Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

"approved eartag" in relation to an animal means an eartag approved by the Department and bearing the details specified in Article 4 or such other information as the Department may authorise in writing;

(a) the indicator "UK 9";

(b) the flock number or herd number of the flock or herd the animal is leaving; and

(c) a unique number allocated to the animal by the keeper from the sequence allocated to him by the Department, which is unique in that flock or herd and contains no more than 6 digits.

(a) 9 months from the date of birth; or

(b) before the animal leaves the holding on which it was born;

whichever is the earlier.

    (3) For the purposes of Article 4(2)(b) of the Council Regulation, the second means of identification is—

(a) an eartag conforming to Section A.4 of the Annex to the Council Regulation;

(b) an electronic transponder conforming to Sections A.2, A.4 and A.6 of the Annex to the Council Regulation; or

(c) in the case of goats only, a mark on the pastern.

    (4) A person shall not add numbers or letters to an eartag other than in accordance with this Order.

    (5) A person shall not attach an eartag to any animal unless that eartag is—

(a) approved by the Department; and

(b) inscribed with the indicator "UK 9", the appropriate herd or flock number and an individual animal identification number allocated to the animal.

(a) Article 5(1) (keeping of a register);

(b) Article 5(3) (format, production, retention and availability of the register);

(c) Article 5(5) (supply of information); and

(d) Article 7(2) (annual inventory of animals).

    (2) For the purposes of Article 5(2) of the Council Regulation, when any animal is moved on to or off a holding the keeper shall record—

(a) the relevant details set out in the form in Schedule 2; and

(b) the details on the natal tag and, if it is different, the details on the second means of identification (in the case of any animal identified in accordance with Article 4 (2)(a) and (b) of the Council Regulation).

(a) the Department has allocated to the keeper a herd or flock number in respect of that holding;

(b) the animal is identified in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Order;

(c) he notifies the Department in accordance with Article 19 and the animal is accompanied by a movement document correctly completed and signed by the keeper in accordance with this Article.

    (4) In relation to the movement of an animal off a holding, the keeper shall correctly complete and sign a movement document in accordance with paragraph (5).

    (5) A movement document shall contain the following details—

(a) the total number and categories of animals moving off the holding;

(b) the details on the natal tag and, if it is different, the details on the second means of identification ( in the case of any animal identified in accordance with Article 4 (2)(a) and (b) of the Council Regulation);

(c) in the case of an animal originating in another member State and identified with both a first and second means of identification in accordance with Article 4(2)(a) and (b) of the Council Regulation, the original identification applied to the animal in that member State;

(d) the flock or herd number of the animals moving off the holding and the individual animal identification number of each animal;

(e) the keeper's name, address and holding number;

(f) the date of movement of the animals off the holding;

(g) the name and address of the transporter, the means of transport and the registration number of the vehicle in which the animals are moved off the holding; and

(h) the purchaser's name, address, holding number and signature.

(a) the indicator "UK 9" and the flock or herd number of the exporter; and

(b) an individual animal identification number relevant to that holding.

    (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a person shall not export to a member State—

(a) any animal which has lost both its approved eartags from the left and right ears or to which an orange approved eartag has been applied in accordance with paragraph 1(4) (c) of Schedule 1;

(b) an animal born on or before 8th July 2005 if it is marked with an eartag or tattoo with the letter "R" indicating that it is a replacement eartag or tattoo applied in accordance with the equivalent legislation in Great Britain; or

(c) an animal born on or after 9th July 2005 if the first means of identification has been lost or damaged and not replaced or not replaced in accordance with the equivalent legislation in Great Britain.

(a) shall record the flock number or herd number of the holding from which the animals were transferred; and

(b) shall not attach a further approved eartag to the animal except in accordance with Article 22(1) or with the permission of the Department.

    (4) Where the keeper of an animal discovers that the characters on an eartag attached to an animal have become illegible or that an eartag has been lost he shall, within 24 hours after the discovery,—

(a) where an animal loses its natal tag on its holding of birth, replace the natal tag with an approved eartag bearing the next unused eartag number in the sequence allocated to that holding;

(b) where an animal has lost an eartag, other than a natal tag, replace it with a green approved eartag in accordance with paragraph (2);

(c) where an animal has lost all its eartags, attach an orange approved eartag to the left ear.

    (5) A person shall not move an animal from a holding for consignment from Northern Ireland if it is marked with an—

(a) orange eartag applied under paragraph (4)(c) or under the Identification and Movement of Sheep and Goats Order (Northern Ireland) 2004; or

(b) eartag or tattoo with the letter "R" indicating that it is a replacement eartag or tattoo applied in accordance with equivalent legislation in Great Britain.

Export to Great Britain
     2. An animal consigned for export to Great Britain shall be identified, tagged and accompanied by a movement document in accordance with—

(a) in the case of an animal born on or after 9th July 2005, the Council Regulation, including any derogation exercised under the Council Regulation; or

(b) in the case of an animal born on or before 8th July 2005, any of the previous Orders and any additional requirements imposed in legislation enforcing the Council Regulation.

Movement of animals from England, Scotland and Wales
     3. When an animal is brought into Northern Ireland from a holding in England, Scotland or Wales, the keeper at the holding of destination must record the same information in the holding register as if the animal had been brought from a holding in Northern Ireland and "flock number" and "herd number" shall be construed as a flockmark or herdmark allocated by the competent authority in England, Scotland or Wales.

Common grazing
     4. —(1) When an animal moves on to common grazing, the keeper shall—

(a) identify the animal in accordance with this Order before it is moved on to common grazing;

(b) only move the animal from the common grazing to—


(i) the holding of origin, or

(ii) a slaughterhouse either directly or, via a collection centre; and



(c) record the movement to or from the common grazing in his holding register.

    (2) For the purpose of this paragraph, "common grazing" means land on which the keeper has a right of grazing in common with other proprietors.

Movement from dipping or shearing to the holding of origin
     5. When an animal leaves a holding to which it was sent for dipping or shearing to return to the holding of origin, the keeper shall—

(a) identify the animal in accordance with this Order before it is moved for dipping or shearing;

(b) only move the animal from the holding to which it was sent for dipping or shearing directly to the holding that he brought it from or directly to slaughter; and

(c) record the move to or from the holding for dipping or shearing in his holding register.

Movement to and from a veterinary clinic
     6. —(1) Where an animal is—

(a) moved off a holding to a veterinary clinic; and

(b) returned directly to that holding from the veterinary clinic

the keeper shall record the indicator "UK 9" and the number of the flock or herd from which the animal was moved in the holding register.

    (2) The holding register shall be completed when the animal leaves the holding of origin and when it returns to that holding.

    (3) When an animal arrives at, or is moved from, a veterinary clinic there are no requirements to complete the holding register or a movement document and no eartag identification requirements provided the animal is returned directly to its holding of origin.

Movement to an assembly centre
     7. —(1) Where an animal is moved off a holding to an assembly centre, the keeper shall—

(a) record the individual animal identification number of that animal in the holding register; and

(b) complete Part 3(a) of the movement document.

    (2) When the animal arrives at the assembly centre, the keeper at that centre shall record the identification number of the animal in the holding register at the assembly centre and shall endorse the movement document and return it to the Divisional Veterinary Office within 7 days of the animal's arrival at the assembly centre.