Electronic Identification (EID) as a
Management Tool

New legislation being introduced later this year will mean that sheep born after 31st December 2009 will be required to have one electronic device and one visual identifier. If derogations are introduced this may only affect animals intended for breeding and whilst there is no requirement in the regulation to use a reader, these animals will need to be recorded individually.

EID devices (ear tags and bolus) will carry an internal chip called a transponder that bears a similar number to the visual UK tag number - for example the EID device will read 0826012345600001, and the visual number will display UK0123456 00001. The transponder does not store management information but can be used with readers and data loggers to capture management information. There will be various types of tags or bolus on offer and these will be either FDX B devices or HDX devices. The difference between these technologies is how they transmit and receive signals from the reader. All readers will be required by legislation to read both technologies.

Transponders are passive and have no battery; they are energised by the reader and in turn transmit the unique number back to the reader. The distance at which they can be read will be dependent upon the type of reader - whether it is a handheld reader or a race reader. This minimum distance has been defined in the EU legislation for both transponders and readers and manufacturers will require certification of their readers to meet the regulation.

Individual recording has many benefits for both the pedigree and the commercial farmer and EID is an efficient method of data collection that can assist with this. EID provides an accurate, reliable and fast method of identifying animals. If labour is costed in, EID will provide substantial cost savings over time.

For those that only wish to comply with the regulation, but have too many movements to make paper recording practical, there are several EID readers available. These readers include stick readers which will collect lists of animals and send the information either to a PC or a mobile printer. This data can be used to produce lists of animals to attach to the holding register or movement documentation.

For those that wish to record management information there are several readers and data loggers available that can collect a variety of data, from simple lists of animals to full management data, and transfer the data into farm management software for greater analysis. EID can be used as a management tool to not only speed up recording, but with comprehensive farm management software, enable you to identify productive and non-productive animals.

Shearwell Data Ltd has developed a comprehensive and easy to use handheld data logger that can be used for electronically reading transponders and unlike most readers, may be used to manually type in the UK or management tag numbers. This data logger, the Psion Workabout Pro (PsionTM), has an internal reader and can also be linked by Bluetooth (a wireless link) to race readers and weighing systems providing a totally hands free solution for recording. The PsionTM has a touch screen, is extremely versatile and has a large memory capacity that can hold up to 500,000 animal records. This capacity allows us to capture, store and view stock information including progeny, weight history, movement history, treatment history, comments and animal details.

It is important that whatever data logger you use it has the capacity to allow multiple actions to be recorded on large numbers of sheep without having to send information to a PC via upload and download in between batches. The Psion holds the recording options listed below together with details of all your sheep and all of your cattle. The unit can record information on farm such as calving or lambing, treatments, TB testing information, tupping or service, pregnancy scanning, movements and weights (every day weighing, 8 week, 21 week and wean weights). The Psion has the option to draft animals, count stock and to put them into management groups. Multiple actions can be recorded with one read.

There is also an option to record traits at lambing / calving time - lambing / calving ease, milk at birth, lamb / calf vigour and mothering ability. Defaults can be saved to speed up the recording process. Creating a link at birth (or shortly after) between the dam and the progeny is important for both the pedigree and commercial farmer. Those who performance record have accurate records to export for analysis. Commercial farmers and pedigree breeders can build up a picture of animals that are performing well or otherwise - for example those that have had a single lamb for two or three years running and those that have two or more. This information can be used to help select replacements and to cull unproductive stock.

The keyboard on the Psion is alphanumeric allowing tag numbers to be keyed in if required and comments to be entered on individual animals. These comments can be prompted to appear the next time the animal is handled and are automatically added to the animal's individual records in the farm management software. The ability to record comments against individual animals out in the field is a particularly useful management tool and will help to remind you of key tasks or notes you have taken previously. Using the software on the PC, animals can be grouped into common problem groups (for example bad feet) or cull groups using the comments recorded against that animal.

Recording individual treatments and movements becomes effortless (and far more accurate than manually recording) using EID as a tool to capture that data. Official medicine books and holding registers are populated automatically via the Psion and farm management software. Individual electronic records should also speed up on farm inspections considerably.

Recording weights using EID reduces time and provides a fast accurate method of capturing this information. The Shearwell system is a fully integrated system that receives weight information captured by an electronic weigh head on the crate and sends it to the farm management software via the PsionTM. Using Bluetooth wireless communications, the TruTest weigh head will send weight information to the Psion which will display the current weight and store the full weight history of the animal. The last three weights and capture dates, will also be displayed providing gain information at a glance. The software on the PC will produce reports showing daily live-weight gain and can be grouped by individual sires/dams or by source and give comparisons between sires, breeds and groups.

With the introduction of EID in 2010 and the probability that abattoirs will install readers, we anticipate that carcass information will be recorded against individual tag numbers and returned to the producer. This information has great value not only for the commercial farmer, but also for the terminal sire breeder, especially if this can be linked back to sires, breeds and ram producers.

Shearwell Data has developed a system using the Psion and the farm management software to enable the farmer to identify and draft animals. Animals can be drafted by weight, management group, Scrapie genotype, gender, breeds, cull reasons, breeding lines and many more criteria including the selection of ewes by the number of lambs produced or by selecting lambs that were one of a double etc.

EID can be used to draft animals with existing manual or automatic drafting crates. Having set up draft groups on the PC, arrows displayed on the PsionTM identify which way the animal should be drafted. The unit contains a voice chip that informs the operator which way to draft when the animal is identified. Bluetooth links allow the PsionTM to link to headphones or to an automatic drafting crate to shed the sheep fast and accurately.

Capturing data using EID is only half of the solution to using EID as a management tool. It is important that the software on the PC is comprehensive and produces the reports necessary for your production system. Some basic readers may be compatible with different software packages, however data loggers and more comprehensive readers will only be compatible with specific software because of the format of the data that has to be transferred between the two.

The Shearwell Data system uses the PsionTM and FarmWorks by SDL for its full management package (however basic readers are also available for recording lists of animals). The software also contains options for pedigree breeders. This package is a system that can be added to at any stage - weigh crates, stick readers, race reading systems and automatic drafting crates.

EID has come on a long way since the trials at the end of the 1990's and early 2000's. As with all technology it is continually developing. There are many options for EID as a producer; If you wish only to comply with legislation, then inserting an electronic device and recording by paper may be sufficient. If paper recording is too onerous, then using a basic reader will capture lists of animals for movements. However if you would like to individually record management data to help improve your flock, EID is the easiest and most accurate way of achieving this. A full EID solution with a comprehensive software package will bring immediate benefits to your business and will identify efficiencies that will help to improve your flock and bottom line. We are confident that once you have tried an EID solution you will never want to go back to recording on paper!

Shearwell Data Ltd has produced a guide to Electronic Identification (EID)