putting euro's in ears

ganmo

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/row-over-electronic-tagging-delaying-new-sheep-scheme-sign-off/

This eid tagging lambs going onto the ramp only for it to be cut off in the factory doesn't look to be going away.:mad:

Do many(any) of ye have an etag reader?
I still cant see the factories paying any more for us to put a euro in each lamb's ear

MayoAreMagic

If factories want it let factories pay for it. 2 euro a lamb for the tag, plus labour.
Or they can do what the rest of us have to do and upgrade the tags themselves on the animals they have bought.

rangler1

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ganmo wrote: »

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/row-over-electronic-tagging-delaying-new-sheep-scheme-sign-off/

This eid tagging lambs going onto the ramp only for it to be cut off in the factory doesn't look to be going away.:mad:

Do many(any) of ye have an etag reader?
I still cant see the factories paying any more for us to put a euro in each lamb's ear

We are using them this year, we've been weighing the lambs regularly the last few years and have changed to EID this year. We weighed 80 today in 20 minutes, but there's about €4Ks worth of equipment weighing them. we find regular weighing a good management tool.
But making farmers use them to identify a lamb for a few hours is a wilful waste of money.
If the factory pays for them they'll just pay 10c/kg less for the lamb......not even worth looking for, the end figure will still be the same

Green farmer

Could be wrong but think last year 2 million lambs were slaughtered. That would mean extra €2 million euro spent on electronic tagging going forward, to make some labour saving in manpower hours in a hand full of lamb factories around country, Go figure.

orm0nd

rangler1 wrote: »

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We are using them this year, we've been weighing the lambs regularly the last few years and have changed to EID this year. We weighed 80 today in 20 minutes, but there's about €4Ks worth of equipment weighing them. we find regular weighing a good management tool.
But making farmers use them to identify a lamb for a few hours is a wilful waste of money.
If the factory pays for them they'll just pay 10c/kg less for the lamb......not even worth looking for, the end figure will still be the same

suprising the number of guys that are in favour of eid tagging
I suppose most of them would like yourself have the kit in place or intending to do so,

Just to edit my post & say ICOS are in favour, I originally stated ICSA ,

agree with you not feasible for the average joe soap, tagging just b4 slaughter

paddysdream

Read that article and while I agree that eid tags could be used as a management tool on some farms the traceability line is a load of rubbish.

Most sheep farmers in Ireland are in the older segment of the population plus average flock size here would rule out the cost savings and benefits of full eid ala Ranglers costs.What benefit or practical use would the Dept. envisage that eid would bring to a 60 yr. old farmer with 100 ewes run on an extensive basis and lambs sold in batches of ten or so whenever the humour takes him?Thats the reality of much of the sheep farming practised in Ireland.

From a traceability point of view;what a load of nonsense.There is no practical way to have MEANINGFUL traceability with sheep.Yes of course we have a system in place today that pretends full traceability is happening but the reality is that only when an on farm inspection occurs does the issue of eid tags in ewes arise.There is no problem in sticking any tag ,even a temp. tip tag,into a ewes ear and sending her to the factory.Factory don't care Dept. don't care,farmer doesn't care.
Once a ewe looses her two tags (and that occurs,just ask any pedigree breeder why they dont like sheep wire and its effect on rams ears)then how can you honestly say who she is or where she comes from?
From a farmers point of view,well one that is keeping their own replacements and selling lambs direct to the factory,eid tagging is just an extra euro per lamb cost with no benefits.
Will our lamb see a price increase if we eid tag them?Will all these imaginary markets that are waiting for full traceability from the Irish flock come on stream if we go full eid?
Will we see any measurable benefit from eid?
From the factory/mart point of view full eid will allow a reduction in costs of both labour and paperwork compliance but what's the chance of these being passed on to the farmer?
From a Dept. point of view is this just an ass covering exercise so as they can tell Europe "look we are good boys and girls with full(in theory) traceability.
Unless you use dna testing I defy anyone to have 100% traceability in the national flock.The line will be spun that at least we must try and show we are doing our best but my attitude is that why pretend this actually works when we as farmers will be carrying the full cost of a paperwork exercise that benefits everyone in the chain except sheep farmers.
There is talk of less paperwork and promises of a less rigorous inspection regime if we go fully eid but the ewe flock is full eid for all breeding stock born since 01 01 2010 and all that messing with census, flock register,inspections etc still rumble on.Pointless inspections when Dept. have an exact record of all movements in and out of a flock including fallen stock and they still insist on registers and inspections of ewes on holdings.Does it really matter from a traceability point of view if your home bred ewes are tagged unless you go to sell them?
As you can prob. figure out I am not fully convinced of the benefits of eid !!!

Green farmer

Farmers journal is reporting that creed has come out and said electronic tagging not going to be a condition of new sheep payment.

paddysdream

Green farmer wrote: »

Farmers journal is reporting that creed has come out and said electronic tagging not going to be a condition of new sheep payment.

That's prob. a good thing as the longer its put off the better chance farmers have of getting some meaningful concessions.
Full eid will suit the marts ,the factories and the Dept. of Ag.Easy to see who will benefit from its introduction as these are the ones pushing that agenda for the last few years.
Letting it come in on the back of a promised scheme(bribe?) that may or may not deliver would be a mistake I feel.