Sheep Tags

PaddyJules

Please help a very confused newbie to sheep tags!

Ordering sheep tags and need to put in the 12 digit number which I think is

04 - the 5 digit designator number -the 5 digit sheep number.

Am I right so far?

Then I have to put in the 'Check Letter' - what the hell is this? Where do I get this from? Such hassle for a tag!

Bizzum

PaddyJules wrote: »

Please help a very confused newbie to sheep tags!

Ordering sheep tags and need to put in the 12 digit number which I think is

04 - the 5 digit designator number -the 5 digit sheep number.

Am I right so far?

Then I have to put in the 'Check Letter' - what the hell is this? Where do I get this from? Such hassle for a tag!

I know nothing about sheep tags, but on cattle tags the check digit is the last digit before the large individual number.

So calf number 101 for example would in large numbers have 0101. And the previous digit would be the check digit, so could for example be 5. If you were reading out the tag you would read the animal as " 101 with a 5".
Hope you can make some sense of that!

PaddyJules

Totally confused now! Please explain in simple terms

Bizzum

PaddyJules wrote: »

Totally confused now! Please explain in simple terms

Here's an example of a cattle tag.

IE3015876 9 0013

In this case the check digit is the 9.

Highland

Check digit on sheep tag is a letter not a number - found on the tag (i.e. A,B, C etc) only required if you are ordering a replacement tag. You are not required to record it in the dispatch docket even though there is space for it. And you do not have to record it in the flock register also

PaddyJules

Thanks for all your help. Trying to catch the sheep to check their tags now. They have a tag in one ear from the previous owner so we need to order a tag for the other ear. I am right in this?

Username John

PaddyJules wrote: »

Thanks for all your help. Trying to catch the sheep to check their tags now. They have a tag in one ear from the previous owner so we need to order a tag for the other ear. I am right in this?

I am guessing these are lambs you are keeping yourself for breeding?

This wont help you as its another question - could you put on a new EID tag 'set', remove the existing tag. Then record in your flock book the retagging, of the old tag number to the new EID tag number.

The rules around this arent very clear - See here

In the case of sheep going for sale via a mart before 12 months old they may be tagged in just the left ear with a conventional tag which must be approved as a mart tag. (Upgrading to EID - Animals less than 12 months of age bought at marts and tagged with one conventional mart tag can be upgraded to double tagging with a specific EID tag if they are to be retained for breeding. This must be done by the time the animal is 12 months of age.)

• Live Trade - Sheep born after 1 January 2010 and engaged in intra-community trade or third country exports must be double tagged with a conventional tag in the left ear, bearing a 12 digit number, and either a ruminal bolus or an electronic tag in the right ear, bearing an identical 12 digit tag number to the conventional tag. Sheep purchased for export and not identified as above can be upgraded to EID status as follows:
  • a) a bespoke EID tag bearing the same number as the conventional mart tag already on the animal can be ordered by the exporter
  • b) The sheep can be re-tagged with a new EID set and the new tag number correlated to the old number in the flock register of the exporter

As it can be done for live trade, you would imagine it should be possible to do this for ewes you keep as well...

But... don't take my word for this, I am just speculating...