Swine Ear Notching Laws in Tennessee: What Every Pig Owner Needs to Know

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.

In Tennessee, ear notching is used primarily in three contexts: purebred herd record-keeping, youth livestock shows, and interstate movement documentation for registered animals. The Tennessee State Junior Swine Show Handbook requires all hogs to be individually identified with an 840-RFID tag and an ear notch, and all hogs must have a legible ear notch that matches the entry form. This dual-identification requirement reflects how the state treats ear notching — as a valuable supporting identifier, but rarely as the sole form of official ID.

On commercial operations, ear notching is less common because metal ear tags and RFID devices satisfy traceability requirements more efficiently at scale. But for small-scale breeders, 4-H participants, and purebred registries, the notch remains a practical, low-cost tool that every Tennessee pig owner should understand.

When Ear Notching Qualifies as Official Identification in Tennessee

Not every ear notch counts as official identification under Tennessee or federal law. The rules are specific, and understanding the conditions matters whether you are moving animals, entering a show, or submitting registry paperwork.

Under federal USDA standards that Tennessee incorporates by reference, ear notching qualifies as official identification only if the ear notching has been recorded in the book of record of a purebred registry association. This is a critical threshold. A notch you apply on your farm, without submitting the corresponding litter and pig data to a recognized breed registry, does not meet the federal definition of official ID.

For interstate movement, all swine must be individually identified with official identification unless the swine are kept as a group. Official identification for swine includes official ear tags, USDA back tags on swine moving in slaughter channels, official swine tattoos issued and authorized by state or federal animal health officials, ear notching recorded in the book of record of a purebred registry association, and for slaughter and feeder swine, an ear tag or tattoo bearing the Premises Identification Number assigned by the State Animal Health Official.

The practical takeaway for Tennessee producers: if your pigs are registered with a recognized breed association and your notch data is on file with that registry, the ear notch can serve as official ID for interstate movement. If your animals are not registered, you need an official ear tag or tattoo instead.

Important Note: Tennessee’s swine identification rules are codified under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-02-01-.07, which incorporates federal standards from 9 C.F.R. Part 71. Always verify current requirements with the Tennessee state veterinarian’s office before transport.

How the 1-3-9 Ear Notching System Works

The universal ear notching system used across the United States — including in Tennessee show rings and purebred operations — is a positional numbering method based on values of 1, 3, 9, and 27. Once you understand the logic, reading a pig’s ear becomes straightforward.

Each ear is divided into four quadrants, and each quadrant represents a number. The outside bottom quadrant represents the number 1. The outside top quadrant represents the number 3, and the inside top quadrant represents the number 9. In the litter ear only, the inside bottom represents the number 27. You add up the values of all notches in an ear to get the total number for that ear.

There will never be more than two notches in any quadrant. This means each quadrant can contribute either 0, 1x, or 2x its base value to the total. The notch in the very tip of the right ear signifies litter number 81, which effectively doubles the system’s capacity for large operations with many litters per year.

The two ears carry different information. Notches in the right ear tell the producer which litter the pig was born to. Producers may start with litter number 1 on the first of the year, or restart the litter numbers several times per year, depending on the number of sows. All pigs born to the same sow have the same litter number, and thus identical notches in the right ear. The pig’s left ear designates the pig number within the litter, so the first piglet is pig number one, the second is pig number two, and so on.

Here is a quick reference for reading the system:

Ear	Purpose	Quadrant Values Available	Maximum Value
Right ear	Litter number	1, 3, 9, 27, plus 81 at tip	161
Left ear	Individual pig number	1, 3, 9	27 (up to 2 notches per zone)

After notching, an individual pig’s identification is read as something like 14-6. The 14 represents a pig from the 14th litter, and the 6 represents the 6th pig within the 14th litter. This notation format is standard across Tennessee show paperwork, registry applications, and farm records.

Timing matters for the procedure itself. The task is much easier if pigs are notched when their tails are docked, or at 1 to 3 days old. If you allow pigs to become large, the task can become considerably demanding mentally and physically. For Tennessee 4-H and FFA participants, notching at or near farrowing is the standard practice.

Pro Tip: Always disinfect your notching tool between litters. Notching equipment must be kept clean at all times, cleaned with a clean toothbrush between litters, and then dipped in fresh surgical spirit or alcohol.

Ear Notching for Purebred Registry Compliance in Tennessee

If you raise registered purebred swine in Tennessee, ear notching is not optional — it is a foundational requirement of the breed registry system. Associations such as the National Swine Registry and Certified Pedigreed Swine require that each animal’s litter and individual pig notch be recorded in the official book of record before registration is complete.

As required by the purebred swine associations of the United States, the litter number is notched in the pig’s right ear, and the individual pig number is notched in the pig’s left ear. The notches from the right and left ear should combine to give each pig a unique identifier. This unique combination is what allows the notch to satisfy the federal definition of official identification for registered animals moving across state lines.

Ear notches help breeders maintain accurate records in regards to registration and in regards to health records on the farm, including vaccination records. When you submit a litter registration to your breed association, the notch data you record on the application is entered into the breed’s permanent database. That database record is what transforms a physical notch into a legally recognized identifier under Tennessee and federal rules.

For Tennessee producers showing registered gilts or barrows at state shows, this registry link is also what satisfies show entry requirements. All hogs must be individually identified with an 840-RFID tag witnessed by an Extension Agent or FFA Advisor and an ear notch, owned and in the possession of the youth exhibitor by November 1. The ear notch on show animals should match exactly what is on file with the registry and listed on the entry form.

