# Which number should I start off with?



## SheepGirl (Feb 15, 2013)

_edited to make my question clearer_

I am going to be tagging my lambs this year after birth with a farm tag and a scrapie tag. My question is what number to start off with?

I would like to start off with 1, to save tags and make everything easier. And because these would be the first lambs born on 'my' farm (rather than my neighbor's).

However, I have this weird/OCD thing where I want my ear tags to reflect the total # of sheep I've owned/bred. So they will be consecutive numbers that will start where the previous year ended at. However, I didn't use any farm tags last year. And last year, the two scrapie tags I used were my neighbor's premises ID and I just pulled two random tags out of the box (what we always seem to do with scrapie tags lol).

So if I were to give Ciqala (farm tag #44) a scrapie tag, I would like it to be #1. However, the lambs born this year would be the 'first' on my farm, so should I start off with one for BOTH scrapie and farm tags? I would like them to match so I don't have to memorize two different numbers lol.

However, I would also like to start off with #13 for both the scrapie and farm tag. Mainly because I had Ciqala, she's had 7 lambs, and she has 4 grandlambs. Which means the next lamb born would be my 13th I've owned (excluding Hank--but I don't count him because I bought him as an adult). So should I start at #13 this year or #1? This little detail is driving me crazy trying to decide what to do!!

At my neighbor's farm, he would just buy whatever tags were in stock at the feed store he didn't already have. So when we were doing records, we had to make sure to write down the colors of the tags because we had a "Red 87" and a "Pink 87" at the same time. He did the tags in order, but whenever tags would run out they would either continue where they left off or a new color would be started from 0. I plan on having all my farm tags green, and I will have them go as high as possible before I'm made to switch colors lol. (To go with my farm name--Twin Willow Acres.)


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Feb 15, 2013)

Start with one and go up from there. Makes the most sense to me. btw taking out your sheep's scrapie tags is 1) a bad idea imo and 2) it is against the law.


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## SheepGirl (Feb 15, 2013)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> Start with one and go up from there. Makes the most sense to me. btw taking out your sheep's scrapie tags is 1) a bad idea imo and 2) it is against the law.


They could ever so conveniently "fall out" and have to be replaced  Actually I don't think replacing scrapie tags is against the law. (I know it says unlawful to remove on the tag though.) As long as the tag is replaced and the previous tag number/premises ID is recorded so the animal can be traced accurately to its original farm location. How would whoever know the difference between a tag falling out and one being cut out and replaced anyway? Sure some tags that fall out leave rips in the ears, but I've seen a couple in the flock have tags just completely fall out of the ear without leaving a rip at all, just a hole where the tag was.

Ciqala needs a new Scrapie tag anyway. She's ripped them out twice and I take her to the fair to be on display in the Fiber Optics tent (almost) every year. This past year I brought the lambs. I was also thinking of replacing all my ewes tags with all of my new tags. That way everybody looks consistent.


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## SheepGirl (Feb 15, 2013)

Actually JK. Just did a google search and looks like it is illegal to replace the tags :/


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Feb 15, 2013)

Yep. And I think I would just start at one with the "kids"


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## SheepGirl (Feb 16, 2013)

Actually JK again lol. Slide 17 of this powerpoint (http://www.eradicatescrapie.org/Educational Resources/PDFs & PPTs/Sheep ID Requirements PPT.pdf) it says that it is recommended you replace the "old style" tags with new ones. My sheep have the old style scrapie tags  and because this is the "official" site of the program, I think it's safe to say I am allowed to replace the tags.

I would like to start off with 1, but I'm still not sure lol. I want to replace my ewes tags so everyone looks consistent and is tagged like a Twin Willow Acres sheep is supposed to be  hahaha.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Feb 16, 2013)

You're weird. lol Yeah OCD.


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## SheepGirl (Feb 16, 2013)

hahahahaha I know I'm weird and OCD about this whole tagging thing. I don't know what it is about it.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Feb 16, 2013)

All my goats have different tags of different styles. Doesn't bother me at all. I had wanted to get my own tags but I didn't do it this year. Maybe another year. But I will be tagging does in the left ear with male side hidden under the ear and I WOULD have done bucks in the right ear with male side showing. When I get my own tags I will do certain colors to tell certain things. btw when I say my tags I mean colored ones and I would have my SHK prefix on them.


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## purplequeenvt (Feb 16, 2013)

We use one tag as our scrapie tag and farm tag. That way the sheep look neat and tidy with only one tag in their ears and their scrapie and farm numbers are the same. We do a different color every year and number according to the year and birth order. For example, Penny was the first lamb born in 2011 so her number 1101 and Sebastian was the 12th lamb born in 2012 so he is 1212. Rams get tagged in the right ear and ewes in the left. We get our tags from Premier and we have our scrape premise ID and our farm name on the tag too.

We also tag the lambs right after they are born, but we use small swivel tags instead of the scrapie tags. This way they get the hole in their ear when they are little and their ears are still nice and soft. When they are older and we know who is staying, getting slaughtered, being shown, etc... then we switch out the lamb tag for an official tag. This year we numbered the lamb tags differently - instead of 1301 and on, we are doing 0001 and on. 

Are you in the mandatory or voluntary scrapie program? If you are in the mandatory program then you should be fine switching out scrapie tags. The voluntary program involves a state vet coming to the farm and looking at every single sheep/goat on the farm and making sure everyone is listed and accounted for. That being said, we are in the voluntary program, but I have to give several sheep new tags every year because they lost the old one (and most times they fall out without ripping the ear). All you have to do is record what the old tag was and what the new one is.

Basically, the only information that is really important to the scrapie program is your premise ID. They don't care if the sheep is #6027, but used to be #294.


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## Roving Jacobs (Feb 16, 2013)

I spent ages this past fall deciding my tag system now that I have several breeds of sheep and my flock is growing in numbers. I sat down and decided what information I really needed my tags to tell me and went from there. I wanted my tags to tell me the sex of the lamb, the breed (white romeldales and cormos look very similar as bitty lambs), the year they were born, the birth order for the year, and who their sire is. Plus I just wanted one tag instead of a farm tag and a scrapie tag. Not too much to ask or anything 

So what I did is buy scrapie approved tags from premier with my scrapie info and a scrapie # on one side and a blank space where I can write my own stuff on the other. These are regulatory approved for the mandatory program but not for the voluntary program. They can also start on any number you want so I was able to skip all the tag numbers I had already used. When I tag I write down the scrapie # and then basically forget it unless I need to look it up for something. On the other side I write the farm number based on my "code" that tells me all I want to know and use that as the sheep's every day number that I actually remember. I have different colors for each breed and they go in different ears for each sex.

It seems overly complicated but its what works for me


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## Bo Peep Soays (Jun 20, 2018)

SheepGirl said:


> _edited to make my question clearer_
> 
> I am going to be tagging my lambs this year after birth with a farm tag and a scrapie tag. My question is what number to start off with?
> 
> ...


We use a scheme like this:
1801, 1802, etc... 18 is the year born, 01, 02, 03, etc. Is order of birth. Tags are a different color for each year. Right ear: girls and left ear: boys


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## Bo Peep Soays (Jun 20, 2018)

In addition, our tags are printed w our farm number, farm name, and the Scrapie number all on the tag. I order them from Premier1.


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