Summary of key requirements

A summary of the key requirements of the system is available in NLIS Sheep & Goats – basic information.

Here are answers to some of the questions that sheep and goat producers and others in the industry may have about the National Livestock Identification System Sheep & Goats.

About the system

1. What is 'NLIS Sheep & Goats'?

NLIS Sheep & Goats is a tracing system that allows stock to be traced from their property of birth through all subsequent properties or to the place of slaughter. This traceability is achieved through a combination of ear tags and a paper trail based on a movement document such as the National Vendor Declaration and Waybill (NVD) or similar document.

The system has been developed in consultation with producers, processors, stock and station agents, saleyard operators and state regulators in response to a number of international animal health and food safety events.

NLIS for sheep has been a voluntary system since 2002. It has been compulsory from 1 January 2006. NLIS Sheep & Goats is an initiative of national industry. The Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) agreed in 2003 that a national livestock identification system would be put in place for each livestock species and that it would meet agreed standards for traceability.

2. Why has NLIS Sheep & Goats been introduced?

Consumers worldwide are demanding greater traceability of the production of their food. To achieve this traceability there needs to be a nationwide system that allows individual animals to be traced to all properties that they have been to and to their original property of birth.

In the event of a serious exotic disease, such as foot and mouth, entering Australia it would be imperative to find infected animals and deal with them as soon as possible so as to minimise the huge financial losses that would be suffered through the cessation of trade. Accurate and rapid traceability is important to achieve this. Sheepmeat exports from Australia are worth $1 billion (2005). If these were stopped because of an exotic disease outbreak, the consequences would be even greater than this. The oversupply on the domestic market could drastically reduce the price received locally, perhaps doubling the loss.

NLIS Sheep & Goats is delivering the following key benefits to Australia’s sheep and goat meat industries.

• Assist in maintaining market access by demonstrating that Australia’s sheep and goat industries are able to meet the traceback requirements of our domestic and international customers.
• Build on our competitive position as one of the world’s leading exporters of sheep and goat meat.
• Strengthen product integrity though the enhancement of product traceback systems to increase consumer confidence in the ability of the meat industry to identify and manage disease and chemical residue events should they occur.
• Assist other industry initiatives such as genetic improvement and supply chain management schemes by providing a standard method for identification of stock.
• Improve proof of ownership for lost or stolen stock.

3. How do I participate in NLIS Sheep & Goats?

The NSW requirements from 1 January 2009 are summarised below.

• Have a property identification code (PIC). The first step for producers to become involved is to ensure that they have a property identification code (PIC) for their property. This number is assigned by the Livestock Health and Pest Authority. If you run cattle and already have a PIC (tail tag number), then you must use the same number.
• Order tags. Producers need to decide what type of tag they will use, either visual or electronic tags. Producers can order NLIS Sheep & Goats tags from authorised resellers or manufacturers and some Livestock Health and Pest Authorities. The tag must have the PIC clearly printed on it. Tags that meet the national standards for NLIS also have the NLIS logo stamped on them. It is strongly recommended that tags be ordered with the correct year of birth colour (see below).
• Tag all sheep and goats sold or moved from one property to another property, saleyard or abattoir after 1 January 2009.
• Use an appropriate movement document (NVD, TSS or post sale summary) when sending sheep or goats to a saleyard, abattoir or another property.
• Record your PIC, the PIC numbers of any other tags in the stock and other details as required on a movement document.
• Keep the movement documents for 7 years for any sheep or farmed goats bought onto your property after 1 January 2006.

4. What does it cost to be in the system?

The approximate cost of NLIS Sheep & Goats approved visually readable ear tags is between $0.25 and $0.35.

For those producers who elect to use electronic tags, the approximate cost is $2.30 to $2.60. These tags must have a visually readable PIC number printed on the tag.

5. Is NLIS Sheep & Goats compulsory?

NLIS Sheep & Goats was introduced in NSW from 1 January 2006.

From 1 January 2009 all sheep and farmed goats leaving the farm require NLIS Sheep & Goats tags.

6. How are sheep or farmed goats traced back to the property of birth?

Sheep or farmed goats can be traced back to their property of birth by checking the PIC number on the tag against relevant movement documents.

