Regulations (section 18)
The Minister may make regulations regarding –
(a) the size, shape, pattern and composition of identification marks;
(b) the size, shape and construction of marking instruments;
(c) the age which animals must have attained before they must be marked;
(d) the manner in which, the parts on which, and the material with which animals shall or may not be marked;
(e) the conditions on which an owner of animals may obtain the registration of more than one identification mark in respect of the same group of animals, and
(f) any matter that may or must be prescribed in terms of this Act.
The Minister may make different regulations in respect of different kinds of identification marks, different groups of animals and different areas.
Letter sizes
[section 18(9)]
- Tattoos may not exceed 20 mm (width or height).
- Brand marks must be between 40 and 100 mm (width or height)
Form, pattern and composition [section 18(10)]
- An identification mark can consist of one to three letters or symbols (characters)
- A three-letter mark can be used in four different ways
- A two-letter mark can be used in two different ways.
- The letters may not touch one another
- The same mark may be used on cattle and small stock
Age of animals at the time of marking [section 18(11)]
Cattle:
- must be marked by the age of six months
- can be tattooed from the age of one month, or
- can be branded at the age of six months, and
- must be branded by the age at which the first pair of permanent incisors appear (two-tooth stage)
Small stock:
- must be tattooed at the age of one month
Pigs:
- must be tattooed at the age of one month
Ostriches:
- can be tattooed at the age of one month, and
- can be branded at the age of six months
Horses:
- can be tattooed at the age of six months, and
- can be branded by the age of twelve months
Parts on which animals must be identified [section 18 (12)]
Cattle
- Tattooing: in the left or right ear.
- Branding: on any clearly visible part, excluding the neck.
- Refer to figure below. Put the brand at any place outside the square.
- The first owner can put the mark on the left hind leg, the second owner can put it on the left shoulder, the third owner can put it on the right hind leg and the fourth owner on the right shoulder.
- Remember: you can suffer financial loss on hides if you mark the valuable areas.
Sheep, goats and pigs
- The first owner can put the tattoo in the left ear, the second owner in the right ear (refer to figure on the right).
- The letters of the tattoo may not exceed 20 mm (width or height).
- The mark can have one, two or three characters.
- You must place the letters next to one another
Ostriches
- Tattoo ostriches younger than six months underneath the left wing.
- Brand ostriches older than six months on the thighs.
- The first owner can put the brand on the outer side of the left thigh and the second owner on the outer side of the right thigh.
- Ostriches are branded according to their age. No ostriches younger than six months may be branded with a hot iron. Ostriches younger than six months may be tattooed.
- The characters of a brand or tattoo may not exceed 25 mm (width or height).
- The brand or tattoo may only have two characters, which must be placed 6 mm from each other.
- Brand characters may be placed next to or below each other.
- Tattoo characters may be placed next to each other.