Sheep & goats

All sheep & goats born after 11 January 2008 should be identified as follows:

•  Animals must be tagged before 9 months old (or 6 months if housed indoors) and, in any event, before they leave their birth holding.
• Two UK tags with the same identification number must be applied if it is intended that the animal will live to 12 months of age or more or will be exported.
• A single UK tag can be applied if an animal is intended for slaughter in the UK before 12 months of age.
• If a single tagged animal is retained and reaches 12 months of age, it must then be double tagged.
• Lost or illegible tags must be replaced within 28 days of noticing loss or damage.
• S Tags and F Tags will no longer be used.

For further information on sheep and goats identification, click on the link on the right-hand side of this page

Pigs

New rules came into force on 6th April 2007.

• Pigs of any age moving from a holding to a market of any kind must be permanently identified with the DEFRA herd mark of that holding.
• Any pigs aged 1 year and over that move off a holding must be permanently identified with the DEFRA herd mark of that holding.
• All pigs moving to slaughter are still required to be permanently identified with a DEFRA herd mark.
• Movements of pigs under 1 year of age between holdings can continue to be identified with a temporary mark.

Identification can be by a slap mark on each shoulder, an ear tag or a tattoo.

For further information on the new rules on pig identification, click on the link on the right-hand side of this page

Cattle

Cattle born after 1 January 1998 must have a DEFRA approved eartag in each ear (double tagging). The tag in each ear must have the same unique number. Such animals will be identified throughout their lifetime by this unique number.

Animals born or imported into Great Britain before 1 January 1998 may continue to be identified by a single tag. Cattle born after 1 July 2000 must be identified by all numeric tags.