7. Who is involved in NLIS Sheep & Goats? How do I contact them?

NSW DPI has the role of implementing the system in NSW after it has been developed in consultation with industry. For more information contact your Livestock Health and Protection Authority, a NSW DPI Livestock Officer or email your enquiry to nlis.sheep@dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Your local Livestock Health and Pest Authority has the roles of:

• certifying your property identification code and other details on orders for tags;
• providing emergency tags for stock which have lost tags or otherwise need to be tagged;
• checking that the requirements of NLIS Sheep & Goats are met in saleyards.

You will find the contact details of your local Livestock Health and Pest Authority on their website or in the White Pages.

The NSW Sheep & Goats NLIS Implementation Advisory Committee has the role of advising the Minister for Primary Industries on how NLIS Sheep & Goats should be implemented in NSW.

8. What benefits will I get from NLIS Sheep & Goats?

Initially, the main focus of NLIS Sheep & Goats is to provide a standardised identification system for the Australian sheep and goat industries. The cost of an exotic disease outbreak in the Australian sheep and goat meat industries would be devastating.

Tagging your stock ensures you maintain maximum competition when you market your stock.

On-farm benefits include:

• the ability to identify stock easily if they stray or get boxed with a neighbour's;
• unique individual stock identification for management purposes, if an individual identification number is added when ordering tags.

9. Will my sheep or farmed goats be worth more when I sell them?

It is unlikely that sheep or farmed goats will be worth more once they have an NLIS tag in them. The key advantage is that your sheep or farmed goats will not be excluded from any potential markets and buyers.

It is likely that some major export markets will require full traceability for the meat products that enter their market within the next few years.

10. Are there exemptions from tagging?

These livestock do not need to be tagged for NLIS Sheep & Goats, but movement documents are still required:

• Feral goats consigned direct from property of birth to slaughter or via a depot. A feral goat is one which has been captured from a wild state, has not been born as a result of a managed breeding program, and has not been subjected to any animal husbandry procedure or treatment.
• Lambs or kids that are both unweaned and unmarked and moved or sold with their mothers.
• Lambs or kids born on agistment and moved on permit to the ‘home’ property (see also Question 11 below).
• Sheep or goats moved on permit to allow them to be tagged somewhere else.
• Sheep or goats moved for up to 7 days to a property that shares a fenceline with the home property (a 'contiguous' property).
• Sheep or goats moved between parts of the same property (that is, with the same PIC).
• Sheep or goats moved on permit during an emergency such as a flood or bushfire.
• Dairy goats.

Note: Dairy goats that are moved to a saleyard for sale or to an abattoir for slaughter must be tagged.

11. What about sheep or farmed goats going to or returning from agistment?

All lambs born after 1 January 2006 while on agistment must be tagged with an NLIS tag for the agistment property before being moved home or anywhere else, except where it is not practical to tag the sheep or goats on the agistment property, or the lambs and kids are too young to tag and the animals are moved on permit.

Even though you own the stock, you cannot use your ‘home’ property tags on another property, because the PIC on the tag relates to location, not stock ownership.

12. Do lambs, sheep or farmed goats which are leaving their property of birth to go straight to an abattoir for slaughter and to be sold over the hooks on a c/kg basis need NLIS tags?

Yes, from 1 January 2009 they must be tagged.

13. Do I need to tag sheep or farmed goats attending shows or sheep dog trials?

Sheep or farmed goats attending shows do not need to be tagged provided the show society maintains a record of entries and the animals are returned  to the same property.

Sheep  attending sheep dog trials must be tagged.

Using PICs

14. What is a PIC?

PIC stands for property identification code. It is a unique eight-character number assigned by the Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA, formerly RLPB) to a property with livestock.

The same PIC is used for both NLIS Cattle and NLIS Sheep & Goats. If you run cattle, your PIC is the same as your tail tag number, and if you already have a tail tag number, you don’t have to apply for a PIC.

The PIC relates to land, not stock owners, and is the key piece of information allowing traceback to property of birth and all properties in between.

An example of a PIC is NG474162 where:
          N = NSW
          G is a check character
          47 = LHPA (formerly RLPB) district
          4162 is the property number.

15. Will the PIC replace stud numbers?

No, they are intended for different purposes.

16. I have more than one property. Can I amalgamate my properties under one PIC?

If you have properties with different PICs you may be able to tag all your animals with the same PIC if the properties are close to each other. Contact your Livestock Health and Pest Authority Registrar to see if you can do this.

You will still need a transported stock statement or stock permit when moving stock by vehicle between your properties, even if they have the same PIC.

