Animal and Farmer Identification

Animal and Farmer Identification

Advice for identification of farmers

• At least 50% of farmers have mobile telephones which have unique numbers. The preference is to use a livestock owner's mobile telephone number during the registration process.
• For those farmers without a mobile phone, a different number may be used. Owners can be registered with an optional identifier, such as:
  • their Driver's Licence: SIM (12 digits)
  • their local identifier (8 digits or less), such as an existing ID number from the local cooperative or a local farmer id scheme.
  • If this optional identifier is used, they do not have to confirm the registration as would happen for those farmers registering with a phone number.

Advice for identifying animals

• Every animal must have a unique number or name within the herd - no herd may have animals with the same name or ID number.
  • This means that you may have to change the ID of certain animals coming into the herd - through purchase or inheritance - if their ID is the same as one already in the herd.
• Keep a good record of the particular physical features which identify each animal in the herd. Keep their individual ID with this record.
• Every animal should be tagged for easy and accurate visual identification.
• There are many benefits to having your animals tagged.
• Tags can be purchased blank or pre-numbered.

• Numbers are preferable to use as ID. If possible,
  • Use an ear tag with the ID number on each animal.
  • Use the system the farmer is already using - minimum change.
  • Use one or two digits if not using any formal system (Farmer cooperative, Dinas ID system etc) .
  • Use a number that is already tattooed or branded on the animal.

• If a farmer wishes to use a name as identifier, remember that names
  • cannot contain punctuation or spaces.
  • must be unique within the herd
  • can only be one word.
  • should be reliable - simple, short, easily remembered and easy to record correctly every time.
  • Should use common spelling.
  • should not be confusing, difficult to remember or difficult to spell correctly.