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Animal Health Animal Disease Update - Blue Tongue Disease Introduction
Animal Disease Update Blue Tongue Disease - Revised Protection Zone 1 September 2008 As at 1st September 2008, following DEFRA's vaccination policy, the Blue Tongue Virus Protection Zone was extended to cover all of England. At the same time the Welsh Assembly announced the establishment of a Protection Zone for all of Wales. For details of the current Vaccination scheme view the DEFRA Web Page. For details of current
disease zones view the
Declaratory Order on DEFRA web page. Blue Tongue Disease - Vaccination Policy (Updated 6 May 2008) A Blue Tongue Virus
vaccination strategy has been announced. In the first instance vaccination
doses will be made available to keepers with livestock most at risk
i.e. in the southern and eastern parts of England, within the existing
Protection Zones. Points
to note for Shropshire keepers Regularly inspect
your livestock and report any disease suspicions to your own vet or
to DEFRA. For Shropshire ring 01905 767111 and ask for the duty vet. We can also be emailed on animalhealth.tradingstandards@shropshire.gov.uk General All livestock movements
require general licences to move in areas not covered by Bluetongue
Requirements. If you don't see a licence that will allow you to do what you need to do, or have any particular movement enquiries please contact us for further information and guidance as to the acceptability or otherwise, in the current situation. Shropshire farmers
are reminded that AML1/2 Sheep goat and pig movement documents need
to be sent to us as soon as possible following any movement. This can
either be by Introduction Do you know that Trading Standards have a statutory duty to enforce Animal Health and Welfare controls. We do this to ensure the health and welfare of farmed livestock and to protect human health by ensuring high standards of safety, traceability and quality of meat entering the food chain. We do this in the following ways: AdviceOur team of Animal Health Inspectors provide advice and guidance to the agricultural community to help with compliance and ease the burden of newly generated legislation. A great deal of this legislation emanated from Foot and Mouth and BSE, but more recently European Union legislation has had a significant and continuing effect on those within the farming / agricultural industry. On a day to day basis we provide advice by telephone on subjects such as:
We also provide a 24 hour contact point in case of emergencies. You can contact our Animal Health Team on 01743 254131 Farm Inspection We have a programme of planned visits to farms. During these inspections, we check livestock records for
We try and ensure the highest possible standards of Disease Control and Animal Welfare, by:
We check Identification for traceability which is vital for notifiable disease control – BSE, Bovine Tuberculosis and Foot and Mouth etc. The main way of identifying animals is by ear tags, which have to be applied after certain time periods in the case of cows and sheep and before movement of other livestock. Identification is also vital for meat entering the food chain, so that its origin can be traced. There are also strict controls in place for replacing lost or illegible identification. We advise on Bio Security, which is the cleanliness of the farm itself its, buildings, equipment including vehicles and any isolation facilities. By following the law and best practice, the possibility of the spread of any disease is reduced. By attending all livestock markets around the County In Shropshire we
regularly attend livestock markets at Shrewsbury, Market Drayton, Bridgnorth,
Ludlow, Bishops Castle, Oswestry and Ash. We attend to help ensure the highest possible standards of welfare for the animals while they are at the market. The Welfare of Animals at Markets Order 1990 says that any animal that is unfit for sale should not be brought to the market. We check that animals are not injured, are free from disease, and are not ill. If we find an animal that may be unfit or has been, or is being caused unnecessary suffering, we liaise with a Veterinary Inspector to assess the situation. The vet will make a decision on any action that is needed, with the welfare of the animal as the prime consideration. We assist throughout and investigate the circumstances of each case. The 'Markets Order' also requires that:
Bio security is vital at markets to reduce the risk of the spread disease. Anyone entering or leaving the animal area at the market has to ensure their clothes and footwear are clean. We check that vehicles transporting animals are cleaned and disinfected at the market or when they return to the farm. We also check that animals were and are fit to be transported, have sufficient space, and the vehicle is partitioned so as not cause injury to the animals. If an animal has a minor welfare problem we can still impose restrictions on the journey away from the market, to ensure that the animal is not caused any further injury or unnecessary suffering. There are regulations which control animal journey times. We check that documentation is correct, drivers are trained and know how to attend to animals and that the construction of vehicles is correct for any journey. Other disease control measures we check at a market include movement restrictions (the six day movement standstill rule) and Bovine Tuberculosis pre-movement testing. Records and documentation are regularly checked upon entry to the market. We also check movement
