regulation (EC) 21/2004. The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) Order (NI) 2009 has been made and came into operation on 31 December 2009.
The objective of the system is to ensure full traceability of all sheep and goats in Northern Ireland, particularly in the event of a major disease outbreak.
The main elements of the system will be phased in during the year and are:
- All lambs born or first tagged after 31 December 2009 must be identified with two identifiers bearing the same number, one of which must carry an EID device.
- Animals born after 31 December 2009 do not have to be tagged until they are nine months old or are being moved off the holding, whichever is the earlier. The new EID tags, which will be yellow, will therefore not be needed for them until this point.
- Existing green tags cannot be applied to animals after 31 December 2009.
- Animals presently on farm will have to be upgraded to the new identification system from 1 June 2010, but only when they move off the holding.
- Current export rules will continue until 31 May 2010 for animals born before the end of 2009 and the use of the blue export tag will be allowed.
- Most keepers will not have to buy or use EID readers as we intend to allow markets and meat plants to read tags on their behalf. This means that keepers will not have to list tag numbers on these movement documents.
- Goat keepers will have to comply with the same recording requirements as flock-keepers but they will not have to apply an EID tag.
- Any slaughter tagged lambs, born after 31 December 2009, coming to the North from Britain will have to be upgraded to full EID before they leave Britain.
- Keepers will retain their existing flock or herd number. Each flock/herd number will have the digit ‘’1’’ placed in front of it, so that all sheep and goat tag numbers in the north will begin with “17”.
- There are a number of options available when applying replacement tags depending on the age and origin of the animal and these rules will be covered in more detail in the guidance booklet, which will be issued shortly. Where the animal is no longer on the holding of birth replacement tags must be red.
- Keepers will have the option of using a paperless system of traceability by providing their information electronically through Aphis-Online.
DARD will write shortly to all keepers of sheep and goats to provide them with details of the new system. Guidance booklets together with flock/herd registers and movement document books will follow. The current documents should be used until then.
A series of information seminars to help explain the new rules on EID will be held in your area over the coming weeks. Details will follow.
