ScotEID Green Tags - Outline

Where an animal is seen on a holding by, for example, the inspectorate or local authority, with no ear tags, that is, neither a primary or secondary tag present and issued yellow tags for the registered holding are not available, the animal is tagged with 'BCMS' tags. These are green and have BCMS numbers which are 5 digits (4 digits with a leading zero, eg BCMS03456).

The animal remains on this tag until its identity is proven. If the animal cannot be identified, it may be decided by the relevant authority that compulsory or voluntary slaughter is necessary and the animal travels on this green tag alive or dead depending on the location of the slaughter and the produce cannot enter the food chain.

If slaughter is not deemed necessary, the green tags are cut out of the animal and replaced with yellow tags issued to that registered holding. This procedure is supervised. However the animal remains restricted, identity not proven and does not receive a passport. A keeper can continue to breed with a dam that has failed to be identified. At end of life cannot enter the food chain.

If the identity of the animal is proven, the green tags are cut out and replaced with replacement yellow tags for the proven identity. This procedure is supervised. The animal is issued with a replacement passport, if required. The animal has been identified, has valid ear tags and can enter the food chain.

The BCMS tags are not recorded on CTS. The allocation and management of the BCMS green tags is carried out by RPA Enforcements. Animals on holdings with BCMS tags are not visible on CTS to keepers, inspectors and others. Animals on BCMS tags do not appear on inspection packs or for subsequent follow up inspections. Moves for animals on BCMS tags cannot be recorded on the system. The animals can be moved under licence but the moves cannot be recorded nor the location of the animals on the system. Animals on BCMS tags cannot been seen as restricted on the system.

Where a dam on a BCMS tag calves, to register the calf, the dam is allocated an 'issued yellow tag' on the system only. This yellow tag ID is not put in the ear of the dam but is held by the local area office. This dam is recorded on the system with the issued yellow tag as restricted. The link between the BCMS tag and the yellow tag is not visible to anyone other than RPA Enforcements.

When an animal on a BCMS tag dies on farm or is slaughtered. The keeper has no means of recording the death on the system, and therefore the recording of the death is not visible on the system.

The main issue with the BCMS greens tags is that the format is not accommodated on the livestock data recording systems, this includes, CTS, LUIS, SGRPID LIS, ScotEID and keeper farm management systems. This means that for BCMS tagged animals, locations are not available and the animals are not traceable, even on death.

To address this main issue and others, ScotEID has proposed, and this has been accepted in principle by both SG Policy and SGRPID, to issue ScotEID green tags that are printed with a UK formatted number that uses the ScotEID herd mark, 532709.

The tags would remain the colour green and printed with for example UK532709600426 - the 6 being the check digit and 00426 being the tag number. The exact print layout of the double tags is yet to be confirmed. The primary tag could be printed similar to an official tag and the secondary could have management space perhaps for the inspection ref, or they could both be the same.

The printing of ScotEID green tags is to be managed by ScotEID and the tags distributed to the local area offices for use. If more green tags are required, a request can be made by the local area office directly to ScotEID.

The ScotEID green tags are to be used in exactly the same way BCMS green tags are now as described above. However, when an animal without an official ear tag is tagged with a double set of ScotEID green tags, the UK formatted number on the tag, eg UK532709600426 can be captured on ScotEID, and the animal's location and registered holding. This notification provides the point in time the animal was seen at inspection and the green tags were applied. If available the breed and sex of the animal can be recorded.

This data is then visible to all parties, keepers, inspectors, ScotEID admin, and in the cattle listing for the registered holding and numbers presented at each location reflect the situation at the time of the inspection. Subsequent events for the animals on the green tags can be recorded. All data is visible and none rejected. Movements and deaths can be notified or recorded to ScotEID.

If the animal cannot be identified, ScotEID proposes that the animal remain on the green tag as the animal cannot be officially identified. This ensures continuity in the green tag identity given. It avoids the supervision of cutting out and re tagging of animals on green tags. A practice that does not want to be encouraged and best avoided. The animals remain easily identified on subsequent inspections but remained restricted on the system with their original green tag identity that can be traced back to the inspection.

• UK formatted number, eg UK532709700427 that can be used
• animal is registered on ScotEID
• animal is restricted on ScotEID
• animal is visible on ScotEID to the keeper and others
• movements are captured
• on farm deaths are recorded
• compulsory and voluntary slaughters on site or else where are captured
• animals on green tags appear in subsequent inspection packs
• calves can be registered to a dam on a green tag number
• green tag numbered animals can be monitored at farm, local area, and national level by the herd mark 532709 - only green tags have this herd mark
• green tags remaining on unidentified animals may act as a deterrent for keepers to keep these animals if there is no option to breed and no end product
• the green tags can be issued as electronic tags when appropriate

There are significant administration savings when green tagged animals are represented on the system and subsequent processing is data driven for the ScotEID team. The visibility of the animals on the system potentially reduces the current level of support required to both keepers and inspectors in regard to green tagged animals that cannot be seen in their cattle listings.

The print layout required on the green tags is to be confirmed by RPID.

ScotEID to arrange print and distribution of the green tags.

ScotEID to contact LUIS / BCMS re use of the UK formatted number on the green tags

ScotEID set up process for ordering green tags

ScotEID set up process for ordering of replacement of existing green tags by keepers

Suggested adoption of ScotEID green tags for use at inspections by 1st June 2023.

Debbie Dow

ScotEID System Liaison