Comply with livestock movement standstill periods

Why standstill periods exist

Standstill periods serve several disease control purposes:

• Incubation period observation: Allows time for diseases to become apparent in newly arrived animals before they can spread further
• Prevents rapid multi-site spread: Stops animals being moved between multiple holdings in quick succession (which can amplify disease outbreaks)
• Tracing simplification: During outbreaks, APHA can more easily trace contacts when animals remain on fewer holdings
• Biosecurity buffer: Gives keepers time to observe new arrivals for signs of disease before mixing with existing stock

Standstills have been proven to slow disease spread during outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, bluetongue, and other serious livestock diseases.

Standstill lengths by species

Standstill lengths vary by species based on typical incubation periods for the diseases affecting each animal type:

Understanding what 'standstill' means in practice

Key principle: Standstill applies to the entire holding, not just the animals that moved. If you bring 5 sheep onto your farm, ALL sheep on the holding (including those already there) are subject to the standstill for 6 days.

Example scenario: You own a farm with 100 ewes. On Monday, you buy 10 replacement ewes at market and bring them home. A 6-day standstill immediately begins. Day 1 is Tuesday (the day after arrival), so you cannot move ANY of your 110 sheep (the 10 new ones plus the original 100) off the holding until the following Monday. This applies even though 100 of your sheep never left the farm.

Cross-species standstill: Standstill is not limited to the species that arrived. If cattle, sheep or goats arrive, ALL cattle, sheep, goats and pigs on the holding are subject to a 6-day standstill. If pigs arrive, pigs are subject to a 20-day standstill and cattle, sheep and goats to a 6-day standstill. Poultry are not affected by routine standstill rules.

When standstill begins

Standstill starts from the moment animals physically arrive on your land, not from when paperwork is completed or when you report the movement.

Arrival date = Day 0:

• Cattle arrive Tuesday 10am → 6-day standstill runs until Monday 11:59pm (6 full calendar days)
• Pigs arrive Friday 6pm → 20-day standstill runs until Thursday 11:59pm three weeks later

Multiple arrivals extend standstill: If more animals of the same species arrive during standstill, the standstill 'clock' resets. Each new arrival starts a fresh standstill period.

Example: You bring sheep home on Monday (6-day standstill begins). On Thursday, you buy more sheep. The standstill resets from Thursday, meaning you now cannot move sheep until Thursday the following week (day 1 is Friday, the day after Thursday's arrival).

What movements are prohibited during standstill

During standstill, you cannot move susceptible animals:

• Off the holding to another farm, market, show, or common grazing
• To slaughter (except under specific licensed exemptions)
• Between holdings you own if the holdings have different CPH numbers
• To or from temporary land if it has a separate CPH number

Within the holding: You CAN move animals around within the same CPH number (e.g., between fields on the same farm). This is not a movement that triggers or extends standstill.

Standstill exemptions

Several important exemptions allow movements during what would otherwise be standstill periods. These exemptions exist to balance disease control with animal welfare and commercial necessity:

Direct to slaughter exemption

Animals in standstill can move directly to a slaughterhouse (or to a dedicated slaughter-only 'red' market) in the UK under the direct-to-slaughter exemption. This exemption applies to cattle, sheep, goats AND pigs — including pigs during the 20-day pig standstill. Conditions:

• Animals go directly to slaughter (no stopping at general markets, collection centres, or other holdings)
• Slaughter must occur within a specified timeframe at the destination
• Animals cannot be moved back from the slaughterhouse
• You must keep records proving the exemption was used correctly

Approved finishing units for pigs

Pigs can move from a breeding/weaner unit to a licensed finishing unit during standstill if:

• The finishing unit is registered and approved by APHA as an approved finishing unit (AFU)
• Pigs move under strict biosecurity conditions
• No movements back from the AFU are permitted
• The AFU maintains separate facilities preventing contact with other pigs

Contact APHA to register as an approved finishing unit. Registration involves inspection and biosecurity assessment.

Isolation facilities exemption

If you have APHA-approved isolation facilities on your holding, newly arrived animals can be isolated separately, and other animals may be able to move off the holding without breaching standstill. Requirements:

• Physical separation preventing all contact between isolated animals and the main herd/flock
• No shared airspace, water sources, or boundaries
• Separate handling equipment and biosecurity protocols
• APHA inspection and approval of facilities

Isolation facility approval is species-specific. Contact APHA to arrange assessment. Most small-scale keepers do not have isolation facilities that meet the approval criteria.

Emergency veterinary treatment

Animals can move during standstill for emergency veterinary treatment. This exemption is narrowly defined:

• Treatment must be genuinely urgent and cannot wait until standstill ends
• Treatment cannot be provided on the holding (e.g., requires specialist veterinary hospital)
• Your private veterinarian confirms emergency treatment is necessary
• Detailed records must be kept including veterinary advice

Routine treatments, TB testing, and non-urgent procedures do NOT qualify for this exemption.

