Gardai and the Department of Agriculture are investigating the discovery of 12 "sturdy calves" or "weanlings" which were found wandering on a roadway, without proper identification, at Clonakenny, near Roscrea, Co Tipperary.
The young Friesian cattle, which are aged four to five months, will be slaughtered later today in Roscrea because they were not wearing any identification tags when gardai located them on Sunday night.
Blood samples were taken from the animals, which a Department of Agriculture spokesman described as "Friesian bull calves", and sent to the Central Veterinarian Laboratory at Abbotstown for analysis.
However, the Department spokesman stressed that there were no symptoms of foot-and-mouth infection and said that in unusual circumstances samples are taken and tested as a precaution.
Meanwhile 13 cattle, aged three to four months, at the centre of a "misidentification" investigation last week at a farm outside Thurles, Co Tipperary, will be slaughtered later today. Blood samples were also taken from these animals.
Two cattle aged four to five months from a herd of 12 at a farm at Barnane, outside Templemore, will also be slaughtered. Blood samples were taken for analysis at Abbotstown.