Registration

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Movement Records

All keepers of livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs & deer) must keep movement records, a record of veterinary medicines used and, in some cases, breeding records.

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Identification of sheep and goats

Important new rules on the identification of sheep and goats were introduced on
11 January 2008.

All sheep and goats born on or after 11 January 2008 must be double-tagged / identified in accordance with the new rules.

The following is a summary of the main changes:-

• Animals, born on or after 11 January 2008, must have two identifiers if it is intended they will live to twelve months of age or more or will be exported. One identifier must be an ear tag and the other can be an ear tag or a tattoo (Note: Animals bearing a tattoo instead of a 2nd tag cannot be exported).
• Animals, born on or after 11 January 2008, which are intended for slaughter in the UK before twelve months of age can continue to be single tagged.
• Animals, born but not officially identified by 11 January 2008, should be double tagged if it is intended they will live to twelve months of age or more or will be exported.
• Animals, which which have already been officially tagged with an individual number before 11 January 2008, do not require any further tags.
• If a single tagged animal, which was identified after 11 January 2008, is retained so that it reaches twelve months of age, it must then be double tagged.
• S tags, S baseline tags and F tags will no longer be used.
• Animals for export will no longer require two identical holding of birth tags. The exporter may instead apply two new identical UK tags, providing they cross-reference the new number to the number on the holding of birth tag.
• The flock or herd register (movement book) and movement documents (AML1) have been revised to make them easier to complete.

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Movement of sheep, pigs and goats

Whenever sheep, goats or pigs are moved, a movement document

AML1 (sheep and goats) or

AML2 (pigs),

must be completed.

The premises of destination must send the white copy of this form to their local Trading Standards office within 3 days of the movement.

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Standstill periods

A 'standstill' period of 6 days applies to all stock (including pigs) whenever cattle, sheep, or goats are moved onto a holding.

When pigs are moved onto the holding a 20 day 'standstill' applies to all pigs on the farm and a 6 day standstill is triggered for cattle, sheep and goats.

This means that until the 'standstill' period expires no stock can be moved off of the premises other than to slaughter or direct to a 'slaughter only' market.

BSE Monitoring - Death of cattle Over 24 Months of age

Cattle keepers are legally required to report the discovery of any carcass of a bovine animal over twenty four months to Animal Handling Facilities Ltd on FREEPHONE: 0800 525890.

Once reported, the carcass will be removed from the premises at the earliest possible opportunity and taken for sampling. No charge will be made for this collection and disposal service.

Failure to notify within 24 hours of death, or of the carcass coming into your possession or charge, is an offence under the Regulations.

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Horse Passports

All horses, ponies and certain other equines in England must now have a 'Horse Passport'.

This legislation brings the UK into line with the rest of Europe. It underpins a robust control system to ensure that horses, which have been treated with veterinary medicines not authorised for use in food-producing animals, cannot be slaughtered for human consumption. Moreover, it will contribute to allowing the UK horse industry to continue to use such medicines on horses not intended for the human food chain.

A horse's passport must be presented whenever:-

• it is moved into or out of Great Britain;
• it is moved to a competition or show;
• it is moved to the premises of a new keeper;
• it is presented at a slaughterhouse for slaughter;
• it is sold; or
• it is used for breeding purposes.

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Ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea)

Ragwort (sometimes known as ragweed) is a regular problem for keepers of livestock, particularly during the summer months, due to it's toxic effect on animals which eat it.

"Ragwort is one of five injurious weeds covered by the provisions of The Weeds Act 1959. Ragwort is poisonous to horses, ponies, donkeys and other livestock, and causes liver damage, which can have potentially fatal consequences. Under the Weeds Act 1959, the Secretary of State may serve an enforcement notice on the occupier of land on which injurious weeds are growing, requiring the occupier to take action to prevent the spread of injurious weeds."

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Tuberculosis in cattle(TB)

The number of cases of Bovine Tuberculosis is continuing to rise, particularly in the South West of England. New legislation aimed at controlling the spread of the disease has been introduced.

The controls include pre-movement testing for certain categories of cattle and a more robust testing regime.

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Fallen stock and their disposal

The law regarding the disposal of fallen stock and other 'animal by-products' changed on 1st May 2003.

NOTE: It is no longer legal to bury on farm the carcases of fallen stock or stillborn animals.

The government has participated in the start up of a national disposal scheme for fallen stock which started operations on 22nd November 2004.

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Avian Influenza

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Pet Travel Scheme

The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS for short) is the system that allows pet animals from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the rules. It also means that people in the UK can, having taken their pets to these countries, bring them back without the need for quarantine.

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General animal health information

For detailed information on any of the following issues:-

• General animal health and welfare matters
• Movement restrictions
• Licensing
• Markets and shows
• Standstill periods
• Importing and exporting animals
• Disease controls

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Multiple pick-ups and drop-offs

Where hauliers or farmers collect animals from several farms before delivering them to a market or slaughterhouse it is a legal requirement that those farms must have prior approval from Defra to operate as a multiple pick-up / drop-off site.

(Premises approved for multiple pick-ups before February 2002 are deemed to be approved for drop-offs too.)

If your farm / holding does not have approval from Defra for multiple pick-ups or drop-offs then hauliers cannot legally deliver or collect animals to or from your premises if they are collecting or delivering to or from any other premises.

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Waste food and feeding pigs

The Animal By-Products Regulations 2005 ban the feeding of meat, fish and most other products of animal origin to ruminants, pigs or poultry. They also make it an offence to allow them to have access to such material and they prohibit any catering waste being fed, whether processed or not.

Ideally, if material such as vegetables, pastry, crisps or sweets is to be fed to livestock, it should originate on premises where no meat or most other products of animal origin are handled.

However, there are some circumstances where, providing premises are able to demonstrate that they have HACCP procedures (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) in place to ensure that there is no possibility of the material intended to be fed to livestock being contaminated by meat or most other products of animal origin, it may be acceptable for the material to originate on the same premises.

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Guidance leaflets on a range of animal health & welfare issues, including:-

• Animal Transport
• Animal Transport Journey Times
• Construction of Livestock Transport Vehicles
• Guidance on the disposal of farm animal carcasses (animal by-products)
• Horse Passports (England) Regulations 2003
• Requirements for cattle identification
• Records and Movement of Sheep and Goats
• Collection centre conditions
• Animal Health Act 1981 and the Sheep Scab Order 1997, and
• Sheep and Goats Identification

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North Somerset Show

The North Somerset Agricultural Society is the organisation responsible for the North Somerset Show, held annually at Bathing Pond Fields, Tyntesfield, Wraxall near Bristol.

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On Farm mixing of feeding stuffs

Defra's AMES database

Defra operates the Animal Health & Welfare Management & Enforcement System (AMES). This is the computer database that local authorities use to record their work in relation to Animal Health & Welfare duties. The database consequently holds up to date information about any person with whom we have dealings under Animal Health & Welfare legislation.