Becoming a livestock keeper: complete compliance guide

Your CPH number is your unique holding identifier. You need it for everything: ordering tags, reporting movements, applying for payments, and dealing with APHA during disease outbreaks.

Apply at least 6 weeks before you expect animals to arrive - processing takes around 10 working days, and you'll need time to complete species-specific registrations afterwards.

Different species have different registration requirements, tagging rules, movement reporting systems, and standstill periods. Consider these factors when deciding what to keep.

Key differences by species

No exemptions for small numbers: Even keeping one animal requires full compliance. Pet pigs, smallholder sheep, and hobby cattle keepers face the same rules as commercial farms.

Before animals arrive, ensure your holding meets welfare requirements and you have the facilities to manage livestock safely.

Essential facilities

• Secure fencing: Appropriate for the species - sheep need different fencing to cattle
• Shelter: Natural or artificial protection from adverse weather
• Water supply: Fresh, clean water accessible at all times
• Handling facilities: Safe way to catch, restrain, and inspect animals (essential for cattle TB testing)
• Storage: Secure storage for medicines and feed
• Isolation area: Somewhere to separate new arrivals or sick animals

Record-keeping setup

• Holding register (paper or digital)
• Movement record system
• Medicine record book (5-year retention for food animals)
• Mortality record

Each species has its own registration requirements and reporting system. You must complete these registrations BEFORE animals arrive.

Cattle keeper registration

Cattle have the most complex registration requirements:

1. Get your herd mark: APHA issues your six-digit herd mark; register as a cattle keeper with BCMS (0345 050 1234) as a separate step
2. Set up CTS access: Cattle Tracing System for movement reporting (a phased transition to LIS is under way; CTS stays live until it completes)
3. Order ear tags: From approved suppliers using your herd mark
4. Understand passport requirements: Every calf needs an individual passport

Key deadline: Apply for cattle passports by day 27 of the calf's life. Late applications result in a Notice of Registration instead of a passport - the animal cannot enter the food chain.

Sheep and goat keeper registration

1. Register with APHA: Contact APHA to register your flock/herd and get your flock mark
2. Set up LIS access: Livestock Information Service for movement reporting
3. Order ear tags: From RPA-approved suppliers using your flock mark

Contact APHA: 03000 200 301 to register your flock mark.

Pig keeper registration

1. Register with APHA: Tell APHA within 30 days of pigs arriving; APHA issues your pig herd mark (one or two letters followed by four digits)
2. Set up eAML2 access: Electronic Animal Movement Licensing for movement reporting
3. Order identification: Ear tags, tattoo equipment, or slapmarks with your herd mark

20-day standstill: Pigs have a longer standstill period than other species. Plan movements carefully.

Tagging deadlines are strict and vary by species. Animals cannot leave your holding without correct identification.

Cattle: Double-tagging within 20 days

• Beef calves: Both tags within 20 days of birth
• Dairy calves: First tag within 36 hours, second tag within 20 days
• Movement rule: BOTH tags must be fitted before any movement, even if the calf is only days old
• Passport: Apply by day 27 - late applications mean the animal cannot enter the food chain

From 2027: Electronic ID (EID) becomes mandatory for all newborn cattle.

Sheep and goats: EID tagging

• Indoor-reared: Tag within 6 months of birth
• Outdoor-reared: Tag within 9 months of birth
• Movement rule: Must be tagged before leaving holding, whichever comes first
• Slaughter lambs: One yellow EID tag if going for slaughter under 12 months
• Breeding sheep: Two identifiers required (yellow EID + second tag)
• Goats: EID is voluntary (unless exporting) - visual tags acceptable

Pigs: Identification before movement

• When to identify: Before leaving the holding (not at a specific age)
• Methods: Ear tag, ear tattoo, or slapmark on both shoulders
• Temporary marks: Pigs under 12 months moving farm-to-farm can use temporary paint marks
• Permanent ID: Required for pigs over 12 months, breeding pigs, and show pigs

Replacing lost or damaged tags

Tags can fall out or become illegible. You must replace them within 28 days of noticing.

Every livestock keeper must maintain a holding register recording all animals on the holding, movements, births, deaths, and tag changes.

