Registration as an owner of livestock
Western Australia (WA) has a comprehensive, mandatory livestock identification and ownership system. All livestock owners within WA must be registered and their stock identified in accordance with the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013 (BAM (IMSA) Regulations).
Registered owners are issued with a property identification code (PIC) card which outlines the properties they have registered to run stock on and the identifiers they may need to identify their stock (e.g. their stock brand, earmark or pig tattoo).
Registered identifiers include a brand (one number and two letters) and may also include an earmark (two notches of a particular shape and location on the ear) depending on the type of animal.
All ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, deer, bison, buffalo), equines (horses, mules), South American camelids (alpaca, llama) and pigs (including miniature pigs), whether kept as pets or for commercial purposes, are considered livestock under the BAM (IMSA) Regulations and registration as an owner is necessary.
Ostrich owners do not have to be registered if they do not own any other type of livestock. If they wish to identify their ostriches with a registered identifier, owners must be registered.
To register as an owner, you need to complete a form available from the website or the Brands Office of the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA). After the Brands Office receives the form, it will register you as an owner and allocate your registered identifiers and a PIC card.
A PIC indicates who owns the stock and where they are kept. A diagram showing the brand and the position and shape of the earmark required is on your brand certificate. A PIC card containing all this information is sent with the registration certificate. It is needed when buying livestock at the saleyards or ordering identification equipment.
Livestock identification
You are legally required to identify all livestock correctly by a certain age or before they leave your property. Different types of animals have different identification requirements such as brands, earmarks or tattoos. You can find out the complete requirements by visiting the DAFWA website or by contacting the Brands Office.
Only the person or company that is registered as the owner may use the registered identifiers. You cannot lend or use your brand or earmarking equipment on stock owned in another name, even if they are the same family.
You can order all types of tags and identification equipment from local rural suppliers using your PIC card details.
Equipment for applying the registered identification must not be removed from the property without a permit from DAFWA.
Cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats need extra identification under the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). The NLIS is a permanent, whole-of-life identification system that enables animals to be tracked from property of birth to slaughter. NLIS identification and tracing requirements differ according to the species.
Cattle and buffalo
The prescribed method of identification for cattle and buffalo is to apply a fire or freeze brand on the left rump or shoulder or an earmark in the ear designated on the PIC card. Cattle and buffalo also require a functioning NLIS electronic device, most often seen as an eartag in the right ear, before they can move to a different location.
Movements of cattle or buffalo to a new property are required to be updated on a national database. All cattle and buffalo require an NLIS electronic device before leaving the property, regardless of age.
Sheep and goats
The prescribed method of identification for sheep is to have your registered brand or PIC imprinted on an approved NLIS eartag in addition to applying the registered earmark. The NLIS eartag can be visual or electronic and is colour coded for the year of birth.
For goats, identification requires your registered brand or PIC imprinted on an NLIS eartag. Earmarks on goats are optional.
The colour of these tags depends on the year they were born and whether they are leaving their property of birth or another property. Different ears are used for ear tags and earmarks, depending on the gender of the animals.
All sheep and goats brought onto a property subsequent to their property of birth are required to be identified with a pink NLIS eartag imprinted with the brand or PIC of the new owner, prior to being removed from that property. It is advised they be tagged on arrival to assist with determining correct ownership should they or other animals stray or be mixed together.
Pigs
All pig owners must have a current registration of ownership of livestock. Owners will be allocated registered identifiers including a stock brand (e.g. 7BT) and a five digit pig brand (e.g. 67/103) which must be applied as a body tattoo. Pigs must be tattooed with the five digit pig brand before being transported.
Pigs over the age of ten weeks must be branded no more than seven days prior to being removed from the property.
Horses
The prescribed method of identification for horses is a freeze or fire brand on the horse’s left shoulder. If you purchase a horse that is already branded, you do not have to re-brand it however you must have documentation to show ownership.
If owners wish to brand newly acquired stock, the registered brand must be applied immediately below the existing brand on the left shoulder. Alternative identification such as microchips can be used under specific conditions.
Camelids
The identification required for South American camelids (alpaca and llama) may be all or any of:
- the registered brand impressed on an approved eartag
- the registered earmark
- an approved breed society identifier.
Camelids must be identified before they reach six months of age, or before they are moved from the property, whichever occurs first. Camelids under six months of age can move without identification if accompanied by their legally identified mother, and movement is to another property with the same PIC. Camelids that have registered identifiers of the previous owner do not require additional identification if the present owner has proof of purchase.
Livestock movement
Any movement of cattle, sheep or goats (one or more animals) between properties with different PICs must be recorded on the NLIS database. Whenever you move livestock (except horses), you need to complete a waybill and send it with the animals. A waybill includes the following information:
- the date of the movement
- owner’s name or registered trading name, PIC and physical address of the property where the journey began
- owner’s registered tattoo number (pigs)
- name and signature of the person completing the waybill
- number and description of stock
- name of consignee and destination physical address, including their PIC
- the carrier’s details and signature and vehicle number plates.
Each waybill must have a unique serial number. All entries on the waybill must be legible.
There are two different types of waybills that can be used depending on the stock’s destination.
Plain waybill books are available from DAFWA and can be used when the movement does not require a combined National Vendor Declaration (NVD) waybill (e.g. transporting an animal to the vet or agricultural show, or between properties owned by the same person). However, the NVD-waybill is required by accredited producers, abattoirs, saleyards, export depots and feedlots, as the stock moving there is usually for human consumption. The NVD-waybill provides valuable information about previous livestock treatments and animal health.
If you intend to on-sell your stock, request that animals arrive at your property with an NVD-waybill so that you can supply accurate health details when you sell them.
There is an NVD-waybill book for cattle and buffalo and one for sheep and goats.
Pigs require the PigPass NVD which is a form that combines the waybill details with important information about the food safety and health status of the stock.
A PigPass NVD is required whenever pigs are moved for sale, export or slaughter.
To obtain NVD-waybill you must first become accredited with the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program. The LPA can be contacted on 1800 683 111. You will need to provide your PIC details at ordering and understand the requirements of accreditation.
PigPass NVDs are available from pigpass.com.au or by phoning 1800 041 458.
Police and stock inspectors can stop a vehicle transporting livestock to check the waybill and that the animals are correctly identified.
Sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo, pigs, horses, deer, alpacas and llamas are all classified as livestock by law. All livestock owners must be registered, even if they only own one animal.
For more information, contact the DAFWA Brands Office on +61 (08) 9780 6207 or email brands@agric.wa.gov.au.