Its great to see so many new flocks having lambs this year and there have been lots of enquiries about lamb registrations and tags. We’ve put together a short guide to try to help but please get in touch with Anna – secretary@wlsba.co.uk if you have any questions or queries and she will guide you through it.
Registrations – lambs MUST be registered by the end of October in their year of birth.
Registrations can either be done on paper using the form below or on your Grassroots members portal. If you need your login details for Grassroots please contact Anna. Grassroots is a really useful tool as you can see your flocks pedigrees, mark any sheep that have died and keep your flock details up to date. Births can also be recorded on there as well as transfers. If, when you login, you are “missing” sheep, please let the Secretary know the tag numbers and she will get you up to date, the more up to date your online flock is, the easier it is to use.
Registrations are done after birth – they cost £5 per lamb and you need to list the sire and dam of each lamb alongside colour, if it was a single, twin, trip etc. Please check your CPH and UK flock number are up to date with the society by completing that section on the form every time – this is particularly relevant if you have multiple CPH/Temporary holdings as it can affect our ability to order tags.
If you are based in North Ireland, please ask for the NI Authority form – this has to be completed every 3 years.
The form asks for the lambs Individual number – this is the EID number.
The Association matches each lambs WLSBA registration number to its EID and will send you a matching tag that contains the EID details alongside the WLSBA details and W logo so it is both DEFRA and WLSBA compliant as part of your registration fee. White lambs are issued a BLUE matching tag, Black lambs are issued an ORANGE Matching tag; this replaces the matching tag that comes with your own EID or you can order matching pairs as below.
- If you choose to use your own EID tag, you MUST list which EID number you’ve allocated to which lamb.
2. If you are ordering matching pairs from the association (an extra £2 per lamb) and you know your next sequential number (it will follow on from the last set of tags you ordered) then list them in this order. If you don’t know your next sequential number then leave this section empty and the Secretary will fill it in when the tag company have told her your next sequential number.
Once your form is complete, send payment and the form to the Association (or press send in your Grassroots and arrange for payment to be made by BACS). These will then be processed and you will have a confirmation of registration form sent back to you within a few days. Please check this carefully – it is YOUR responsibility to ensure you are happy with the registrations and see if there are any updates to registration numbers etc, it also keeps the Flock book right if any errors are picked up at this point.
Your tags should arrive within about a fortnight (max) of you receiving your confirmation of registration from the Secretary. Often tags come within a few days but at busy periods of the year, they can take up to a fortnight so please don’t leave them too late if you need them for events. If you do have a deadline, then please let the Association know and they will do their best for you. The tags come direct from the tag company so if they don’t arrive in a timely manner PLEASE PLEASE let the Secretary know so she can chase them up.
Tags
WLSBA tags are only orderable after registration, you can’t order them in advance.
Flocks have two main options when it comes to tagging lambs;
- Use your own EID tag (any style as you prefer) and the Association will order replica matching tags (Button style) with both the EID and WLSBA data on. This is included in your registration fee.
- Order matching pairs (button tags) from the Association at registration. You may need to use your own management tags if you have a larger number to ensure you know who belongs to which dam if you don’t register until after weaning. This costs an extra £2 for the additional EID tag.
A third option is you can also order your WLSBA tag as a simple button management tag and it will then be a third tag. It will not be DEFRA compliant and does not replace a matching tag.
Please note it is in the rules of the Association that all members agree too that when sheep are sold or taken to shows they MUST have the WLSBA tag in their ear; it is also DEFRA requirement that all lambs have both the EID and Matching tag in their ears from 6 months old (or when they first leave the premises).
Occasionally we hear of sheep being transferred to members without the WLSBA tag in ear (often handed over in a bag); this is NOT acceptable.
As the breeder, you are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the registration and are responsible for ensuring the WLSBA tag is placed in the correct Sheep ear prior to movement.