 S H E E P & G O AT I D
 S HEE P EI D
 M OV EM EN T REC OR D I N G & REP OR T I N G - 20 11
Q& A
COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT .................................................................................. 2
Q1.
Is the EID legislation going to being reviewed? .............................................................................2
Q2.
Can I use old stocks of tags? .........................................................................................................2
NEW MOVEMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FROM 1 JANUARY 2011 ..................... 3
Q3.
What are the new requirements? ...................................................................................................3
CENTRAL POINT RECORDING CENTRES – (CPRCs)........................................................ 3
Q4.
What is a CPRC? ...........................................................................................................................3
Q5.
How can a CPRC alleviate my record keeping burden? ................................................................4
REPORTING MOVEMENTS TO ADJACENT LAND ............................................................. 4
Q6.
What is meant by ‘adjacent land’? .................................................................................................4
Q7.
What is the maximum extent of ‘close proximity’? .........................................................................4
Q8.
How often is ‘frequently’? ...............................................................................................................4
Q9.
Do I have to report the move if I have to take my animals in a trailer to the adjacent CPH? ........5
Q10. Do I have to report the move if I walk my animals through a neighbour’s field/orchard to get to
my nearby / rented grazing? ..........................................................................................................5
Q11. If my animals on an adjacent/close proximity CPH give birth how do I tag the lambs? .................5
Q12. Should lambs be tagged before being moved (on foot) to an adjacent / close proximity CPH?....5
Q13. If I move sheep to adjacent rented land but their day to day care is undertaken by the owner of
that land do I need to record and report? .......................................................................................5
Q14. Must I record moves within my business to adjacent CPHs i.e. in my Holding Register? .............6
Q15. How do I obtain a new Holding Register? ......................................................................................7
Q16. Do standstill periods still apply to move to these ‘adjacent land’ moves? .....................................7
MOVEMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FROM 31 DECEMBER 2011 ......................... 7
Q17. What are the changes to reporting requirements due on 31 December 2011? ............................7
(2-12-2010)
Page 1 of 7
This Q&A brief addresses three issues:
1. New movement reporting requirements from 1st January 2011
(Individual EID numbers must now be entered on movement documents).
2. The benefits to keepers from using Central Point Recording Centres
(To alleviate the burden from 1. above)
3. Flexibility for reporting frequent moves to adjacent land or land in close
proximity.
(Animals moved frequently, on foot, to land with a different CPH that is adjacent or in close
proximity won’t require a movement document to be completed but certain details must be
recorded in the Holding Register).
COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT
Q1.
Is the EID legislation going to being reviewed?
No.
Ministers and officials at Defra have had positive discussions with the EU
Commission and the EU Commissioner to solicit their help to address emerging
implementation challenges. Defra is not in any way, shape or form, considering reviewing
the ID Regulation or EID with a view to getting rid of it. It is in place and is being enforced.
Keepers must therefore identify their animals properly with permitted identifiers and record
and report their animals movements (and other information) as required by the law.
Not to do so is an offence and may risk a reduction to a keeper’s single farm payment.
Q2.
Can I use old stocks of tags?
No.
Correct identification is a critical part of the ID system, if you use old tags you risk
losing part of your single farm payment if they are noted during an inspection.
Also, you will create problems for your customers (e.g. for markets who may prefer electronic
tags to help with their recording needs, and for keepers who will be obliged to replace old
tags in (non ‘historic’) sheep on their farm otherwise they could risk losing part of their SFP).
Cont’d ...
(2 / 12 / 2010)
Page 2 of 7
Guidance on EID tagging your sheep (and goats) correctly can be found at:
www.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/animals/movements
Application of tags:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/sheep/tagging.htm
Ordering your tags:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/sheep/documents/eid-ordertags.pdf (leaflet)
Approved tag suppliers and their products:
http://www.rpa.gov.uk/rpa/index.nsf/0/A9E79C55F16DB6CC8025765B004F77D5 (RPA website)
Guidance for keepers on the rules for identifying sheep and goats
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/sheep/documents/guidance-0912.pdf
(booklet)
Important:
Speak to your customers to see if they have a preference for what tag they
would like you to use. For example markets may prefer that you use the single
electronic slaughter tag on your slaughter lambs as that will aid them with their
‘batch within batch’ recording.
NEW MOVEMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FROM 1 JANUARY 2011
Q3.
What are the new requirements?
From 1 January 2011 - for animals individually identified after 31 December 2009 - you must
include their individual identification numbers on the movement document (AML1 form)
as well as in your Holding Register (on and off movement sections as appropriate). This will
include individually Electronically Identified (EID) sheep and double tagged goats.
However, there are exceptions where batch movement recording/reporting can continue:

