Every person who marks any stock, other than a lamb under the age of two months, of which he is the owner with a brand that is not registered in his name, or with any mark which may be mistaken for or confused with any brand, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ten shillings for every head of stock in respect of which the offence has been committed.

Except as provided by section 19 of this Act, every person who marks any stock of which he is not the owner with any brand, whether a brand which is registered in his name or otherwise, or with any mark which may be mistaken for or confused with any brand, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two pounds for every head of stock in respect of which the offence has been committed.”

Any person who, without just cause or excuse, removes any portion of the ear of any cattle or sheep, otherwise than by way of placing in the ear of the animal an earmark that is registered in his name or the age mark or the tag hole described in the First Schedule to this Act, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ten pounds in respect of each head of cattle or sheep so treated:

“Provided that an owner of sheep may place a condemn or cull mark consisting of a cut not less than one and a half inches in length made with a knife in the ear of any sheep, the direction of the cut being from near the centre to the edge of the ear at or near the tip:

“Provided also that nothing in this section shall render it unlawful to place in the ear of any cattle or sheep any self-piercing eartag.

Any person who, for the purpose of placing in the ear of any cattle or sheep any earmark, or the age mark or the tag hole described in the First Schedule to this Act, employs any implement other than earmarker pliers, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ten pounds in respect of each head of cattle or sheep so treated.”

Every person who destroys or defaces, or who alters, whether by the addition of any component part or otherwise, the brand on any stock, or is party to the destruction, defacement, or alteration as aforesaid, commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.

Every person who destroys or defaces, or who alters, whether by the addition of any mark or otherwise, any age mark or tag hole in the ear of any sheep or cattle, or is party to the destruction, defacement, or alteration as aforesaid, commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.

Nothing in this section shall render it unlawful to place in the ear of any sheep an earmark pursuant to section 18 of this Act or a condemn or cull mark pursuant to the first proviso to subsection (1) of section 22 of this Act or the age mark or the tag hole described in the First Schedule to this Act.”