Replace lost or damaged tags in sheep and goats
When and how to replace lost or damaged tags and what to record in your holding register.
Applies to England
Sheep and goats must have 2 tags with the animal’s:
- official identification number - a number unique to the animal
- flock or herd mark
Lambs and kids intended for slaughter within 12 months of birth can have a single slaughter tag instead. This just displays the animal’s flock or herd mark.
Find out when and how to tag your:
When you must replace lost or damaged tags
You must replace lost or damaged tags within 28 days of noticing the lost or damaged tag.
This includes a damaged electronic identification (EID) tag if you discover the chip does not scan.
If you remove a tag from an animal because of an infection, you must replace it as soon as the infection clears up.
What replacement tags you can use
You can choose to replace tags with either:
- replacement tags that have a new official identification number for the animal
- replica tags that keep the animal’s original official identification number
If the animal was not born on your holding
Replacement ear tags, including slaughter tags, applied to an animal not born on your holding must be red.
This rule does not apply to replica ear tags.
You must update your holding register within 36 hours of tagging a sheep or goat.
Replace a slaughter tag on lambs or kids under 12 months old
You must replace a slaughter tag with either:
- another slaughter tag that just displays the animal’s flock or herd mark
- a pair of adult tags that have the animal’s official identification number, as well as the flock or herd mark
These tags must be red if the animal was not born on your holding.
Replace a slaughter tag on lambs or kids you decide to keep past 12 months old
You must replace an animal’s slaughter tag with 2 adult tags that have the animal’s:
- official identification number
- flock or herd mark
For lambs, one of these tags will be a yellow EID tag.
Sometimes this is called ‘upgrading’ the tag. You must do this before the animal is 12 months old.
Slaughter tags have an EID chip in them which contains an official identification number for the animal. This tag can be read by an EID reader.
You must record the animal’s new identification number and the old identification number (from the slaughter tag) in the replacement tag section of your holding register.
This is so there’s a record that the animal’s identification number has changed.
If the animal was not born on your holding
You must use red replacement tags if the animal was not born on your holding.
You must only replace the animal’s tags if you can trace the animal back to its holding of birth. You can do this by scanning the chip in the slaughter tag to read the official identification number in the tag.
If you cannot trace the animal back to its holding of birth, you must:
- not upgrade the slaughter tag to adult tags
- slaughter it before it reaches 12 months of age
Replace ear tags on sheep and goats with 2 ear tags
If one ear tag is lost or damaged
You must either:
- replace the lost or damaged tag with a replica that keeps the original official identification number
- remove both tags and replace with tags that have a new official identification number - these must be red if the animal was not born on your holding
If both of the ear tags are lost or damaged
You must replace both tags with either:
- replicas that keep the original official identification number
- replacement tags that have a new official identification number - these must be red if the animal was not born on your holding
Replace the ear tag on a sheep or goat that has a tattoo, bolus or pastern band
Some adult animals only have a single ear tag because their second tag can be a tattoo, bolus or pastern band.
Replace the ear tag on a sheep or goat that has a tattoo
Order a replica ear tag that has the same official identification number as the tattoo.
Replace the ear tag on on a sheep or goat that has a bolus
Order a replica black ear tag that has the same official identification number as the bolus.
If you replace the bolus, replace the ear tag with another black ear tag that has the same official identification number as the new bolus.
Replace the tags on a sheep or goat that has a pastern band
You must do one of the following:
- replace the lost or damaged ear tag or pastern band with a replica that keeps the original official identification number
- remove the ear tag and the pastern band and replace them with a pair of ear tags that display a new official identification number - these must be red if the animal was not born on your holding
- remove the ear tag and the pastern band and replace them with another ear tag and pastern band that display a new official identification number - you cannot do this if the animal was not born on your holding
Colour to use for replacement tags
Replacement tags have a new official identification number for the animal.
Animals born on the holding
| Lost or damaged tag | Replacement tag |
|---|---|
| Yellow EID ear tag | Yellow EID ear tag |
| Visual (non-EID) ear tag | Any colour visual (non-EID) ear tag except red, black or yellow |
| Visual (non-EID) pastern band | Green (non-EID) pastern band (any colour apart from yellow, red or black but only green is being supplied) |
| Black match-up ear tag for the EID bolus | Black match-up ear tag with ‘B’ printed on it |
Animals not born on the holding
| Lost or damaged tag | Replacement tag |
|---|---|
| Yellow EID ear tag | Red EID ear tag |
| Visual (non-EID) ear tag | Red visual (non-EID) ear tag |
| Visual (non-EID) pastern band | Red visual (non-EID) ear tag (red pastern band is not being supplied) |
| Black match-up ear tag for the EID bolus | Black match-up ear tag with ‘B’ printed on it |
Colour to use for replica tags
Replica tags keep the original official identification number for the animal (that was on the previous tag).
The colour of the replica tag is not affected by whether the animal was born on the holding or not.
| Lost or damaged tag | Replica tag |
|---|---|
| Yellow EID ear tag | Yellow EID ear tag |
| Visual (non-EID) ear tag | Any colour visual (non-EID) ear tag except red, black or yellow |
| Visual (non-EID) pastern band | Green (non-EID) pastern band (any colour except yellow, red or black but only green is being supplied) |
| Black match-up ear tag for the EID bolus | Black match-up ear tag with ‘B’ printed on it |
What to record in your holding register
Within 36 hours, you must record the:
- date you applied the tags
- flock or herd mark
- animal’s official identification number
If an animal’s identification number changes, you must record in the replacement tag section of your holding register:
- the new identification number
- the old identification number, if you know it
Find out how to keep a holding register.
Where to buy replacement or replica tags
Buy replacement and replica tags from ear tag suppliers approved by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
When ordering tags, you’ll need the county parish holding (CPH) number and flock or herd mark for where you keep the animal.
For animals born on a holding with a temporary CPH or common land, give the flock or herd mark of your permanent holding.