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Sheep Identification Inspections

These will commence during 2020 as a 'phased approach'; this year the emphasis will be on education. We'll inspect a minimum of 3% of sheep holdings/year (~15 holdings).

The inspections will check that the keeper is either following the requirements as set out in the ‘Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movements) Order 2015’ or will be, shortly after the inspection. 

Basic summary

What will be inspected

The inspector will carry out an: 

  • identification check on a sample (50 animals) of your flock (spread across the ages);
  • they will look to see that the sheep/lambs are appropriately tagged;
  • they will check for missing or incorrectly applied ear tags;
  • they will check your farm records, including movement records against the movements reported to ScotEID (if applicable);
  • they will check your medicine records. 

What happens next? 

The inspector will tell you what they’ve found. They will fill in an Inspection Report Form which will be used to: 

  • see if a warning letter (partial compliance failure) or movement restriction (complete compliance failure) needs to be issued;
  • see if a re-inspection is necessary;
  • report any separate cross-compliance issues (these may be followed up as a targeted inspection);
  • the inspector will report any welfare issues to the Animal Health team. 

You will receive a copy of this Inspection Report Form. 

View more information about EID tagging

View more information about the Required Records 

If you have any queries about the inspections, please contact us on +44 1624 685844 or agriculture@gov.im

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to all. If you require these documents in an alternative format and / or language please contact us to discuss your needs.

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