In the UK cattle passports contain two barcodes. The top barcode contains the basic UK animal number, the bottom one contains the animals UK animal number, the animals breed, sex and date of birth.

Using a barcode reader can save considerable time if you are buying and selling large numbers of cattle. They are simple to use and mean you don't make typing mistakes.

They are also inexpensive and start at around the £20 mark. There are plenty available on amazon, but try not to buy the cheapest!

FarmIT 3000 has specifically constructed user interfaces to use the barcode scanner for movements on and off your farm. You can literally line them up on the table and scan each passport. No typing, No mistakes, No hassle with CTS.