Identification and registration of farm animals
According to the EU Animal Health Law the person responsible for a facility with animals is obliged to register it. The Swedish Board of Agriculture assigns the site a unique registration number. As regards bovine animals, pigs, sheep, goats and horses, there are also rules on identification. Animals of these species need to be identified by approved eartags.
More information
More detailed information about which rules apply can be found on the pages in Swedish.
Eartags and registers, bovine animals
Bovine animals must be identified by an eartag in each ear no later than 20 days after birth. If the animal is moved from its holding of birth before then, it must be identified before transport. The eartag must show the country code (SE), the registration number of the animal's birthplace, its individual number, and a check digit.
In addition, events like births and movements need to be recorded in a farm journal within 48 hours of the event, and also be reported to the central register of bovine animals (CDB) within seven days after the event. When animals are moved, both the dispatching and the receiving animal holder have to report to the CDB within seven days.
Eartags and registers, sheep and goats
Sheep and goats must be identified by an eartag in each ear no later than six months after birth. If the animal is moved from its place of birth before then, it must be identified before transport. The eartag must show the country code (SE), the registration number of the animal's birthplace, and its individual number.
Animals that are to be slaughtered before 12 months of age are exempted. It is enough to identify such animals by an eartag in one ear, and this eartag does not need to have an individual number.
In addition, events like movements need to be reported, in groups, to a central movement register. When animals are moved, both the dispatching and the receiving operator of the establishment keeping animals have to report to this register. If the animals are moved to another holding, they need to be accompanied by a movement document completed by the dispatching animal keeper. The operator also has to record data on movements in a farm journal within 48 hours of the event.
Eartags, tattoos and registers for pigs
Pigs need to be identified no later than nine months after birth. If the animal is moved from its holding of birth before then, it must be identified before transport. The eartag or tattoo must show the country code (SE) and the registration number of the animal's place of birth. The farm journal shall include data on births and transfers, among other things, and this data shall be entered within 48 hours of the event.
If the animals are moved to another holding, they need to be accompanied by a movement document completed by the dispatching animal keeper.
The receiving operator of the establishment keeping animals must within seven days report movements of pigs to a central movement register.
Identification of horses
Horses identified after 21 April 2021 must be identified by a chip which is approved by the Swedish board of Agriculture. The chip must, among other things, show the country code where the horse was born.
Horses must be identified when they apply for a horse passport. The horse must have its passport no later than twelve months after birth. If the animal is moved from its holding of birth, for more than 30 days, it must have its passport before transport.
Issuing of identification documents for horses (horse passports) as well as registration of horses from other member states is an activity that has been delegated to delegated bodies.
Contact
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Revision date: 2023-04-12