Ear notching has been a part of swine management in Tennessee for generations, but the rules around when it counts as official identification — and when it does not — catch many producers off guard. Whether you raise registered purebreds, show hogs through 4-H or FFA, or move feeder pigs across state lines, the method you use to identify your animals has real legal and regulatory consequences.
Tennessee’s swine identification framework draws from both state Department of Agriculture rules and federal USDA standards, and ear notching fits into that framework only under specific conditions. This guide walks you through every layer of those requirements so you can stay compliant, protect your herd, and avoid problems at shows, sales, or state lines.
Pro Tip: Contact the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division at [email protected] or 615-837-5120 before moving swine interstate — requirements can change and vary by destination state.
What Is Swine Ear Notching and When It Is Used in Tennessee
Ear notching is a permanent identification method in which small V-shaped cuts are made in specific positions on a pig’s ears using a specialized notching tool. Each position on each ear corresponds to a number, and the combination of notches encodes a unique litter number and individual pig number. The result is a lifetime identifier that cannot fall off, fade, or be removed the way a tag can…