All TB foals are chipped when their sketch is done, usually by about two months from birth. Even if yours aren't TBs, it makes sense to have them done at the same time as the sketch because at least you would save a callout fee by combining them. I would imagine it is a standard charge whether foal or horse.
Latest draft of the forthcoming SANCO (EU) Directive on horse identification stipulates that as from July 2009 ALLl foals must be microchipped before passports are issued.
This will probably come into force later on this year, so won#t be a matter for debate/chocie much longer.
I had Flints done at 14 months,The same time i had his knackers off so he was out for the count when it was done.When he woke up he wasent sure what hurt him the most his lack of plums or his neck.He wouldent come near me for 3 days afterwards.
Yes, Faith (that I bred) was chipped at just under 4 months and the vet is coming out on Monday to chip her little NF friend (the chip alone will be almost half the cost of him!!) along with their first vaccs. It's the same as an adult, a chip is a chip is a chip regardless of what it is implanted into.
All our foals are done usually at around four months old. We also do them for tetanus then too. I wish the microchipping people had a slightly better system, those flimsy coloured paper records they send you are difficult to store they're so thin..
We did some of our foals this year, the ones we were keeping. Quite frankly my vet prefers microchipping to vet sketch.........I mean how many of you if faced with a 5 bay horses with a star and no socks would be able to differentiate between horses going on the vet sketchs alone
.........the majority of them are dire to say the least!
We microchip when they have their first jabs - usually around five months. We don't have to have the vet do their passport paperwork thankfully - the society allows us breeders to do our own.
All the same price, see if you can get a community of you togther all at the same yard on the same day and I am sure that your vet will do you a discount
Mine has just been done at 5 months, but I'll have her freezemarked at a year, as I personally don't think chipping is a deterent - I had it done as it was better han nothing (the filly didn't think so though!)