What inspectors want to see

APHA and local authority officers can visit without notice and request to see:

• Holding register: Complete record of all animals, movements, births, deaths
• Movement documents: Evidence of movement reporting within deadlines
• Medicine records: 5-year retention for food-producing animals
• Annual inventory: Count of animals as at the required date
• Tag records: Evidence of tag orders and any replacements

Records must be available immediately - not in locked cabinets with missing keys. Many keepers use government online systems (CTS, LIS) which serve as both holding register and movement reporting.

When animals arrive on your holding, a standstill period begins. During standstill, you cannot move OTHER animals of the same species off the holding.

Key point: Standstill affects the ENTIRE holding, not just the new arrivals. If you bring 5 sheep home, ALL your sheep are in standstill.

All movements on and off your holding must be reported within 3 working days.

Transport requirements

If you transport animals yourself, you must ensure:

• Animals are fit for transport (not ill, injured, or in late pregnancy)
• Vehicle is suitable and safe
• Animals have enough space to stand naturally
• Movement documents accompany the animals

Over 65km: You need a Type 1 transporter authorisation.

Over 8 hours: You need a Type 2 transporter authorisation, vehicle approval, and navigation system.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, you must meet five welfare needs for all animals in your care:

1. Suitable environment: Appropriate housing, shelter, temperature
2. Suitable diet: Adequate food and fresh water
3. Ability to exhibit normal behaviour: Space, enrichment, social contact
4. Housed with or apart from other animals as appropriate: Social needs met
5. Protection from pain, suffering, injury, and disease: Veterinary care, disease prevention

Failure to meet welfare needs is a criminal offence with penalties up to 5 years imprisonment and unlimited fines.

If you keep cattle, you must comply with TB testing requirements:

• Routine testing: Frequency depends on your area's TB risk (6-monthly to 4-yearly)
• Pre-movement testing: Required in high-risk areas or after certain movements
• Handling facilities: You must have suitable facilities for TB testing
• Reactors: Positive cattle are slaughtered with compensation
• Movement restrictions: TB-restricted holdings cannot move cattle except under licence

APHA contacts you when testing is due. Failure to present cattle for testing is a criminal offence.

Certain diseases must be reported to APHA immediately if suspected. Failure to report is a criminal offence.

Signs to watch for

• Foot-and-mouth: Blisters in mouth, drooling, lameness, reluctance to move
• Bluetongue: Swollen head/tongue, breathing difficulty, lameness
• Scrapie: Behaviour changes, trembling, scratching, coordination problems
• Classical/African swine fever: High fever, loss of appetite, skin discoloration, sudden death
• Avian influenza: Sudden death, respiratory signs, drop in egg production

What to do: Isolate affected animals, stop all movements, call APHA immediately.

Build a relationship with a veterinary practice experienced in farm animals:

• Routine advice: Vaccination, parasite control, health planning
• Emergency care: Know who to call outside hours
• Prescribing: Many medicines require veterinary prescription
• TB testing: Only approved vets can conduct TB tests
• Welfare procedures: Anaesthetic required for some procedures

Animal Health and Welfare Pathway: Funded annual vet visits available for eligible livestock keepers - from £447 (dairy cattle) to £648 (pigs) per review at the rates in force from 22 January 2026.

Selling animals through markets requires:

• Correct identification: All tags fitted and legible
• Movement document: Complete and accurate
• Standstill compliance: Cannot send to market during standstill
• Fitness for transport: Animals must be healthy and able to travel
• Cattle passports: Must accompany cattle to market

Post-market standstill: If you buy animals at market, standstill begins when they arrive home.

Selling directly to other keepers

• Report movement to appropriate system within 3 days
• Both parties must record the movement
• Movement documents must accompany animals
• Standstill rules apply to both holdings

On-farm slaughter rules

• Home consumption: You can slaughter your own animals for personal consumption (not for sale)
• Stunning required: Animals must be stunned before bleeding (limited religious exceptions)
• Competence: You must know how to perform humane slaughter
• For sale: Must use approved slaughterhouse - on-farm slaughter for sale requires specific licences

WATOK: For routine on-farm killing (not emergencies), slaughterers need a WATOK Certificate of Competence. Slaughter for your own private domestic consumption is exempt.