Sheep and goat condensed guidance
In Scotland, sheep and goat identification and traceability are vital for disease prevention, control, eradication and the protection of public health. This condensed guidance is designed to be a handy companion to, and complement, the existing sheep and goat guidance already available.
Identification
Sheep and goats must be identified by 9 months of age (or 6 months if reared indoors), or when they leave the holding of birth – whichever comes first. Identifiers can be ear tags, tattoos, pastern tags or boluses.
- Adult animals (12+ months) – sheep must have two identifiers with the same individual number: a zero then your unique flock mark, followed by an individual five-digit animal number. One of the identifiers must be electronic (EID). Goats must also have two identifiers with the same individual number, however EID is voluntary for goats, unless they are intended for export
- Slaughter animals (animals aged under 12 months) – must be identified by a single EID batch tag, known as a slaughter tag. However, you can use two identifiers as for fully EID-identified animals, if you wish. The electronic slaughter tag only has the flock mark printed on the outside of the tag
Identifiers used for both ‘new tags’ and ‘replacement tags’ must be ordered from Rural Payments Agency (RPA)-approved manufacturers and follow colour and format rules (e.g. yellow is recommended for EID tags and red for replacement tags, if applied off the holding of birth).