RECEIVING QUALITY LIVESTOCK THROUGHOUT HAMPSHIRE AND BEYOND ALWAYS PROFESSIONAL
PRODUCERS SHOULD SEND CLEAN LIVESTOCK TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE BY FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE BELOW:
- Keep animals off land which can cause gross contamination eg muddy fields.
- Consider yarding of the animals during winter months, keeping the yards free of dirt, manure, faeces and debris.
- House animals for a period prior to sending for slaughter, on ample bedding and good ventilation.
- Clip / dag the animals if clegged.
- Avoid occurrence of loose dung through good husbandly like use of anthelmintics, pasture rotation, correct stocking density, clean housing.
- Pay attention to the type of feed given to animals prior to sending for slaughter, but ensuring the animal’s well-being is not compromised: avoid rich silage, new grass, potatoes, cabbage which result in greater amount of contamination of the coat.
- Animals destined for slaughter should be transported in clean vehicles and provided with adequate bedding.
Cattle Identification:
- Cattle moving off a holding to a slaughterhouse must be accompanied by a valid cattle passport.
- All cattle born and reared in GB must be tagged in at least one ear
- Cattle born on or after 1 January 1998 should have a tag in each ear.
- Cattle must be tagged properly to be moved.
Single tagging :
- Cattle born between 1 August 1996 and 31 December 1997 must be identified with at least one ear tag.
Double tagging:
- Cattle born on or after 1 January 1998 must be identified with an approved ear tag in each ear, which show the same official identity.
- One of these ear tags is considered the primary ear tag and the other, the secondary ear tag.
- If the ear tag is made from two pieces, both sides must be printed and bear the Crown logo.
Primary ear tag:
- The main ear tag, known in GB as the primary ear tag, is a distance readable yellow plastic two piece ear tag which requires specific information.
Information required on primary tag and not hand written:
- Crown logo, followed by the letters ‘UK’ and the animal’s unique number which will consist of a six digit all numeric herd mark followed by a six digit unique animal code, the first digit of the animal code is a check digit to allow officials to check the code is correct, e.g. UK 345678 546169.
What keepers have to do
The following is a summary of what keepers must do when tagging and moving their sheep and goats. A table is provided below of the detailed guidance sent to all to registered sheep and goat keepers in December 2009.
| Sheep | Sheep | |
| Identification | Tag within 9 months of birth (6 months if kept housed overnight), or before they leave the holding of birth if sooner. | |
| Breeding animals
|
Double tag (EID optional) | |
| Lambs
|
Kids
|
|
| Movement Documents | Complete one each time animals move to a different holding (CPH) | |
| From I January 2011 Include individual tag numbers for animals born from 2010 – unless they have a slaughter tag | ||
| From 31 December 2011 Include individual tag numbers for animals born before 2010 – unless moving direct to slaughter | ||