documents and licences for pigs, sheep and goats. Licenses show animal
identification, where the animal has come from and their destination. Inspection during Transportation – including road side checks. In conjunction with the Police we conduct roadside checks on any vehicles that are being used for the transportation of animals. This will also include trailers and horseboxes. The vehicles are checked to ensure that they are safe and suitable for the animals being transported. The condition of the animals together with accompanying documentation is inspected, along with journey time details, in a similar detailed manner as previously described. Transporter Authorisation Application Forms and Guidance Notes are available from the DEFRA website. Inspections to slaughterhouses. We regularly inspect livestock at slaughterhouses, and liaise with the Official Veterinarian, to ensure the highest possible standards of animal welfare. We check that the animals arriving were fit to be transported and have not been caused unnecessary suffering in transit and that identification documentation is correct. This again ensures the traceability of animals entering the food chain. Advice Leaflets There is more information on Animal Health and Welfare in our business information leaflets section. Animal Health and Welfare subjects covered include:
Great Britain Poultry Register DEFRA have implemented
the registration of poultry flocks, with 50 or more birds, as a means
to gather information on larger flocks and to aid control measures should
the need arise. The Poultry Register Helpline 0800 634 1112 - will take new and late registrations (for premises with 50 or more birds) for those who haven’t had the need or an opportunity to register to date. Additional flocks of under 50 may also be registered. The pages on the DEFRA website, have more information on:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/vetsurveillance/poultry/index.htm You can also contact our Animal Health and Welfare Team on 01743 254131 The following leaflets will also be of interest
Livestock Movement / Licensing - including Markets The Animal Licensing Movement Regime is not always applicable during a disease outbreak. Please see the Latest News Section for any new disease developments that have an impact on animal movement / licences. Animal Licensing A 6 day movement standstill restriction applies to Cattle, Sheep and Goats, and a 20 day standstill applies for Pigs. Exemptions are
in place from the standstill periods allowing for movement direct to
a slaughter-houses or a 'dedicated slaughter market'. (You need to check
the 'status' of the market, if you wish to take advantage of this exemption.
You cannot move slaughter animals to a 'mixed' store and slaughter livestock
market if you are under a standstill, because of the presence of the
'store' animals at the market) Detailed leaflets describing all rules for movement / licensing have been sent by DEFRA to all producers. These plus Guidance notes and copies of General Licences for each livestock species can also be found on the DEFRA web site. Sheep, goats and pigs need movement documents and these are available from this Service and other organisations such as AFS / ABM. Please note that we do not reproduce them on this website because the forms are quadruple, four colour, self carbon pads. Contact us on our normal Animal Health number 01743 254131, or 254135 to obtain copies (there is no cost involved). All movement documents must be completed as far as possible prior to movement. Typically the only detail that is completed upon arrival at destination is the signature of the person in charge at the destination premises and the destination holding number. The keeper at the departure premises should fill in the destination address. The yellow copy remains at the departure point, the pink and white forms are handed to the receiver at the point of destination. It is the receiver of the animals' responsibility to ensure that a copy ‘the white copy’ is then sent to their local Trading Standards Office within 3 days of the movement taking place. Please note that
practically ALL movements of sheep, goats and pigs (regardless of their
destination) must be moved under the new movement documentation or individual
licence. This includes movements to and from markets (including 'reject'
sheep returning home) and slaughter-houses. Vehicle Cleansing and Disinfection rules have not fundamentally changed since 2003 when it became compulsory that the towing vehicles' wheels, wheel arches and mud-flaps must also be cleansed and disinfected whenever any trailer is used, so this must now be included whenever Cleansing and Disinfection occurs. ’Multiple pick up and drop off' transport arrangements are in place. If you need approval for multiple pick up and drop offs, please contact DEFRA. See General Licences for C&D requirements. General
Licences Markets
Please make sure
you understand and are fully aware of all market rules, and please ensure
you follow all the guidance on cleansing and disinfection and all directions
from market staff, or Animal Health Inspectors who will be in attendance
on market days.