Deer exemption

Deer are exempt from standstill periods entirely. You can move deer on and off holdings without restriction (subject to normal movement reporting requirements). This exemption exists because deer farming practices differ significantly from other livestock, and deer-specific diseases have different epidemiology.

Poultry exemptions

Poultry have no general standstill requirements under normal circumstances. However, during notifiable disease outbreaks (such as avian influenza), standstill-like restrictions called 'movement controls' or 'housing orders' may be imposed within control zones. These are separate from routine standstill rules.

Common standstill scenarios and how to handle them

Scenario 1: Buying cattle at market

Situation: You buy 3 cattle at market on Tuesday. You already have 20 cattle at home.

Standstill impact: 6-day standstill begins Tuesday. You cannot move ANY of your 23 cattle off the holding until Monday midnight. This includes the 20 cattle that never left home.

Options:

• Wait until the following Tuesday to move any cattle
• Use slaughter exemption if cattle are going directly to slaughter
• Isolate the 3 market cattle in approved isolation facilities (if you have them) so other cattle can move

Scenario 2: Buying weaner pigs for fattening

Situation: You buy 50 weaner pigs for fattening on Friday.

Standstill impact: 20-day standstill begins Friday. You cannot move ANY pigs off the holding for 20 full days (until Thursday 3 weeks later).

Options:

• Send pigs directly to slaughter at any time — direct-to-slaughter movements are exempt from standstill
• Wait 20 days before moving pigs to another holding or general market
• If you're a licensed approved finishing unit, weaners can arrive from approved sources
• Plan your pig flow to avoid needing to move pigs during expected standstill periods

Scenario 3: Taking sheep to a show

Situation: You want to take 5 sheep to an agricultural show. The show is in 4 days, and you bought 2 replacement ewes yesterday.

Standstill impact: 6-day standstill began yesterday when the 2 ewes arrived. You cannot move ANY sheep for 6 days.

Result: You cannot take sheep to the show (it's in 4 days but standstill lasts 6 days). You must withdraw from the show or wait until standstill expires.

Prevention: Plan movements carefully. Don't bring new animals onto the holding in the week before planned shows, sales, or other movements.

Scenario 4: Multiple holdings with shared stock

Situation: You own two farms (separate CPH numbers). You want to move sheep between them regularly.

Standstill impact: Each movement between CPH numbers triggers a new 6-day standstill at the receiving holding.

Options:

• Minimise inter-holding movements to reduce standstill frequency
• Plan movements so standstills don't overlap critical marketing periods
• Consider whether holdings could be managed under a single CPH (if land is contiguous and meets criteria)

Record keeping and proving compliance

You must maintain holding registers proving you complied with standstill rules. Records should show:

• Arrival dates: When animals arrived triggering standstill
• Movement dates: When animals moved off after standstill expired
• Exemptions used: If using slaughter exemption or isolation facilities, record details
• Standstill end dates: Calculate and note when each standstill period expires

APHA inspectors can cross-check movement reports against holding registers to verify standstill compliance. Discrepancies indicating standstill breaches can result in penalties even if detected months later.

Penalties for breaching standstill

Moving animals during standstill (without a valid exemption) is a criminal offence. Penalties include:

Tips for managing standstill periods

• Plan ahead: Before buying animals, check whether you need to move other stock soon. Avoid buying in the week before planned sales or shows.
• Use a standstill calendar: Mark standstill end dates on a calendar or use farm management software that calculates standstill automatically
• Batch movements strategically: If possible, bring all new animals onto the farm on the same day to avoid multiple overlapping standstills
• Consider isolation facilities: If you regularly need to move animals while others arrive, investing in APHA-approved isolation may be worthwhile
• Communicate with buyers: If someone wants to collect animals from you, explain that standstill may delay collection and agree dates accordingly
• Check market schedules: Plan purchases around market dates to ensure standstill doesn't prevent attending future sales
• Document exemptions: If using slaughter exemption, keep slaughter records proving animals went directly to slaughter
• Train staff: Ensure everyone moving animals understands standstill rules and checks before moving stock

Standstill during disease outbreaks

The standstill periods described in this guide apply under normal circumstances. During notifiable disease outbreaks (foot-and-mouth, avian influenza, bluetongue, etc.), APHA can impose additional movement restrictions that supersede normal standstill rules.

These disease control restrictions include:

• Protection zones: Typically 3km around an infected premise—no movements allowed
• Surveillance zones: Typically 10km around an infected premise—licensed movements only
• Temporary control zones: Regional or national movement bans during disease spread
• Extended standstills: Standstill periods may be extended beyond normal 6-day or 20-day periods

During an outbreak, follow APHA instructions and check GOV.UK for movement restriction updates. Disease control restrictions always override normal standstill rules.