Sheep and goat identification and traceability: guidance for keepers in Scotland

Animal categories

There are four animal categories and the identification and recording rules are different for each one. The categories are as follows.

• fully EID identified animals – sheep born or identified after 31 December 2009 and kept for breeding or beyond 12 months of age.

These sheep must have two identifiers, one of which must be electronic. Individual recording is required for these sheep except for moves from farm-to-farm where there is no change of ownership. In this case you can record the total number of sheep moved rather than the individual animal numbers.

• double identified – goats born or identified after 31 December 2009 and kept for breeding or beyond 12 months of age.

These goats must have two identifiers. Individual recording is required for these animals except for moves from farm-to-farm where there is no change of ownership.

• slaughter animals (lambs or kids) – animals born or identified after 31 December 2009 and intended for slaughter within 12 months of birth.

These animals must have one tag – an 'electronic slaughter tag' for lambs and a 'non-electronic slaughter tag' for kids. Both types of slaughter tags contain only the flockmark or herdmark. Individual recording is not required as they can be recorded as a batch. However, when a batch of animals identified with more than one flockmark or herdmark is moved, those animals with the same flockmark or herdmark must be recorded. This is called 'batch within a batch recording'. This type of recording only applies to slaughter animals.

The exception to batch within a batch recording for slaughter animals is for certain farm-to-farm moves where there is no change of ownership.

• the historic flock or herd or historic animals – sheep or goats born or identified before 31 December 2009.

These animals will already be identified and do not need to be electronically identified.