A lamb birth must be reported to the livestock traffic database (TVD) within 30 days. You record the ear tag number of the lamb, the date of birth, the sex, and the dam. Reporting completely and correctly not only fulfils the legal obligation but also secures the disposal contribution from the federal government – currently around CHF 4.50 per correctly notified animal (contribution towards the disposal of animal by-products).
What information do I need?
- Ear tag number of the lamb (double ear tag, mandatory for sheep and goats)
- Date of birth
- Sex
- Dam (for pedigree)
The deadline: 30 days
You have 30 days from the date of birth to submit the notification. Missing or late movement notifications trigger a TVD fee (CHF 5.– per missing notification) and may result in the disposal contribution being forfeited. The current level of disposal contributions is set by the federal government; you can find it at FOAG.
For calves the same 30-day notification deadline applies. The only difference for cattle is the tagging deadline: a calf must be fitted with two ear tags within 20 days (lambs and kids within 30 days). Details in the guide Notifying a calf birth to the TVD.
How to avoid missed deadlines
During lambing, many births occur in a short space of time. That is precisely when the risk is greatest that a notification gets overlooked. Three things help:
- Record immediately – document the birth directly in the barn, not days later at the computer.
- Link the dam – if pedigree is taken over automatically, you save typing and avoid errors.
- Deadline reminder – a system that displays open notifications before the 30 days expire.
Report directly at the animal with Herdy
In Herdy you record the birth directly against the dam: enter the sex and ear tag number, and you are done. The pedigree is linked automatically, and the TVD notification can be triggered in just a few steps. Open notifications are visible at any time on the dashboard.