Rural Payments and Services

The first tagging selection for calves born in 2018 has now been made. The tags will begin to be issued in early July and will be issued in batches as they are prepared. Some stock bulls have also been selected in this round.

If you have had animals selected, the list of animals for your business will be identified on your ScotEID BES account.

Tag kits will be sent directly from Neogen, the laboratory that will be processing the tissues samples. The kit will include tags, return packaging and a submission form that is to be returned to the laboratory with the samples.

There will be two copies of the submission form. You should complete both and retain one for your records.

The FREEPOST address has been revised, and there should be no reason why your local Post Office should not provide you with a proof of postage. We strongly recommend that you obtain proof as this is confirmation that you have sent the tags back to the laboratory.

The return deadline for the tissue samples is 31 December 2018. However; we would ask that you return the samples to the lab as quickly as possible after they have been taken.

If a selected animal has died or has been sold prior to you receiving the tags, please mark the reason it has not been tagged on the submission form and additional animals will be selected in future tagging rounds.

If an animal that has been selected is still on your holding when you receive the tags they must be tissue tagged and the sample returned to the laboratory.

If you have already taken tissue tag samples from 100% of your calves and you have retained the tissue samples on farm, you do not have to tissue tag these animals again.

You should return the stored samples for the selected animals to the laboratory, using the return packaging provided. The tags from the laboratory can be destroyed in an appropriate manner.

Note that tissue tags inserted for breed society purposes or BVD testing will NOT normally be compatible with BES. The tags supplied from the laboratory will therefore have to be inserted in these circumstances.

If you have any queries please contact the Beef Efficiency Scheme team - BES mailbox