The Sheep & Goats (Records, Identification & Movement) (England) Order 2007 came into force on 11th January. This Order introduces a basic requirement for sheep and goats to be identified twice and introduces a new simplified format for ‘on-farm’ records and movement documents. A summary of the main changes
In order to explain
things DEFRA have produced FAQ
guidance on their website and have also update the Guidance
for Keepers in England - Rules for identifying Sheep and Goats. Emergency Contingency Plans Shropshire County Council is responsible for the production and implementation of Contingency Plans for the protection of animal and human health within the County and for the provision of enforcement measures and advice in the event of an outbreak or suspected outbreak. Shropshire Trading Standards is responsible for the enforcement of animal health legislation within the county. A Generic Disease Plan and Specific plans for Foot and Mouth, Avian Influenza, Rabies and Classical Swine Fever are maintained and updated
Emergency Contacts - Out of Office Hours : G Godbold - 07810 050093 M.A Brown (North)
- 01694 751470 Feed Hygiene
Regulations EC183/2005 and The Feed (Hygiene And Enforcement) (England)
Regulations 2005 The Feed Hygiene Regulation (183/2005) came into effect on 1 January 2006. It applies to businesses that make, use, transport, store or sell animal feeds. This includes most livestock farms, arable farms that grow, use or sell crops for feed use, and also fish farms, feed hauliers, importers of feed and feed storage businesses. The previous legislation applying to farmers that mixed feeds containing additives on the farm and manufacturers and sellers of feed of certain feed additives has been replaced. (Feeding Stuffs (Establishments and Intermediaries) Regulations 1999). The regulations require that all businesses will have to follow basic hygiene procedures in relation to feed that they grow, use, store, transport or manufacture to ensure that hazards are controlled. The majority of these requirements will already be in place and are generally very similar to the conditions imposed by the Establishments and Intermediaries Regulations. The controls required include measures to:-
All livestock farmers will have to follow a code of practice for the feeding of food producing animals.
Who needs
to Register? Businesses selling
by products from the food industry for animal feed, other farms with
livestock, fish farms and arable farms that grow, use or sell feed do
not need to register with their local authority to continue their activities
as long as they are registered under another official scheme. If they
are not registered on an official scheme then farmers need to register
with the local authority. To register you need to fill in a registration
form. Shropshire County
Council Trading Standards Service, Many farms will be registered under an official scheme for grant purposes but examples of such schemes can be found at http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/officschemes.pdf. Farms in this category will need to comply with the new requirements by 1 January 2008. All Shropshire based feed business operators that had to register by 1 January 2006 under the Feed Hygiene legislation now need to notify this Service that they are complying with the requirements. Please see the links below for a form to assist you with making the statement. If your establishment is based in Shropshire, follow the link below for a standard form, to make your statement of compliance. Please download the form, complete it, sign it and then post it back to us. (Original signatures are required). Our address is Trading Standards Farmers should complete Form A and all other feed business operators (e.g. merchants, haulage firms, food producers supplying for animal feed) should complete Form B. Statement of Compliance - Form A Statement of Compliance - Form B If you require any further details you can read the following information leaflets - please see the links below or contact the us on 01743 254131. If you are unable to download and of the forms or leaflets, please phone the above telephone number and we can post one out to you. These files are Adobe Acrobat pdf files. To view one or more of these files you will require Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is free for download from the Adobe website. Information on Compliance Statements Information on Animal Feed Hygiene for Farmers What Activities
are not covered?
The Agriculture
Act 1970, provides for an exemption of 25kg but there is no definition
of ‘small quantities’ in the new regulations. Further information can be found on the FSA website www.food.gov.uk or the European Union website has a copy of the regulation. The standards which apply to primary producers are detailed in Annex 1 of the regulation and annex 3 provides the detail of the code of practice for feeding food producing animals. Annex 2 details
the requirements for manufacturers, hauliers, merchants and farms buying
in and using feed additives and premixtures as such will have to apply
the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
system). RPSGB (Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain) If you mix zootechnical additives, e.g. Antibiotics, coccidiostats, growth promoters etc., you must apply for approval with the RPSGB. This is not an authoritative statement of the law. It is intended for guidance only. Reference must be made to the legislation for more detailed information. For further information/advice please contact us.
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Last reviewed 01/09/2008 Shropshire County
Council Trading Standards Service
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