Breed associations recognized in Tennessee’s purebred swine community include Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Poland China, Spotted, and Yorkshire, all of which use the universal notching system described above. If you breed any of these, your notch records need to be accurate, legible, and submitted to the registry promptly after each litter.

Ear Notching vs. Ear Tags, Tattoos, and RFID in Tennessee

Tennessee producers have several official identification options for swine, and choosing the right one depends on your operation type, whether animals are registered, and where they are going. Each method has distinct advantages and regulatory standing.

ID Method	Official ID Status	Best Use Case	Key Limitation
Ear notch	Yes, if recorded by a purebred registry	Registered purebreds, 4-H/FFA shows	Not official for unregistered animals
Metal ear tag (coded)	Yes	Breeding and feeder swine transport	Can be lost or removed
840 RFID tag	Yes	Interstate movement, shows, traceability	Requires reader equipment
Official tattoo	Yes, if recorded by registry or issued by officials	Slaughter channels, registry animals	Must be legible; fades over time
USDA back tag	Yes, slaughter channels only	Slaughter transport	Single-use, not for breeding swine

Breeding and feeder swine transported into or through the state of Tennessee must be individually identified to the farm of origin by an official coded metal ear tag or other official means as set forth in 9 C.F.R. 71. This means that for most commercial movement scenarios, a metal ear tag or 840 RFID tag is the default requirement — not an ear notch.

The 840 RFID tag has become the standard for Tennessee show animals. The 840-RFID tag number and ear notch for each pig must be completely and correctly entered on entry forms. These tag numbers are verified against the ID in the animal’s ear at check-in of the show, and these numbers must match for the animal to be eligible to be shown. The ear notch in this context serves as a secondary, permanent identifier that cross-references the RFID tag.

Tattoos occupy a similar supporting role. Tattoos on the ear or inner flank of any swine qualify as official identification if the tattoos have been recorded in the book of record of a swine registry association. Like ear notches, tattoos only reach official status through the registry connection — not through the act of tattooing alone.

For Tennessee producers who also manage other livestock, understanding how identification rules differ across species helps you stay organized. You can review related state animal regulations in our guide to beekeeping laws in Tennessee and our overview of wildlife removal laws in Tennessee for context on how the state structures animal management requirements more broadly.

State-Specific Swine Identification Rules That Affect Ear Notching in Tennessee

Tennessee’s swine identification rules go beyond the notch itself. The state has distinct requirements based on the category of swine — commercial production, breeding, feeder, slaughter, exhibition, sporting, and wild-appearing — and each category carries its own identification and documentation obligations.

Commercial and breeding swine moving interstate must carry official individual identification and, in most cases, a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Except by permission of the state veterinarian, breeding and feeder swine transported into or through Tennessee must be accompanied by an official certificate of veterinary inspection. All livestock must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and/or other federally and state-approved movement documents.

Wild-appearing and feral swine face stricter rules. The state veterinarian has approved the following forms of identification for feral, wild, or wild-appearing swine being transported within Tennessee: USDA-approved metal ear tags and USDA-approved 840 RFID tags. Ear notching is not on this approved list for feral swine, which makes sense given that feral animals are not registered with breed associations.

Exhibition swine follow a dual-identification path. As noted throughout this guide, Tennessee’s junior swine show rules require both an 840 RFID tag and a legible ear notch. Any animal that arrives at the show without original ear tags supplied by the UT Department of Animal Science will not show. The ear notch is a required companion to the RFID tag, not a substitute for it.

Disease testing requirements also accompany movement. Swine being imported into Tennessee must be Brucellosis and Pseudorabies tested within 30 days of entry, or must originate from a USDA APHIS Validated-Brucellosis-Free and USDA APHIS Qualified Pseudorabies-Negative herd. These disease requirements apply regardless of which identification method you use, so a valid ear notch alone does not clear your animals for entry — you still need the health documentation.

Except by permission of the Tennessee state veterinarian, no swine shall be imported from any state where foreign swine diseases are known to exist, or where any portion of a state of origin is under state or federal quarantine for any disease. This quarantine rule applies to all swine categories and all identification methods.

Tennessee also follows federal traceability standards closely. Inspection and proper identification are essential for livestock traceability. If an animal is transported to a different geographical area and later displays clinical signs of a reportable disease, the prior location can be traced to inform health officials of the potential of an outbreak in that area. This is the public health rationale behind all swine identification requirements — ear notching included.

For producers navigating Tennessee’s broader animal law landscape, our articles on animal cruelty laws in Tennessee, feral cat laws in Tennessee, and kennel zoning laws in Tennessee provide additional context on how Tennessee regulates animal ownership and management across different species.

Key Insight: Tennessee’s swine rules under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-02-01-.07 incorporate federal standards by reference, which means changes at the federal level can affect your compliance obligations. Check with the USDA APHIS NVAP Reference Guide and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for the most current rules before any interstate movement.

Conclusion

Ear notching in Tennessee is a permanent, low-cost identification tool with a well-defined role in the state’s swine management framework — but it only carries official weight when it is recorded with a recognized purebred registry. For show animals, it works alongside 840 RFID tags as a required companion identifier. For commercial or unregistered animals, you need an official ear tag or RFID device instead.

The 1-3-9 system itself is logical once you understand the quadrant values and the left-ear/right-ear split between individual pig number and litter number. Applying it correctly at farrowing, recording it accurately on registry paperwork, and keeping it legible are the three habits that keep you compliant across every context — from the show ring to the state line.

If you have questions about your specific operation, contact the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division or reach out to your UT Extension livestock specialist for guidance tailored to your herd type and movement plans. You can also explore more Tennessee animal law topics through our guides on hunting laws in Tennessee, coyote hunting laws in Tennessee, and rooster crowing laws in Tennessee.