The table below lists a summary of movement reporting requirements for different production / animal types, and the animal identification options available for each:
| Market Hogs | The proposed swine traceability requirements under Canada’s Health of Animals Regulations recognize shoulder slap tattoos as sufficient for tracing market hogs. Approved ear tags are acceptable in market hogs as well, but most processors prefer the existing practice of using shoulder slap tattoos. |
| Culled Breeding Swine | In the case of culled breeding swine, the requirements allow for an “either/or” option that permits the use of a shoulder slap tattoo OR an approved ear tag on the culled sow or boar if it is sent for slaughter from the premises where it was first used for breeding. The intent of this “either/or” option is to allow the marketplace to determine what works best, as some U.S. sow processors have shown a preference for the use of approved ear tags for marketing reasons. |
| Bred Swine | If a bred pig is being shipped to another farm however, it must be identified with an approved ear tag. The approved ear tags have been designed with herd management in mind so that producers, if they choose, may apply the tag to incoming gilts as a herd management tag. |
| Farm to Farm - Group Movement of Pigs | Pigs, other than those that have been bred, that are moved within a farm or to another farm do not need to be individually identified. Consignment information will need to be captured in a document accompanying the pigs and reported to PigTrace Canada within 48 hours unless the sites are registered as linked. For more information on linked premises please see “Premises Identification”. |
| Site (Farm) to Abattoir or Assembly Yard | All pigs destined for immediate slaughter shall be identified with an approved ear tag or an approved shoulder slap tattoo before being moved. With respect to an assembly yard or order buyers (site used for the purpose of collecting pigs; not referring to auctions), an approved ear tag shall be applied to any pig that remains at the collection site longer than 96 hours or is sent anywhere other than an abattoir. |
| Site to Auction, Fair or Destination Unknown | Pigs destined for auction, fair, or destinations unknown must have an approved ear tag. |
| Canada to Other Country | Animals going for immediate slaughter must have an approved shoulder slap tattoo, approved ear tag or CFIA export ear tattoo/ear tag. Piglets exported for feeding purposes shall also bear a CFIA export ear tattoo/ear tag. |
| Carcasses | Pig carcasses do not need to be identified. However, a document containing consignment information must accompany the carcass. |
| Every person who owns or has the possession, care or control of a pig with an approved tag must ensure that the animal bears the approved tag until the pig is identified in some other manner pursuant to the regulations. If a pig loses its approved tag during transportation, the person who owns or has the possession, care or control of the animal shall apply a new approved tag to it at its destination, unless the pig is sent to an abattoir for slaughter. |
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