Latest earmarking/movement news affecting goats

Originally from: Sue Burton
                        
But surely,we are discussing people with a smaller amount of animals,and surely we would be able to identify them because we know them individually?.

I certainly know mine and I dont need a tag or a tattoo to tell me who they are.

I
                        

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Yes, I'm sure that's true in many cases where only a few goats are kept but I understand there are some fairly large herds of milking goats, (I'm sure Christine could tell us!),and I would imagine that if they are all the same breed, all for instance white and about the same age, they would certainly be very difficult to positively identify even if the herdsman knew them well!

Originally from: Christine Ball
                        
Hi All.
I wasn't referring to owners of smaller herds knowing their own goats though Mary is quite correct with her comments concerning commercial herds. We have several very big ones now (up to 3000 head!)and they mainly use tags or leg-bands which are easily read. We need to officially identify our goats for other purposes eg. at shows/semen collections/milk recording checks/veterinary scrapie visits, etc. Christine [UK].

Originally from: Chris
                        
Yes I bet you can and you know them as individuals not only because of the way they look but because of their different characters, even with several hundred this is possible.

I have seen shepherds in the past, family members in Wales stand and look at a flock of several hundred sheep maybe for a hour, I would here a muttered ones missing then all of a sudden dog is sent off, back it came some while later with lost sheep.He knew exactly which one was missing (shepherd not dog) that is what I could not understandand he didn't have any tags to tell him, mind you he did practicaly live with his sheep, I suppose things are different now.

Surely rescue centres, or people who have sheep/goats as companion animals in the same way I have my dogs have absolutely no need to put their animals through tagging, why should they, its cruel and unnecessary, these are effectively pets no way are they going in the food chain, I hope that those of you who are minded to refuse suceed and more power to your respective elbows.

As for the rest, who have animals for commercial reasons, if you don't like the tagging why do you not all collectively say no, force them to use chips, no reason they can't do it.

chris