A potential disadvantage of combining properties is that if a diseased or residue-affected animal is traced to your PIC, then all land under that PIC and all stock on that land will be considered at risk until further investigations prove otherwise.

Please discuss this option and the pros and cons with your Livestock Health and Pest Authority.

Using movement documents

17. What is a movement document?

After 1 January 2006 all sheep and goats have to be accompanied by an approved document that records their movement from their current location to another location, whether they are exempt from tagging or not.

Approved documents include the National Vendor Declaration and Waybill (NVD), transported stock statement (TSS), or post-sale summary which contains the following information:

• PIC or address of the property or location that the sheep or farmed goats are being moved from;
• PIC or address of the destination;
• number and type of sheep or farmed goats in the consignment;
• PICs of all ear tags in the sheep or farmed goats;
• date of the movement.

A copy of this document must be kept by the purchaser/receiver of the sheep or farmed goats for 7 years if a producer, or 2 years if a processor. Agents must keep a record of the specified information on a movement document for 2 years.

NLIS Sheep & Goats relies on the combination of the use of tags and paper-based records to achieve traceability. Industry has determined that retaining the movement documents for 7 years will ensure that the records are available to allow whole-of-life tracing, should this be required.

18. What is a transported stock statement (TSS)?

A transported stock statement is a stock movement document which provides all the necessary information to satisfy regulations regarding stock ownership in transit, the carrier and the destination of the stock. It is available from your local Livestock Health and Pest Authority office.

19. What is a Health Statement (HS)?

A Health Statement is a document that provides the purchaser with information regarding animal health assurance, in particular for OJD. It is available from your local Livestock Health and Pest Authority office.

20. What is an NVD and Waybill?

A National Vendor Declaration and Waybill is a document that provides all the required information to satisfy the regulations for the sale or movement of sheep or farmed goats and provides the purchaser with general information regarding animal health and residue risk of the stock being sold. It can be used as a TSS.

The NVD is a compulsory element of the LPA (Livestock Production Assurance) scheme. The LPA NVD is available from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) .

21. What is the definition of a 'movement' requiring a sheep or farmed goats to be tagged?

A movement is defined as any movement between two properties with different PICs or between a property and a saleyard or abattoir.

22. Do I need to complete a movement document for all sheep or goats leaving my property to go to a saleyard or another destination with a different PIC?

Yes, all movements require a movement document.

23. Do I have to record the PICs of the properties of origin and destination on my movement document if I am selling sheep or farmed goats which were born before 1 January 2006?

Yes, from 1 January 2006 PICs or addresses must be recorded on all movement documents, whether sheep or goats are tagged or not.

24. Am I required to obtain a movement document when I buy sheep or farmed goats?

Yes. This may be an NVD, a TSS, or a post sale summary. The important thing is that the document has the following information recorded:

• the PIC of the property the animals moved from
• the date that the movement started
• the number and type of animals
• the PICs of all tags in the animals.

25. What should I do if the movement document is not completed in full or not signed?

Accept the sheep or farmed goats if you wish and request a completed version. Advise your Livestock Health and Pest Authority if corrective action is not taken by the previous owner.

26. Do processors need to obtain movement documents or post-sale summaries for all sheep, lambs and goats that they slaughter?

Yes, processors are required to keep the movement document for two years after receiving the stock.

Selling livestock under NLIS Sheep & Goats

27. How do I sell sheep, lambs or farmed goats under NLIS?

Stock will continue to be sold in the same way as they were before the introduction of NLIS Sheep & Goats, but the requirements for tagging and movement documents will be different.

28. Can I sell a group of sheep or farmed goats born before 1 January 2009 with some having NLIS tags and some not?

No, from 1 January 2009 all animals will have to be tagged.

29. Do lambs and farmed kids consigned to an off-farm feedlot need to be tagged?

Yes. All lambs and farmed kids consigned to an off-farm feedlot need to be tagged. Any that lose a tag in the feedlot will need to have a pink post-breeder tag with the feedlot’s PIC attached before they leave the feedlot.

Ear tags for NLIS Sheep & Goats

30. What ear tags are needed for NLIS Sheep & Goats?

There are two categories of tags needed for NLIS Sheep & Goats:

• The breeder tag is the original tag that is placed in the sheep or farmed goats on their property of birth.
• A post-breeder tag can be used for sheep, lambs or farmed goats no longer on their property of birth or for sheep or for lambs or farmed goats consigned to a saleyard which have lost a breeder tag.

