How do I apply for a pig herd number

Gilally

for 2 pigs, being kept on half an acre at the back of our house. I already have a sheep herd number.

Sam Kade

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalidentificationmovement/nationalpigidentificationandtracingsystem/

The application form is in the link.

Ayla

It's very easy.

Go to the dept of agriculture website and there's an application (1 page) you fill out & send in. They arrange for a vet inspector to come out to your premises to inspect it, then they post you out your license & registration docs.

We are on 1.7 acres & applied for a license to have 2 pigs. We had nothing more than a homebuilt shed and some pallet boards for fencing, but as soon as the inspector saw the pigs would be outdoor & that we wouldn't have many we passed the inspection with flying colours.

They send you a pack with paperwork in duplicate that you'll use anytime you bring new pigs onto your site & if you take any off site (even to another land holding that you own). You'll need this paperwork if you ultimately take your pigs to the abatoir so make sure you do it properly & hold onto it. You'll need a stamp & tags for your pigs as well so make sure you buy some with your herd number once you get it.

Askim

i don't tag my pigs, just slap mark them when goin to be killed. always get mine back, 3 out back to be cut up tomorrow

think they might have to be tagged when being sold

Ayla

Ours were tagged as weaners when we bought them from the breeders. That was the number we were able to reference on all their documentation. Then we slap stamped them when taking them to the abatoir's. From the research we did prior to getting the pigs this was what had to be done.

We later bought three untagged pigs from a neighbor and ran into problems w/ their paperwork because they didn't have registered (tagged) numbers.

bbam

I was told by the VO who inspected us that we didn't need a slap mark, just tagging would be OK for back yard pig keeping...
Can I ask where ye got the slap marker from ??

Ayla

In accordance with legal requirements the Department has developed a National Pig Identification and Tracing System (NPITS), which came into operation in July 2002. In broad terms the system involves the identification of all pigs that are moved off farm by either an ear tag or a slap mark and the identification of breeding stock with an individual number. All pig movements are recorded on a central movement database.
Only persons registered with the Department and issued with valid pig herd numbers are allowed to own or trade in pigs. This provision applies to anyone who wishes to own pigs, however few.
Persons who wish to be registered to become pig herd owners should download the following Pig Herd Application Form(doc 276Kb) and Pig Welfare Requirements Booklet and return the completed application to your local District Veterinary Office.
The local District Veterinary Office will then be in contact to arrange an inspection of the premises for suitability.
For any further assistance you require please contact your local District Veterinary Office. Please consult the Local Offices list on this website for contact details of the District Veterinary Offices.
Tags and slap marks must be ordered from an approved tag company - Click here for a list of approved tag companies(doc 45Kb)

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalidentificationmovement/nationalpigidentificationandtracingsystem/

As I said earlier, the breeder automatically put on 2 ear tags when we bought the pigs: their herd identification and the specific animal's ID number When we later brought the pigs to the abatoir we slap marked them with our herd number. Any time the pig moves to another owner the new ID must be put on either via tag or slap mark.

Also, the link I put here gives you a listing of the approved tag/slap mark suppliers.

Askim

bbam wrote: »

I was told by the VO who inspected us that we didn't need a slap mark, just tagging would be OK for back yard pig keeping...
Can I ask where ye got the slap marker from ??

Mulahone coop, think €70 inc posting, i slapped mine 3 months ago, at least i could identify them hanging up if they were stolen, also i know i got my 3 ladies back

A

Askim

Ayla wrote: »

We later bought three untagged pigs from a neighbor and ran into problems w/ their paperwork because they didn't have registered (tagged) numbers.

never had any tags in any of mine, no problems, there is nowhere on the movement form for a tag number

A

Ayla

I should clarify:

We *would* have run into problems if someone had noticed we couldn't verify where our pigs came from (ie: the original owners never tagged/marked the pigs, and since we brought the pigs onto our site they should have had originating ID). We didn't have the mother sow, so our numbers of pigs didn't line up (we slaughtered 5 but technically only owned 2).

eatmedrinkme

I just called the local Ag Department HQ in the area, and they posted out the forms, and answered any questions.