Livestock movement issues: how to resolve

Different bodies enforce different aspects of livestock movement compliance. Understanding which body is involved helps you know what to expect and who to contact.

Common movement compliance problems

Who enforces what

• APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency): Disease control, movement restrictions, standstill enforcement, TB testing compliance, holding registrations
• Trading Standards (local authority): Livestock identification, movement documents, welfare during transport, on-farm inspections
• RPA (Rural Payments Agency): Checks scheme recipients' compliance with agreement terms - can recover payments or terminate agreements for breach
• BCMS (British Cattle Movement Service): Cattle passports, cattle movement reporting, CTS database

Severity levels and likely consequences

Tags can fall out, become illegible, or be damaged. All species have the same 28-day deadline for replacement, but cattle have additional restrictions.

Immediate steps

1. Isolate the animal if you cannot immediately identify it: Keep separate from tagged animals to prevent confusion
2. Check your records: Match physical characteristics (age, sex, breed) to your holding register to identify the animal
3. Order replacement tags immediately: Do not wait - order as soon as you notice the problem
4. Do not move the animal: Cattle without both tags, and sheep/goats/pigs without required identification, cannot move off your holding
5. Record the tag replacement: Update your holding register within 36 hours of fitting new tags

How to order replacement tags

• Cattle: Order from your approved tag supplier using the same identification number. Both tags must display the same number. Report the replacement to BCMS within 3 days.
• Sheep and goats: If on birth holding, use original ID with new tags in same colours. If on a different holding, use red replacement tags with your flock mark plus the original individual number.
• Pigs: Apply new identification using the same herd mark. If the pig had a unique ID (for shows/breeding), use the same individual number.
• Deer: Replace with tags showing the same identification number as the original.

What if you cannot identify the animal?

If an animal has lost all identification and you cannot match it to your records:

• Contact APHA immediately: 03000 200 301 - explain the situation
• Do not move the animal: It must stay on your holding until identification is resolved
• Provide evidence: Photos, veterinary records, purchase receipts, movement documents may help prove identity
• DNA testing may be required: For cattle, APHA may require DNA testing to confirm parentage and identity

An animal that cannot be identified may not be able to enter the food chain and may have restricted commercial value.

Emergency movement of untagged animals

The only exception to the "no movement without identification" rule is emergency veterinary treatment where:

• Treatment is genuinely urgent and cannot wait for re-tagging
• Treatment cannot be provided on the holding
• Your vet confirms the emergency
• The animal returns to the same holding afterwards

This is a narrow exception. Routine treatments, elective procedures, and planned movements to slaughter do not qualify.

All livestock movements must be reported within 3 days (cattle, sheep, goats). Pig movements need pre-notification before the move, sender confirmation within 24 hours of departure, and receiver confirmation within 3 days of arrival. If you have missed these deadlines, report the movement as soon as possible - late is better than never.

How late is too late?

Reporting backdated movements

To report a late movement:

• Cattle (CTS Online): Report using actual movement date - system accepts backdated reports. Call BCMS on 0345 050 1234 if system rejects.
• Sheep and goats (LIS): Report using actual movement date. Contact LIS on 03300 416 577 if you have difficulties.
• Pigs (eAML2): Pre-notification cannot be backdated, but confirmation of departure can. Contact eAML2 on 0844 335 8400 for historical movements.

Keep a record of when you reported the late movement and any reference numbers, in case of future queries.

Penalties for persistent late reporting

A single late report rarely attracts penalties. However, persistent late reporting demonstrates systemic non-compliance:

• Inspection follow-up: Record-keeping and reporting are checked at APHA and Trading Standards inspections, and at RPA scheme inspections if you hold an agreement
• Pattern of lateness: Multiple late reports over 12 months can lead to formal warnings and, for scheme holders, recovery of payments
• Serious pattern: Consistent failure over multiple years can lead to prosecution and agreement termination
• Complete failure to report: Not reporting movements at all is treated more seriously than late reporting

Getting back into compliance

1. Audit your recent movements: Go through the last 12 months and check every movement was reported
2. Cross-check with holding register: Your register should match what is on BCMS/LIS/eAML2
3. Report any gaps: Submit late reports for any unreported movements
4. Set up systems: See Step 6 (Prevention) for how to avoid future late reporting

Moving animals off your holding during a standstill period (without a valid exemption) is a criminal offence. If you have breached standstill - whether deliberately or accidentally - you need to act immediately.

