The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (Wales) Order 2015

PART 3 Identification of animals

Identification of animals on or after 1 January 2016

9.—(1) This article applies to—

(a) animals born before 1 January 2016 that are not identified before that date and are on their holding of birth;

(b) sheep born on or after 1 January 2016; and

(c) goats born on or after 1 January 2016 whose keepers choose to identify them electronically.

(2) A keeper must comply with Article 4(1) (first paragraph), Article 4(2)(a) and (b) and Article 9(3) of the Council Regulation and this article unless the alternative identification method set out in article 10 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) No animal may be identified by the use of a bolus in combination with a tattoo.

(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” or, on an electronic identification device, the numbers “826”; and

(b) a 12 digit number specified by the Welsh Ministers;

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

Identification of animals intended for slaughter

10.—(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, and that identification method must be electronic in the case of sheep.

(2) The identification code for the purposes of Section A.7 of the Annex to the Council Regulation must be the letters “UK” followed by the flockmark or herdmark; no other number issued by the competent authority may be visibly recorded on this eartag.

(3) Where it is intended to slaughter after the age of 12 months or to export an animal identified under paragraph (1) that animal must be identified in accordance with article 9 and the original eartag removed.

(4) A keeper may re-identify under article 9 an animal identified under this article and need not slaughter that animal before the age of 12 months only if—

(a) the animal is on its holding of birth; or

(b) the keeper has a complete record of all the animal’s movements.

(5) Where an animal is re-identified under paragraph (4)(b) the keeper must cross-reference the old and new identification codes in the holding register.

(6) A keeper may re-identify a goat identified under paragraph (1) by using an eartag of the kind described in paragraph (2) which includes an electronic identifier.

Animals born and identified before 1 January 2016

11.  Part 3 of the Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (Wales) Order 2009, in the form in which it existed immediately before the coming into force of this Order, continues to apply to animals born and identified before 1 January 2016, save that sheep intended for slaughter before the age of 12 months and not intended for export and identified before 1 January 2016 using the method in Section A.7 of the Annex to the Council Regulation may continue to be identified in accordance with that method until 30 June 2017. The animal must then be identified in accordance with article 9 and the original non-electronic eartag removed.