Tagging Lambs

Time: ~3 seconds per lamb | Works offline: Yes | You'll need: RFID wand paired via Bluetooth

EID ear tags are the electronic tags required by DEFRA for all sheep. Kilnside can read these with an RFID wand and link them to your animals instantly.

Tagging an Existing Lamb

If the lamb is already in Kilnside (e.g. you recorded the birth earlier):

1. Make sure your RFID wand is paired (see Using the Wand)
2. Scan the lamb's ear tag with the wand
3. Kilnside shows a card with the tag number and a list of untagged lambs
4. Tap the lamb you're tagging
5. Done — the card collapses and you can scan the next one

The tag number, flock mark, and individual ID are all recorded automatically.

Tagging a New Lamb (Not Yet in the System)

If you're tagging lambs that haven't been recorded yet (e.g. born in the field without recording):

1. Scan the ear tag with the wand
2. Kilnside shows the tag card with a "New lamb" option
3. Select the sex (Male / Female)
4. Optionally enter the weight
5. Tap Confirm

Kilnside creates the lamb, assigns the tag, and adds it to the matching flock based on the flock mark in the tag.

What the Tag Number Means

UK EID ear tags encode:

• Flock mark — your 6-digit APHA holding number
• Individual number — unique to each animal

Kilnside displays them in the standard format: UK0301445 00001

When you scan a tag, Kilnside automatically matches the flock mark to your flock and finds untagged lambs for quick pairing.

Tips

• Speed matters during tagging — the interface is designed for scan-tap-next in under 3 seconds
• Tag known lambs first — they just need one tap to link
• New lambs need sex at minimum — weight is optional but useful for records
• Works offline — tags are linked locally and sync later

Using NFC Stickers Instead

For assets that don't have EID tags (equipment, locations, etc.), you can use NFC stickers. See NFC Stickers.