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Sheep Identification a Cross Compliance Requirement for Flock Owners

Pat McCambridge, Beef and Sheep Development Adviser, Ballymoney

For most sheep farmers their Single Farm Payment (SFP) is the largest proportion of their farm income. Therefore it is important to understand what is required to protect this payment to ensure it is received in full each year.  The area of sheep tagging and flock records is one of the Statutory Management Regulations
(SMR’s) under Cross-Compliance and farmers need to understand and comply with the regulation.  Sheep tagging and maintaining flock records is the responsibility of the flock owner.  All farmers claiming the Single Farm Payment and other direct payments are now required to meet a number of Cross-Compliance conditions.

What do sheep farmers need to do to?

  • Registration:
    Sheep farmers must have registered with DARD and hold an individual flock number.
  • Flock Register:
    Farmers must use the new DARD flock register that was sent to all sheep farmers in 2005
The new Flock Register must be kept up to date from 1 December 2005 with records of the numbers of births, deaths, sales, purchases and losses.  You should enter this information as soon as possible after the event.  The movements of sheep on and off the holding must be recorded along with serial numbers of Movement Documents. (MS2)
An annual return must be completed each year for the period 1 to 5 December and returned to DARD by  5 January.
(This is the red card that flock holders received last December).
Farmers should also note that the details of the annual return must also be recorded in the Flock Register.
  • Identification (Tagging)
    Sheep born after 9th July 2005 must be tagged in the left ear at 9 months of age or when moving off the holding whichever is the earliest.  The tag used should be a green DARD approved tag with the flock number and individual animal number. This is called the “Natal” tag.
* Remember to tag your own ewe lambs that you are retaining for breeding and store lambs that you are finishing this year when they reach 9 months of age.
  • Movements:
    Own Sheep:
    All sheep moving off the farm of origin must have a green tag in the “left” ear before leaving the holding. (This includes all ewes and rams as well as finished lambs, store lambs and breeding stock).
*The correct tag numbers must be recorded on the Movement Documents.  For the lamb sales under 9 months – tag the lambs at the point they leave the farm in “sequence” after selection for sale.  This leaves it much easier to record on movement documents and flock registers.
Purchased Sheep
All purchased sheep (store lambs and breeding sheep) need to be tagged in the right ear (Green tag) within 12 months of purchase or prior to sale whichever is the earliest.
  • Lost Tags:
    Tags lost on the farm of origin (natal tags) should be replaced with the next green tag in sequence and tagged in the “left ear”.
    For purchased stock, if the natal tag is lost and a movement tag has been used in the right ear, no replacement natal tag is required.
    If a movement tag has been lost it should be replaced with the next green tag in sequence and tagged in the “Right ear”.
    If both a Natal and Movement tag are lost then an Orange tag should be used. Sheep with Orange tags are not eligible for export.
Failure to meet the conditions of the Sheep and/or Goat Identification and Registration Requirements from 1 January 2006 could result in a reduction or loss of SFP or other direct payments. More information can be found in the DARD publication - Cross-Compliance Verifiable Standards 2005 and 2006.