New to haveing a lifestyle block

Hi. We have a 4 acre block with some chooks and sheep. We have just had 3 Christmas lambs and we would like to get the we lamb eat tagged and registered.. But I don't know where or how to get /apply for the ear tags can someone advise me please.

Emma

If these tags are only for your personal identification, not to register a purebred animal, you can just buy them from any animal feed store. The applicator is also available there.
If you are not likely to even need the applicator again, see if one of your neighbours has one you could borrow. If so, make sure the ear tags you buys are compatible with it. Your neighbour may even tag the lambs for you.

thank you. Its too start a breeding up program.... I could be boring off more than I can chew... But we will see. ☺️

Only cattle and deer "have to be" eartagged and registered, and there is no system, yet, for other domestic animals. Goats and pigs have to some identification to show they are domestic and not feral, wild. Wild goats, rabbits and pigs are permitted to be shot if they get off your property. We do tag our sheep and goats, but it is not an easy job to do alone. They also sometimes rip the tag out of gates, fences and plants.

what are your breeding objectives then? With ear tags I put the tag in the right ear for rams (R for right) and left for ewes. Good luck with your venture.

We have purebred Arapawas - there is no breed register for them but Rare Breeds NZ do a register that I could use if I ever get around to it.

For my own use I have some sets of these style tags -

www.allflex.global/nz/product/sheep-one-piece

in a few different colours with our farm name printed on them (same as our Nait registration name)

My purebred ewes / ewe lambs that are staying with me get yellow tags, my purebred ram (and pet wether) get blue tags. I have 2 x 3/4 arapawa pet ewes - if they have ewe lambs they get tagged orange so I dont sell them as pure - all the other lambs I dont bother tagging because they either get sold or end up in a freezer. I have 12 or so ewes and usually around 20 lambs - so it helps to keep track of whos who.

Oh, forgot to say - we just ordered our tags through Farmlands - I think minimum of 10 per colour - fill out the form with TEXT for tags etc pay them and they get delivered a week or so later - they sell the aplicator also.

Thank you for that. I am thinking of a breeding up programme with the Valais Blacknose. But have lots of alternating thoughts!!

We have 5 arapawa Cross, 2Engludh Leicester. 1 vbn f1 ewe lamb and 2 f1 ram lambs yet to become wethers!!!... Plus chooks and dogs and cats!!

That's the million dollar question that I have yet to answer in my head!!!

Tui Ridge, we tag the lambs with a numbered, small zee tag that we engrave with a soldering iron and write over with a tag marker pen. . That is done as soon as possible after lambing so we can get close enough to the mother to be able to see her tag, and so that the lambs are possible to catch in the paddock. Two lists are then made, one of the ewe and her lambs, and another of the lambs and their ewe. This is exceedingly helpful if a lamb gets lost.
Emmam, it is exceedingly difficult to breed quality and pure with a small flock. We could not manage it with 100 ewes, because nothing was ever close enough to perfect to keep the line of. With our oldest and perhaps best ewe, her lambs did not reproduce well. Other lambs inherited their fathers problems, like closed hooves, entopian eyelids, prone to Facial Eczema, prone to worms, bad temperament, etc.