What counts as a breach

You breach standstill if you move susceptible animals off your holding during the standstill period without a valid exemption. Common scenarios:

• Forgot about standstill: Bought animals at market, forgot, and sent other animals to slaughter/market within 6 days (cattle/sheep/goats) or 20 days (pigs)
• Miscalculated dates: Counted standstill days incorrectly - Day 1 is the day after arrival, not the arrival day
• Did not realise animals had arrived: Stock arriving without your knowledge (e.g., brought by a family member or staff) still triggers standstill
• Assumed exemption applied: Thought movement was exempt when it was not

If you have breached standstill

1. Do not make further movements: Stop any additional movements immediately
2. Document what happened: Record the dates, animals involved, where they went, and why the breach occurred
3. Consider self-reporting: Proactively reporting a breach to APHA may result in more lenient treatment than waiting to be discovered
4. Notify the destination: The holding that received animals during your standstill should know, as this affects their disease risk assessment

Common exemptions

• Direct to slaughter: Animals going directly to a slaughterhouse or red (slaughter-only) market are exempt from standstill - this includes pigs
• Approved isolation facilities: If you have APHA-approved isolation and isolated incoming animals for 20 days, other animals can move
• Same CPH within 10 miles: Movements within the same business on land registered to the same CPH do not trigger or breach standstill
• Deer: Deer are completely exempt from standstill rules

If you think an exemption applied, gather evidence (slaughter receipts, isolation records, etc.) before contacting APHA.

Avoiding future breaches

• Use a standstill calendar: Mark standstill end dates whenever animals arrive
• Check before any movement: Before loading animals, check your calendar/records for active standstills
• Train staff: Ensure everyone involved in livestock handling understands standstill rules
• Plan purchases strategically: Do not buy animals in the week before planned sales, shows, or movements
• Batch arrivals: If buying multiple batches, bring them all on the same day to avoid overlapping standstills

Cattle cannot legally move without a valid passport. If a passport is missing, damaged, or was never issued, you need to resolve this before the animal can move.

Replacement passport process

If a passport is lost, damaged, or destroyed:

1. Report the loss to BCMS: Call 0345 050 1234 or report via CTS Online
2. Apply for replacement: Within 6 weeks of loss, replacement is free. After 6 weeks, cost is £20 per animal.
3. Provide evidence if available: Police reference (if theft), fire brigade report (if fire), etc.
4. Wait for replacement: Processing takes up to 7 working days

Animals without passports

If a passport was never issued (missed the 27-day deadline), BCMS issues a Notice of Registration instead. Animals with Notices instead of passports:

• Cannot enter the food chain - cannot be slaughtered for human consumption
• Cannot be sold - except to hunt kennels or knacker's yards
• Can only move under special licence - contact APHA to arrange
• Are effectively commercially worthless - no market value for breeding or sale

Emergency movement provisions

In genuine emergencies, cattle may move without a passport for:

• Emergency veterinary treatment: With vet confirmation that treatment is urgent and cannot be provided on-farm
• Fire, flood, or other emergency: To evacuate animals to safety - notify BCMS as soon as possible

In all emergency cases, the animal must be accompanied by a written record of its identification and the passport must be sent to follow within 14 days (or replacement applied for if lost in the emergency).

Once you have resolved your immediate problem, put systems in place to prevent recurrence. A second failure for the same issue will be treated more seriously than the first.

Setting up reminders

• Calf passport deadlines: Set calendar reminder at birth + 20 days (order tags) and birth + 24 days (apply for passport)
• Tag replacement: When ordering replacement tags, set reminder for 21 days to check they have arrived and been fitted
• Standstill end dates: When animals arrive, immediately calculate and record the standstill end date
• Movement reporting: Set daily reminder to report any movements made that day
• Annual inventory: Set calendar reminders for sheep/goats - count on 1 December, record and return by 31 December - and for your pig count on a date of your choosing (no annual inventory for cattle)

Record-keeping best practice

• Record at the time: Update your holding register and report movements immediately, not later
• Keep a recording station: Have register, pen, and devices where animals are loaded/unloaded
• Double-check tag numbers: Misread tags are the most common recording error - check every digit
• Back up digital records: If using software, maintain regular backups
• File movement documents: Keep all movement documents (AML2, FCI forms, etc.) with your register for cross-reference
• Review quarterly: Check your records against BCMS/LIS/eAML2 quarterly to catch discrepancies early

Apps and systems to help

• CTS Online: Free government system for cattle - reports movements and serves as your holding register
• Livestock Information Service (LIS): Free online system for sheep, goats, and deer - recommended by Defra
• eAML2: Electronic system for pig movements including pre-notification
• Farm management software: Many packages (FarmPlan, Gatekeeper, Breedr, etc.) integrate with government systems
• Mobile apps: LIS and some third-party apps allow reporting from your phone in the field
• EID readers: Electronic tag readers speed up recording and reduce transcription errors