Livestock Identification and Traceability : Cattle

The Cattle Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2007 implement EEC requirements relating to the ear tagging, passports and registration of cattle, and the subsequent record keeping on farm.

Tagging

All cattle born after 14 April 1998 must be identified with Defra approved ear tags, as follows:
a) General requirements.
There must be one primary yellow ear tag, which is distance readable and a secondary ear tag with the same number as the primary ear tag. These tags should be placed on different ears. Both tags will have the same herd number and individual animal number.

d) Specific requirements for dairy herds.
The first ear tag must be applied within 36 hours of the birth of the animal and the second tag must be applied within 20 days of birth.

e) Specific requirements for any other herds.
Both tags must be applied within 20 days of the birth of the animal.

Cattle Passports

It is a legal requirement that all cattle must be correctly identified, and those born after 01 July 1996 must have a cattle passport. Those born before this date must have a certificate of registration (COR).

A cattle passport is a government issued document which details the animal's date of birth, official ear tag number, ear tag number of the dam, breed and sex.This document must accompany the animal throughout its life, from birth to death and will include all movements, changes of ownership, passages through cattle markets, etc.

The passport also provides for a notification card to be completed when the animal is moved and sent to BCMS within three days of the movement. Alternatively this can be done electronically.

After 01 January 2000 cattle keepers must obtain a cattle passport within 27 days of birth. Cattle passports may be obtained from the BCMS. (Help line telephone no: 0845 050 1234).

It is an offence to have cattle without passports outside the time limits stated above.

Records

a) Cattle breeding records
The following records must be kept:
date of birth ( in a dairy herd the birth of an animal must be recorded within seven days of birth and for all other herds within 30 days of birth), ear tag number of the calf, breed, sex , and the dam's identification number.

b) Cattle movement records
The following records must be kept:
Date of the movement onto or off a holding( records relating to animal movements must be completed within 36 hours of the movement taking place), ear tag number of the calf, breed, sex, age or date of birth when known, holding from which moved (including the name and address of the keeper or farm code), holding to which moved (including the name and address of the keeper or farm code), date of any deaths, and date of any replacement ear tags.

Records must be kept for 10 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last entry was made.

Contact

For further information, please Contact Consumer and Environmental Services