All post-breeder tags are pink. Post-breeder tags may be used to identify stock you have bought that are already tagged with an NLIS tag to allow easier identification of bought-in sheep or farmed goats, particularly when they may have come from various sources.

31. Will NLIS tags replace ear marks?

NLIS tags will not replace ear marks. Ear marks are the only permanent marking on sheep and as such are an invaluable back-up method of identifying animals in the event that an ear tag is lost between the previous property and the destination, whether that be the saleyards, an abattoir or another property.

32. Are earmarks still required?

Yes, it is a legal requirement for sheep and goats to be earmarked before 6 months of age.

33. What kinds of tag can I use for NLIS Sheep & Goats?

There are two different types of tags that can be used in NLIS Sheep & Goats: visual or electronic.

Visually readable tags

Visually readable tags are the ones required by the system. The visual tags are the same as previously available visual tags, but have printed on them the property’s PIC, and, preferably, the NLIS logo.

Electronic tags

You can use electronic tags under NLIS Sheep & Goats, but it is not compulsory. (Electronic tags are compulsory for NLIS Cattle.)

Electronic tags must have the PIC printed on them so that they can also be read visually.

Electronic tags allow for more intensive animal management. Individual animal data can be recorded and stored for each animal, allowing producers to move towards breeding objectives with greater confidence.

34. Can other information be printed on the ear tag?

Yes. The PIC number should be printed so that it can be easily read when the animal is handled. Other property or stud information can be printed on the tag, but on a different side.

35. How do I order NLIS tags?

Order tags from your preferred tag supplier, tag manufacturer or Livestock Health and Pest Authority.

All orders for approved NLIS identifiers in NSW must be checked and endorsed by the relevant Livestock Health and Pest Authority district Registrar before they are filled by a device manufacturer. This ensures that:

• the correct PIC for the property is being ordered;
• the person placing the order is entitled to do so, being either the owner or occupier of the property or a person with stock on that land;
• any evident irregularities in the order are sorted out; and
• the quantity of devices being ordered matches the carrying capacity of the land or premises.

36. Who are the accredited ear tag manufacturers for NLIS Sheep & Goats?

Manufacturers and suppliers of stock identifiers do not have to be approved in NSW, but must supply identifiers that meet approved standards. Tags must be printed with the PIC of the property on which they are used. You can put other information on the other side of NLIS tags. Tags carrying the NLIS logo meet quality standards.

The NLIS accredited ear tag manufacturers include:

• Drover’s Ay-One Pty Limited - NSW
  Phone: (02) 4992 3111 Fax: (02) 4992 3244 Email: sales@drovers.com.au
• Leader Products Pty Limited - VIC
  Phone: (03) 9308 2355 Fax: (03) 9308 3486 Email: bwd@leaderproducts.com.au
• Gallagher Australia Pty Ltd - VIC
  Phone: (03) 9308 7722 Fax: 1800 337 949 Email: sales@gallagher.com.au
• Allflex Australia Pty Limited - QLD
  Phone: (07) 3899 9055 Fax: (07) 3899 9034 Email: John.Boyd@allflex.com.au
• Arlunga Pty Limited - SA
  Phone: (08) 8576 3071 Fax: (08) 8576 3272 Email: arlunga@im.net.au
• AAA Tags Pty Ltd - SA
  Phone: (08) 8364 3155 Fax: (08) 8356 0707 Email: info@aaatags.com
• Stockbrands Co. Pty Limited - WA
  Phone: (08) 9444 5519 Fax: (08) 9444 0619 Email: stockco@iinet.com.au
• Tally Tags Trading as Swingertag Pty Limited - WA
  Phone: (08) 9861 1290 Fax: (08) 9861 1468 Email: tallytag@comswest.net.au
• Pinnacle Products - W.A.
  Phone: 0437 873 931 Email: sales@pinnacleproducts.net.au
  

37. What do the colours of breeder tags indicate?

NLIS breeder tags may be any colour, but use of a colour which corresponds to a nationally agreed colour for the year in which the lamb or kid is born is strongly recommended. This allows for visual age identification at a distance. The colours are rotated through an eight-year cycle:

Year                Colour

2005                 yellow

2006                 red

2007                 sky blue

2008                 black

2009                 white

2010                 orange

2011                 light green

2012                 purple

2013                 yellow

From 1 July 2009 it will be compulsory to use the year of birth tag colour for sheep bred on the property and where the age of the sheep is known.

