Listed below are the basic scheme requirements around the new 410 day calving interval for the 2025 scheme year and the cattle identification and traceability requirements for registering a live calf that dies or a still born calf.
All previous SSBSS conditions will remain in place. In order to be eligible for the new calving interval condition for the 2025 scheme year, claimed calves must be either:
- the first offspring registered to a dam, or
- the offspring of cattle with an established calving interval of 410 days or less.
For the new SSBSS scheme condition on calving intervals, the calving interval will be calculated based on ScotEID birth registration data. All calf births must be registered on ScotEID within 27 days of birth in accordance with the cattle identification and traceability regulations. Unregistered calves will not be considered when establishing a calving interval for SSBSS.
The cattle identification and traceability regulatory requirements for registering a live calf that dies or a still born calf are:
- the calf was tagged but then died before being registered and issued with a cattle passport then the birth/death event should be registered on ScotEID and recorded in the holding register;
- the calf died before it was tagged then there is no requirement to register the birth/death event on ScotEID under the cattle identification and traceability regulations. However, the event should be recorded in the holding register against the dam; Unregistered calves will not be considered when establishing a calving interval for SSBSS and
- for still born calves the event should be recorded in the holding register (as above) and there is no requirement to register the birth/death event on ScotEID under the cattle identification and traceability regulations. Unregistered calves will not be considered when establishing a calving interval for SSBSS
In order to be compliant with the 410 day calving period we would strongly encourage all keepers to tag and register their live calves as soon as possible. If keepers have any questions around these requirements they should refer to the Agricultural Reform Route Map (ruralpayments.org) or contact their local RPID area office.