The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009

PART IIIIdentification of animals not identified before 31 December 2009

Identification of animals not identified before 31st December 2009

9.—(1) This article applies to—

(a)sheep born before 31st December 2009 which are not identified before that date and are on the holding of birth;

(b)sheep born on or after 31st December 2009;

(c)goats born before 31st December 2009 which are not identified before that date are on the holding of birth and whose keepers chose to identify them electronically; and

(d)goats born on or after 31st December 2009 whose keepers chose 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.

(3) The keeper shall use the following means of identification referred to in the Annex to the Council Regulation, but is to say—

(a)an electronic eartag and an eartag; or

(b)an electronic eartag and a pastern tag; or

(c)a bolus and an eartag; or

(d)a bolus and a pastern tag; or

(e)electronic pastern tag and an eartag.

(4) 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.

(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, the numbers “826”; and

(b)a 12 digit number prescribed by the Department;

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

Animals intended for slaughter

10.  The identification method in Article 4(3) of the Council Regulation and Section A.7 of the Annex to that Regulation shall not be used.

Removal or replacement of means of identification

11.—(1) A person shall not contravene Article 4(6)(first paragraph) of the Council Regulation.

(2) But a keeper must replace a lost or illegible means of identification for any animal to which Article 9 or 13 applies, in accordance with Article 12 or 15 as the case may be, as soon as possible after the original means of identification is discovered to be lost or illegible, but in any event—

(a)no later than 28 days after it was discovered to be lost or illegible, and

(b)before the animal is moved from the holding.

(3) Where an identification mark is replaced with an identification mark bearing a different identification code and the old identification code is known the keeper must cross reference the old and the new identification codes in—

(a)the holding register; or

(b)the centralised computer database, if authorised in accordance with Article 18.

Replacement of the means of identification for animals identified according to Article 9

12.—(1) Where an animal identified according to Article 9 loses one means of identification, or that means of identification becomes illegible, the keeper must replace it with one bearing the same identification code or remove the remaining identification device and re-identify the animal according to Article 9.

(2) Where an animal identified according to Article 9 loses both means of identification, or both means of identification become illegible the keeper must re-identify the animal according to Article 9.

(3) If the animal is no longer on its holding of birth, or it is not known whether the animal is still on its holding of birth, the keeper must use a red means of identification. This does not apply where the means of identification is a bolus or an identification device matching a bolus, or where the keeper provides the information required by Section B of the Annex to the Council Regulation in accordance with Article 18.