The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (Wales) Order 2008

PART 2 Identification of animals

Identification of animals not identified before 22 January 2008

5.—(1) This article applies to—

(a) animals born before 22 January 2008 which are not identified before that date and are on their holding of birth; and

(b) animals born on or after 22 January 2008.

(2) A keeper must comply with Article 4(1) (first paragraph) and Article 4(2)(a) and (b) of the Council Regulation and this article unless the alternative method of identification set out in article 6 is authorised.

(3) For the purpose of Article 4(1) of the Council Regulation, the time limits for identifying an animal are—

(a) 9 months from the date of birth, in the case of an animal kept in extensive or free range farming conditions; or

(b) 6 months from the date of birth, in the case of any other animal.

(4) An eartag applied as the first or second means of identification may be any colour other than red.

(5) The identification code on a means of identification for the purposes of Section A.2 of the Annex to the Council Regulation must be—

(a) the letters “UK”;

(b) the flockmark or herdmark of the flock or herd into which the animal is born; and

(c) a unique number

and must be identical on the first and second means of identification.

Identification of animals intended for slaughter

6.—(1) For animals intended for slaughter before the age of 12 months and not intended for export, the identification method in Section A.7 of the Annex to the Council Regulation is authorised as an alternative to the means of identification referred to in Article 4(2) of that Regulation.

(2) The identification code for the purposes of Section A.7 of the Annex to the Council Regulation must be the same as that set out in sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) of article 5(5).

(3) Any animal identified by the means of identification referred to in paragraph (1) (“the first identification tag”), must be identified with a second means of identification in accordance with paragraphs (4) to (6) if it —

(a) is not slaughtered before the age of 12 months; or

(b) is consigned for export.

(4) The second means of identification must be either—

(a) an additional identification tag or, unless the animal is destined for export, a tattoo, with the same identification code as on the first identification tag; or

(b) two additional identification tags or, unless the animal is destined for export, an identification tag and a tattoo which bear—

(i) the letters “UK”;

(ii) the flockmark or herdmark of the flock or herd where the additional means of identification are applied; and

(iii) a unique number.

(5) Where two additional means of identification are applied the keeper—

(a) must not remove or deface the first identification tag;

(b) must record information about the addition of the new means of identification including the full identification code on the additional means of identification and the letters and flockmark or herdmark on the original means of identification in columns 1, 2 and 3 of the register.

(6) In the case of animals consigned for export the keeper must apply the second means of identification before the animal leaves the holding of origin.

Identification of animals identified before 22 January 2008

7.—(1) This article applies to animals identified before 22 January 2008.

(2) Only the first means of identification, as set out in Article 4(2)(a) of the Council Regulation, is required for animals identified with a unique number before 22 January 2008.

(3) In the case of animals identified before 22 January 2008, but where the existing identification mark does not contain a unique number, a keeper must re-identify those animals before moving them from a holding so that they bear two means of identification which —

(a) in the case of an animal which is on its holding of birth, must be in accordance with the provisions in Article 4 (2)(a) and (b) of the Council Regulation; or

(b) in the case of an animal which is not on its holding of birth, must be two replacement tags, in which case the keeper must record information about the addition of the new means of identification including in full the identification code on the replacement tags and the letters and flockmark or herdmark on the previous means of identification in columns 1, 2 and 3 of the register.

Identification of animals not identified before 22 January 2008 which are not on their holding of birth

8.  The keeper must identify animals not identified before 22 January 2008 which are no longer on their holding of birth with two replacement tags before the animals leave a holding.

Identification of animals for export

9.—(1) A keeper must identify all animals for export by the first and second means of identification as set out in Article 4(2)(a) and (b) of the Council Regulation or article 6(4)(b), except the second means of identification must be an identification tag and not a tattoo.

(2) No person may consign an animal for export where it has been—

(a) tagged in accordance with article 8;

(b) re-tagged in accordance with article 7(3)(b), 18(3)(a), 18(4)(a) 19(5)(a) or 19(6)(a); or

(c) re-tagged in accordance with article 17(4) and as a consequence is identified by two replacement means of identification.

Identification of animals imported from third countries

10.—(1) A keeper must comply with Article 4(4) of the Council Regulation and this article.

(2) For the purposes of Article 4(4) (first paragraph) of the Council Regulation, the period for identifying an animal is 14 days.

(3) The means of identification for animals imported from a third country must be the same as that set out in Article 4(2)(a) and (b) of the Council Regulation and the identification code for the purposes of Section A.2 of the Annex is—

(a) the letters “UK”;

(b) the flockmark or herdmark of the flock or herd into which the animal is imported;

(c) a unique number.

(4) Where an animal is imported from a third country and re-identified according to this article, the keeper must record the addition of the new means of identification including the full identification code on the new means of identification and the full identification code on the method of identification applied in the third country in columns 1, 2 and 3 of the register.