EID Tags and Tagging Equipment
8 UK ear tag and EID suppliers, plus what to check before you buy: approved supplier lists, tagging deadlines, replacement tags and mandatory cattle EID.
This page lists 8 UK suppliers of EID ear tags and tagging equipment, each checked against its own website. Mandatory cattle EID is coming in 2027, so check that a supplier's tags are approved for your species before you order, and keep the order record with your farm records.
Check the current approved supplier list: www.gov.uk. GOV.UK keeps the definitive list of approved sheep and goat ear tag suppliers. Confirm a supplier is on it before ordering official tags.
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How do I choose ear tags and a reader for my stock?
Start with what the animal has to wear, then look at catalogues. Every calf needs a yellow primary tag and a second tag in the other ear, and official cattle tags must come from a supplier registered with BCMS. Sheep need an approved pair of tags, one of them electronic, or a single yellow EID slaughter tag for a lamb going to slaughter under 12 months, as GOV.UK's sheep tagging guidance sets out. Our sheep EID tags and flock register guide lays out the combinations.
Then ask three things of any business listed above. Is it on the approved list for your species? Is the exact tag shown under its name as an official tag, not just a management tag? Can it print your herd or flock mark and CPH number? The usual trap is a tag that scans well but is not official.
Choose the reader last. GOV.UK says there is no regulatory requirement for readers to have specific approval, so the choice is about the job: race or crush, and how many animals a day.
Who is allowed to supply official ear tags, and how do I check?
For cattle, the approved cattle ear tag supplier list is kept by GOV.UK and was last updated on 21 August 2026. Approval is not a formality: cattle tags go through a welfare assessment, laboratory testing to PAS 44:2026, and extra checks for EID tags.
For sheep and goats, the approved sheep and goat tag supplier list was last updated on 15 July 2026 and splits products into visual tags, EID tags, pastern bands, boluses and slaughter tags.
My check: find the supplier, find the product, note the date on the page, and repeat before each large order, because lists change. An approved supplier may still sell tags that are not official.
When must calves and lambs be tagged, and what if a tag is lost?
For calves, GOV.UK sets the clocks: beef calves need both tags before 21 days old; dairy calves need the primary tag before 36 hours and the second before 21 days. The passport is separate, by the day the calf is 27 days old, as in our 27-day passport rule guide. Lambs are tagged on the holding of birth, within 6 months if reared indoors, 9 months if outdoors, or before they leave, whichever comes first.
Lost tags run on a 28-day clock for both species. For cattle you must order and fit a replacement within 28 days of noticing the loss or damage, and the animal keeps the same official number for life. For sheep, a replica tag keeps the old number, a replacement tag carries a new one, and replacement tags must be red if the sheep was not born on your holding.
What does mandatory cattle EID mean for the tags I buy now?
Defra's June 2025 announcement made low frequency (LF) electronic ID mandatory for all new-born calves in England from 2027. In June 2026 Farmers Weekly reported Defra moving it to mid-2027, launching with the new traceability system. Our note on what changes with mandatory cattle EID follows the date as it moves.
For buying: the announcement covers new-born calves, so existing cattle are not told to retag. Ask your supplier now which official EID ranges it will stock, and do not over-buy plain visual tags for calves due after the start date.
On readers, the technical standard requires an LF ear tag to read at 12 cm with a portable reader and 80 cm with a stationary one. A stick is a close-range tool. Our cattle EID ear tags guide covers sheep readers and UHF.
What records do I keep when I order and fit tags?
Keep the order confirmation, the number ranges you were sent and the date they arrived, then tick numbers off as they go into animals.
For sheep and goats, GOV.UK requires tagging to be recorded within 36 hours: the date, the tag number, the year of birth and the breed if known. Replacement tags need the new number and the old one if known, unless the new pair is a replica. Keep the register for 3 years after the last animal dies or leaves the holding. For cattle, check the tag number against the passport application before it is sent.
Our holding register guide covers what goes in for each species, and the BCMS to LIS switch explains where cattle registration is heading.
What do farmers actually ask?
Can I buy official ear tags from any online seller?
No. GOV.UK says cattle, sheep and goats must wear officially approved tags bought from a registered manufacturer or supplier. Check the supplier and the exact product on the current cattle or sheep and goat list before ordering. If in doubt, ask the supplier to confirm in writing that the tag is an official one.
Can my sheep reader read cattle EID tags?
Probably, if it is a low frequency reader meeting ISO 11784 and 11785, because England's cattle EID is LF too. A UHF reader will not read LF tags. Test it on a sample tag first and check its read range in your own handling system. Our guide to cattle EID ear tags has more on this.
How many tags should I order at a time?
GOV.UK says to estimate a year's needs and store spares securely. Add a few replacements of the right type, since lost tags must be replaced within 28 days. For calves due after mandatory EID starts, ask your supplier first which ranges it will stock, so you are not left holding the wrong tags.
Do I have to retag existing cattle for EID?
The announcement covers new-born calves, not the existing herd, so animals already wearing two visual tags carry on. That could change only if Defra says so, so check GOV.UK rather than a supplier's sales claim. Sheep are different: adult sheep already need one EID tag in England, as in our sheep movement reporting guide.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Get new or replacement official ear tags for cattle
- GOV.UK: Approved cattle ear tag suppliers
- GOV.UK: Approved sheep and goat tag suppliers
- GOV.UK: Tag sheep with ear tags, pastern bands and boluses
- GOV.UK: Replace lost or damaged tags in sheep and goats
- GOV.UK: Bovine official EID technical standards
- GOV.UK: Electronic ID for cattle mandatory (announcement)
- Farmers Weekly: Defra delays cattle traceability overhaul to 2027