GovWire

You must ensure sheep and goats are tagged correctly so that they can be traced at all times. This is to help prevent and contain the spread of disease.

These are the identification and tracing rules to follow when you want to:

• export to the EU
• move to Northern Ireland
• transit through the EU or Northern Ireland

There are other rules for exporting, for example having the necessary health certificates.

Read about:

• exporting or moving livestock or poultry
• moving goods in and out of Northern Ireland

How to tag sheep and goats for export

All sheep and goats you want to export must have the following 2 tags:

• an EID (electronic identification) tag
• a visual (non-EID) tag

The EID tag must be either a yellow EID ear tag or an EID bolus (ingested by the animal).

When tagging with a yellow EID ear tag

The accompanying visual (non-EID tag) must be either one of the following:?

• an ear tag of any colour except yellow, red or black?
• a green pastern band (it can be any colour except yellow, red or black but only green is being supplied)

When tagging with an EID bolus?

The accompanying visual (non-EID tag) must be a black ear tag with a B printed on it.

Where to buy tags

Buy tags from ear tag suppliers approved by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

When ordering tags, youll need the county parish holding (CPH) number and flock or herd mark for where you keep the animal.

Replacing lost or damaged tags

You must replace a lost or damaged tag within 28 days or before you export or move the animal if this is sooner.

What to record in your holding register

You must record the:

• animals official identification numbers before they move off your holding
• date of the movement off your holding within 36 hours

If youre moving animals to an assembly centre

Within 36 hours, you must record the:

• date of the movement off your holding
• total number of animals moved

Find out how to keep a holding register.

Report the off movement to the Livestock Information Service

You must report the movement to the Livestock Information Service (LIS) within 3 days of the animals leaving your holding.

Find out how to report a movement to the LIS.

If you use common land

You cannot export or move animals directly from common land.

You must bring the animals back to your holding, follow the standstill rule and check they are tagged correctly before you can export them.

Common land is land owned by one or more persons where other people, known as commoners have rights to use the land, usually for grazing.