When to tag lambs??
Thu, 22/12/2011 - 8:15pm — June A. Smith
I take my ewes and gimmers (around 40 each year) in to the croft to lamb (1st April) and they go out onto the common grazings individually as they lamb (anytime from the end of April until mid-May). We take the lambs off in mid-August. Some years all lambs come in but others I may lose as many as 10, 1 or 2 turn up as year olds. It's a common thing on the island, other flocks being much larger (200-ish). I've been told two things; 1. I only have to tag the lambs when they come in at weaning. And 2. Lambs need to be tagged as I put them onto the common grazings. I would like to know which of these statements to follow.
Lambs must be tagged before
Lambs must be tagged before they leave the holding of birth or before they reach 9 months of age, whichever comes earliest.
Quick guide to sheep identification
Hope that helps
Jon
Do the common grazings not
Do the common grazings not get lumped in with the holding then? Every sheep gets tagged before it leaves the island and we never bring in any stock to protect the local breed.
UPDATE: Please see Scott's clarification in the bottom post
UPDATE: Please see Scott's clarification in the bottom post.
I'm unaware of any clauses in the legislation regarding common grazings but that's not to say there isn't one. I will contact Scot Gov for clarification.
I think if a greater degree of leniancy within the legislation could be sought for the islands it wouldn't much of a risk to the requirement for accurate traceability.
Jon
As far as I'm aware the
As far as I'm aware the common grazing and croft are treated as one unit (for disease purposes, etc), so tagging is not required moving from one to the other. Indeed, I don't imagine Animal Health would give a flock mark to a common grazing, so would not be able to tag the lambs that were born there anyway. That however, is only my understanding of the situation, and may not be accurate.
Moves to and from common grazing
June
Jon
The movement and identification of sheep to and from common grazing is fully covered in the 'Sheep and Goat Identification and Traceability - Guidance for Keepers in Scotland' which was issued to all registered sheep and goat keepers in early 2010. The following is an extract from the guidance:
"Moves to and from common grazing
The very specific historical and legislative rights of crofting townships continued to be recognised in disease control terms against these identification and traceability requirements.
Therefore for the purpose of identification and traceability the ‘township’ will continue to consist of a regulated common grazing and the crofts that have an active share in that common grazing (not apportioned out). This ‘township’ will be considered to be a single epidemiological unit and the rules on identification and traceability will apply to that unit. If you no longer have a share of the common grazing (or it has been fully apportioned) you must comply with the full requirements for keepers explained in the earlier sections of this guidance.
This means that moves between crofts and the common grazing do not need to be reported or recorded in the holding register. However, animals should be tagged with the correct UK tags within the required timescale or before they leave the holding (individual croft or common grazing) of birth if that move involves a change of keeper. Individual crofts and common grazings will still be allocated CPH’s and flockmarks/herdmarks to facilitate this. This move must be accompanied by a movement document, reported to SAMU and recorded in the holding of birth’s holding register.
Thereafter any further moves within the ‘township’ (i.e. between the crofts and the common grazing or between crofts within the ‘township’) do not need to be reported to SAMU. However, if the move involves a change of keeper the move must be recorded in the individual holding registers of the keepers concerned. As soon as animals move off the ‘township’ the normal rules on identification movements and holding registers apply. This means they must be correctly tagged; be accompanied by a movement document; the move must be reported to SAMU and the move must be recorded in the holding register of the individual holding (croft) from which it moved off."
If you require any further information or a copy of the 'sheep and goat' guidance please contact me on the number below.
Kind regards
Scott
Scott McDowell
The Scottish Government
Rural and Environment Directorate
Animal Health - Disease Prevention
P Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD
Tel No: 0300 24 49840
Fax No: 0300 24 49797
Email: scott.mcdowell@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Thanks for the clarification
Thanks for the clarification Scott. Greatly appreciated.