38. Can I use breeder tags left over from the year before?

This is not recommended. Buyers of your stock may prefer correct year of birth colour. You should use the year of birth colour where the age of the animal is known.

39. Is the reader for electronic tags (RFIDs) the same as for cattle?

There are currently two different types of tag systems in the marketplace. NLIS Cattle is using the half duplex system, whereas some of the sheep or farmed goats tags being produced are full duplex.

Most commercial readers have the ability to read both half and full duplex tags. If you have cattle as well as sheep or farmed goats, you should ensure that the reader you buy has the ability to read both half and full duplex tags.

40. Do I need to use another tag when I buy sheep or farmed goats that are already tagged?

Not unless they lose a tag, in which case you would use a post-breeder tag with your PIC.

41. What happens if some sheep, lambs or farmed goats lose their tags?

If sheep or farmed goats that are required to be tagged lose their NLIS tag, the tags must be replaced before the stock leave that property. If you have bred the stock on that property, you may attach a breeder tag. All other sheep or farmed goats must have a post-breeder tag attached.

42. When else will I need to use a post-breeder tag?

If you elect not to record on a movement document all the different PIC numbers in the ears of the stock being moved you must apply a pink post-breeder tag.

43. Can I use a second post-breeder tag if the sheep or farmed goats already have a post-breeder tag from a previous owner?

Yes, if it assists your management, but it is not required. This is also an option if you do not wish to record all PICs relating to the sheep or farmed goats on the NVD when they leave your property.

44. Do I have to put in additional tags if I vaccinate my sheep against OJD?

No, but you are already required to use tags with a PIC and a V printed on them to signify that the sheep have been vaccinated against OJD. There is no requirement to put in additional tags.

45. I am worried that shearers will cut the tags out. Does this happen?

Yes, sometimes it will happen, but if shearers are warned that the sheep are tagged they will take appropriate care. As with other tags lost on-farm, you should replace the lost tags at the next appropriate animal husbandry event with a breeder tag if the sheep was bred on your property, or a post-breeder tag if the sheep were bought in or you are unsure of their origin. To aid in tag retention, it could be useful to place tags in the back of the right ear and front of the left.

46. Is there a rumen bolus for sheep or farmed goats?

Yes. Rumen boluses are currently under trial in Australia. Recommendations are yet to be made concerning their use and removal at slaughter.

47. What ear do the tags go in?

Your preference. The ear in which tags should be placed is optional, as long as the tag does not obscure the registered earmark. To aid in tag retention, it could be useful to place tags in the back of the right ear and the front of the left ear.

48. When should I tag my sheep or farmed goats?

The only requirement is that the lambs, sheep, kids or goats are tagged prior to  leaving the property. To tag lambs or kids at marking or weaning would be efficient, particularly for lambs or kids which are to be sold other than direct to slaughter over the hooks and which therefore must be tagged with a breeder tag before leaving their property of birth.

49. How many tags will my sheep or farmed goats have in their ears?

Most stock will only have one tag but some may have more.

50. Will there be special (or emergency) tags available?

Yes, pink emergency tags will be available through your Livestock Health and Pest Authority. They will mainly be used by small holdings, if the property does not have a PIC.

Emergency tags can also be used if tags are lost in transit. These tags cost more than breeder tags.

51. What if some tags are lost from a mob I am selling?

If you are consigning sheep or farmed goats to sale to a location where they are required to be tagged, then all must be tagged before they leave your property. Those that have lost tags should have a new tag inserted. If there is no doubt that the animals have been born on the property, a replacement breeder tag can be used, but otherwise a post-breeder tag should be used.

Moving stock between states

52. What do I have to do if I am moving sheep or farmed goats from another state into NSW?

You must comply with NSW requirements.

53. What do I have to do if I am moving sheep or farmed goats from NSW into another state?

You must comply with the requirements of the destination state.

54. Will there be a central national database?

No, not in the short term. NLIS Sheep & Goats is based on tracing via tags and movement documents retained by producers for 7 years. There is no plan for a central database in the short term. The system will be reviewed in 2010 for its ability to meet national traceability criteria, and changes may be made after this if required.

Further information

• Cattle
• Sheep and goats
• Property Identification Codes (PICs)
• Policy and legislation