The tagging of newborn lambs should be abolished because its “unwarranted” say the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA).
ICSA sheep chair Sean McNamara said it was an animal welfare issue and sheep farmers are completely justified in looking for this to be changed.
“Small lambs should not be subjected to this totally unnecessary burden for no reason. It causes enormous stress to the lambs themselves, and it does nothing to enhance traceability,” he said.
Mr McNamara is asking for an exemption to this requirement for lambs aged six weeks and under, regardless of if they are sold to other farms or through the mart.
Since June 2019, all sheep of any age or destination – including lambs going to mart; to another farm or to a show; and for export must be identified with a full electronic identification (EID) tag or full electronic bolus set.
“There is no logic to the requirement for tagging newborn lambs. Lambs at this age are still with the breeding ewe and as such the ewe tag should suffice for her offspring for this six-week period” he concluded.
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