The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

Annex C

Location Flock / Herd Register

Notes of Guidance on how to use the Flock/herd register correctly and on the correct use of tags will be included in the printed version of the register which will be issued to keepers in early October. Draft Notes are on the following 2 pages and we welcome your comments.

Draft Notes for guidanceNotes for guidance

Using the Flock/herd register correctly

1. This flock/herd record book is designed to meet the record keeping requirements for sheep and goats as laid down in Council Regulation ( EC) No. 21/2004. This legislation was introduced to provide a European Union system for identifying and tracing the movement of sheep and goats. The record book is designed to ensure keepers record the information that the above Regulation requires and where possible, space has been created for management/subsidy information to be entered. These details should go in the columns headed in italics.
2. You must record all movements of sheep/goats to and from the CPH within 36 hours of the movement taking place. Your flock/herd register must be made available to inspecting and enforcement officers. You are also recommended to start a new page on 1 January each year and you must retain these records for 6 years.
3. Use a new line each time an event occurs e.g. move on and off on the same day - this includes animals sent to market and brought home unsold and also moves to shows, dipping, shearing and AI centres. Lambs sold with their mother must also be counted.
4. Once a year, you must record for this flock and herd, the total number of sheep and the total number of sheep and the total number of goats that were present on this holding on a date yet to be fixed - see consultation paper at section 5.3.6.
5. There is a requirement to record an animal's individual number in the flock/herd record book in specific circumstances, such as movements to shows or for breeding exemptions, or for export, or where the 3 tag limit ( see below) will be exceeded.
6. A flock/herd record must not cover animals located at more than one CPH.
7. All the flock and herd records you have for one holding constitute the holding record

Identification Tags

8. From 1 January 2006 all tags must be of an approved type. Your tag supplier is aware of this and can explain what is required.
9. Tattoos can only be used as an official identifier on animals born on or before 9 July 2005.
10. All lambs and kids must be uniquely identified before nine months of age (or six months if intensively reared) or before leaving the holding of birth, whichever is sooner. We recommend you identify your animals when you gather them in for routine procedures, whilst taking into account possible welfare issues. Remember, before sheep and goats leave their holding of birth for any reason they must be uniquely identified. Lambs or kids born on rented grazing must be identified with a unique UK number featuring the flock/herd mark for that holding - see 10 below. You may wish to contact your local Animal Health Divisional Office to establish the correct flock/herd for this land. This ensures your animals are correctly and uniquely identified.
11. UK Baseline tags - For all unidentified animals still on their holding of birth, the eartag must bear the letters UK, followed by the flock/herd mark of the holding of birth and a unique 6 digit individual number e.g. UK 541541 000345. Any colour except Red. Animals born after 9 July 2005 and going for export must be double identified.
12. S Baseline tags - For all unidentified animals NOT on their holding of birth and not already baseline identified, the eartag must bear the letter S, followed by the flock/herd mark of the current location followed by a unique 6 digit individual number e.g. S 541541 000345.
    Any colour except Red.
13. Replacement baseline tags - If a sheep or goat loses a baseline eartag, and the animal is not on its holding of birth, you can either. replace it with an identity tag (if you know the animal's official identity) or with a red Replacement tag. The R tag should consist of the letters UK, followed by the flock/herd of the animal's current location mark followed by a unique 6 digit individual number followed by the letter R e.g. UK 541541 000124R. This tag type must be red in colour
14. Movement tags - For animals leaving any holding other than the location where the baseline mark was applied, a movement S tag should be applied consisting of the letter S followed by the flock or herd mark of the current holding the animal is moving from e.g. S540540. No individual number should be added to this type of tag. If the keeper chose not to apply a movement tag or the animal already carries the maximum of 3 official tags, then they must record the animal's full baseline number in the flock/herd records and on the movement document. The type of tag allows traceability back to a sheep or goat's previous holding.
15. F tags - Sheep and goats imported from outside the European Union must be identified with an F mark on the holding of destination. within 14 days of arrival in the UK. This tag consists of the letters UK followed by the flock/herd mark, and a unique 6 digit individual number and the letter F. A sheep or goat arriving from another member state ( MS) retains its MS identity.

If you have any queries on which correct type of tag to use, please contact SAMU staff at eitherlivestock.ID@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or on 0131 244 4202.or on 0131 244 4202.

Replacement Tag Record

Bold = CompulsoryItalics = Optional

Bold = CompulsoryItalics = Optional

1. If the animals are travelling to or from a show, their unique individual number should be listed on the Movement Document and listed in column H above .
2. This also applies if the keeper chooses not to apply a Movement tag or if the animal already carries 3 official tags and the movement being undertaken would normally require a Movement tag to be applied. This is the 'Read & Record' option.

** Permit number: this information will not be required until forthcoming EU legislation on Animal Welfare is introduced - probablyin 2006

« Previous | Contents | Next »