Registration

____________________________________________________________

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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Waste food and feeding livestock

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.

Catering waste is defined as all waste food, whether raw or cooked, including used cooking oils, which arise in premises such as:

• Household kitchens
• Restaurants
• Fish and Chips / Pizza / Kebab shops
• Takeaway shops
• Canteens
• Cafes; or
• Vegetarian kitchens / restaurants

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Identification of sheep and goats

IMPORTANT

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Movement of sheep and goats

Whenever sheep or goats are moved, a movement document

AML1 (sheep and goats)

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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Movement of pigs

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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 48 Months of age

Changes to the law mean that, from January 2009, BSE testing is now only carried out on cattle that die over 48 months of age.

Cattle keepers are legally required to ensure that the carcase of any bovine that dies aged 48 months or over is delivered to a specially licensed testing facility.

To find your nearest licensed testing facility please contact Defra on 08459 33 55 77

The free collection, testing and disposal service that was in being up until 31 December 2008 no longer exists.

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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.

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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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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 feeding of livestock

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.