All sheep farmers are obliged to carry out a sheep census annually and submit details to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The closing date for submitting the sheep census by post is January 30, 2026. Online submission is possible up to February 14, 2026.

DAFM selected December 31, 2025 as the date for carrying out the census. The sheep farmer was required to count the number of sheep in the different categories present on the flock/holding on that date.

Sheep specialist at Teagasc, Damian Costello has outlined the steps involved in submitting your Sheep Census for 2025.

What documentation should I have received?

All sheep flock keepers should by now have received the following by post in late December/early January:

A letter entitled 2025 National Sheep Census, which should be read carefully as it contains all the necessary information to submit a census;
Paper version of 2025 Sheep Census to be used if submitting by post;
Pre-addressed envelope to be used if submitting by post.

Farmers can continue to submit their census by post, by completing all the relevant sections on the paper version of the 2025 sheep census form that was sent out in the post.

Teagasc has advised that this form is prepopulated with a bar code, your name and herd/flock number.

If you did not receive one or have mislaid it, you need to contact the DAFM Sheep ID section helpline on 01-5058723 or email [email protected] immediately.

Farmers should ensure the form is signed and dated and posted well in advance of the January 30 deadline in the envelope provided.

It is essential to keep a copy of the postal submission and send by registered post as this will be the only acceptable proof of postage should your form get lost in transit, according to Costello.

Online submission?

Sheep farmers can submit a sheep census online by logging in to their MyAgFood.ie account using personal log-on details.

When you select 'My Animals', you will then have the option to access AIM services. You then select 'Sheep – Keeper' if prompted, followed by selecting 'Census' and then selecting 'Create'.

There is a step-by-step guide at the back of the paper version of the census form you received in the post.

The other alternative for online submission is using the AIM services digital app, which can be downloaded onto mobile devices and computers.

In either case, when you are satisfied that all relevant sections are completed accurately, make sure to select 'confirm' when prompted to do so.

You will get confirmation that the form has been submitted successfully in a green text box at the top of the screen.

Flock owners are advised to check this before logging out of AIM. If you are not being allowed to move on to the 'confirmation' screen, check for any missing details which will be highlighted in red.

What if I don’t have any sheep on the specified date?

You should still submit a census form either by post or online.

Costello explained that you can skip straight to 'section D' where you have two options – no sheep at present but wish to remain registered as a flock owner or no sheep and not intending to re-enter sheep farming in the short-term.

The Teagasc specialist has warned farmers not to put this important task on the long finger as along with being a legal requirement, it is also a condition of eligibility for the various sheep-related schemes.