FAQ
Got a question? Not sure what to do, how to do it or even why to do it? Take a look below and if you still can't find the answer, please just get in touch by mail enquiries@shearwell.ie or call us on 086 165 0002.
All sheep must be tagged with at least one tag by 9 months of age or on leaving the holding of birth, which ever comes first
- Sheep intended for slaughter, or going for sale via a mart before 12 months of age may be tagged in just the left ear with our Mart/Slaughter Tag.
N.B. Some tag companies supply separate tags for slaughter or mart use, which may also require different applicators. If you’re buying with another tag supplier, please make sure you check how their tags meet Dept. regulations.
Animals to be kept definitively for breeding must be double tagged by 9 months of age
Live Trade
- Sheep born after 1 January 2010 and engaged in intra-community trade or third country exports must be double tagged. Our EID Tag Pairs are approved for use in this instance.
Any animal being exported must prior to presentation for certification at the export assembly centre have been tagged in accordance with the rules of the NSIS. Both tags on a sheep fitted with an electronic tag will be yellow (with the slight exception of the ruminal bolus, not widely in use -where one tag will be light blue).
Note: Should you wish to ‘upgrade’ an animal from a single tag to an EID Tag Pair, you have two options:
- A bespoke EID tag bearing the same number as the Mart/Slaughter tag already on the animal can be ordered by the exporter.
- The sheep can be re-tagged with a new EID set and the new tag number correlated to the old number in the flock register of the exporter.
The tagging procedure is very important both for the welfare of the animal and for tag retention.
We send a leaflet out with every applicator (reproduced here):
We send a leaflet out with every applicator (reproduced here):
Using the SET Tag ApplicatorPractically, none. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification while EID stands for Electronic Identification. Both terms are used widely, but some people tend to use EID to refer to the unique ID number of the animal and RFID to refer to the technology.
The transponders or microchips used in Shearwell tags have a very low failure rate. They are ISO 11784/5 compliant, high performance chips with an excellent read range. Should the electronic tag on a particular animal fail to read, check its identity from the tag and order a replacement.
When used with Shearwell equipment – stick readers, race readers, weigh crates etc. – transponder detection is excellent even in 'noisy' environments such as abattoirs, markets etc. We use high performance ISO 11784/5 compliant chips with an excellent read range for accurate, rapid reading. We believe ours is the best performing electronic ID package on the market.
Yes. Shearwell readers are bi-modal (reading both HDX and FDX technologies) and can detect RFID devices, including boluses, in sheep, cattle, pets and even fish.
Retention rates for Shearwell SET sheep tags in trials exceed 99.5% so this is unlikely to happen.
When re-applying tags, check for and treat any possible infection that may be caused if the tag has somehow been wrenched from the ear.
When re-applying tags, check for and treat any possible infection that may be caused if the tag has somehow been wrenched from the ear.
See the chart on the tag page
Animal IDs are read by the Shearwell Stick Reader (and Race Reader) and the information can be transferred wirelessly using Bluetooth to computers and other devices.
This information can then be used as the basis for efficient and practical individual animal management. Instead of basing your decisions across a whole mob, you can tailor treatments individually to optimise output. The Shearwell SET tag system is compatible with a range of reader and management equipment.
This information can then be used as the basis for efficient and practical individual animal management. Instead of basing your decisions across a whole mob, you can tailor treatments individually to optimise output. The Shearwell SET tag system is compatible with a range of reader and management equipment.
The Shearwell SDL 400 Stick Reader can store up to 16,000 individual animal EIDs. This data can be downloaded to other devices via Bluetooth.
Since long before it was called ‘genetics’, livestock farmers have taken note of their best performing animals and practised selective breeding. Now the information that used to be stored in the farmer’s head or notebooks is available on computers. Electronic identification of individual sheep has empowered farmers to record increasing amounts of information about their mob so they can make better informed decisions. It has become possible to really identify which are the profitable animals, which fatten best, which show the best conformation, which ewes make the best mothers, which animals are most resilient or resistant to disease and parasites. Collecting that data consistently and turning it into useful information helps livestock farmers make better decisions and more profit.
