2019 Secondary Tag Colour – Northern Ireland

 It has recently come to the Society’s attention that the colour Blue for this year’s secondary Tag Number is not allowed in Northern Ireland.  See extract below from DAERA’s Guidance for Keepers on the Identification and Movement of Sheep and Goats.

 3.6 Colour of tags

The colour of the holding of birth EID tags in Northern Ireland is yellow. We recommend that the matching conventional tag is also yellow, but this can be any colour other than red, pink, light blue or black. Replacement tags are red. The tag matching a bolus (and any replacement tags to match a bolus) is light blue.

After discussion with the tag companies the best way forward for this year and this year only to allow yellow tags for Northern Ireland breeders.

Northern Ireland is still allowed yellow secondary tags, which aren’t allowed in England, Scotland and Wales.

As you can imagine changing the colour overall when a good number of blue 2019 tags have already been issued, would not be feasible.

When ordering your tags please ask for double yellow tags not yellow EID and secondary blue.

We apologise for any confusion and inconvenience to our members in Ireland.