Animals identified with a single electronic or non-electronic slaughter tag intended for
slaughter within 12 months of age

EID animals (double tagged - including one EID identifier) moving to an approved
Central Point Recording Centre (CPRC) ~ (the CPRC box must be ticked on the
movement document) See question 4.

Moves within your business to a different numbered CPH (non adjacent) providing
there is no change in keeper
CENTRAL POINT RECORDING CENTRES – (CPRCs)
Q4.
What is a CPRC?
A CPRC is a market, abattoir or collecting centre that has been specifically approved by
Animal Health to read electronic ear tags.
Check with your market if they are approved to provide this service, or are planning to.
You might want to encourage them to become approved if you want to use them to read your
electronic tags for you – (see the next question).
(2 / 12 / 2010)
Page 3 of 7
Q5.
How can a CPRC alleviate my record keeping burden?
Keepers already have to record the individual tag numbers of individually EID’d sheep in their
Holding Register movement sections. If you are moving your sheep to a market approved as
a CPRC they can read those tags for you and send you back a list of numbers to keep with
your records.
CPRCs can therefore reduce a keepers record keeping burden and avoid the need to buy
EID readers. A CPRC is specifically approved to provide that service.
The keeper records the total number of (individually EID’d) animals on his movement licence,
and ticks the CPRC box. When he gets the list of tag numbers back from the CPRC he must
update the ‘off’ section of his Holding Register by cross referencing to the CPRC list within
48 hours of sending the animals.
Note: Accurate record keeping is important for traceability and disease control. It is
therefore important that keepers check that the total scanned numbers sent back by
the CPRC matches the total entered on the movement document.
It is accepted that reading equipment may not successfully scan 100% of tags 100%
of the time. Therefore if the CPRC list is incomplete (through no fault of the keeper)
but the keeper can check and confirm that the number of animals recorded on their
market sales receipt tallies with the total number that was entered on the (off)
movement document his single farm payment is not at risk of being reduced.
In the event of equipment breakdown at a CPRC keepers will be given confirmation
that their tags could not be read and this will need to be retained to explain why a list
of tag numbers is not available.
REPORTING MOVEMENTS TO ADJACENT LAND
What is meant by ‘adjacent land’?
Q6.
For the purposes of determining if you need to report your sheep/goats movement - it is land
that you move your animals to frequently on foot that has a different CPH number to the land
which your animals move from, and that shares a common boundary with it, or, is in
‘close proximity’ to it. Some examples of these movements include:
Q7.

A field where a gate is opened to allow animals to move into an adjoining field or

The gate is open and animals move freely between your CPH and the adjacent field
(different CPH) because you have permission of the owner to graze his land.

Land you graze separated from your CPH by a boundary such as: a road or a bridge
over a river, where animals are walked across to the adjacent field (different CPH).
What is the maximum extent of ‘close proximity’?
Close enough that your animals can be moved to the land on foot without mixing with other
livestock on the way.
Q8.
How often is ‘frequently’?
It will range from several times a week up to regularly throughout the day
(e.g. the ‘open-gate’ scenario referred to above).
If the move is once or twice a month this is not frequent and the moves must be recorded
and reported in the required way as it is not be burdensome to do so.
(2 / 12 / 2010)
Page 4 of 7
Q9.
Do I have to report the move if I have to take my animals in a trailer to the
adjacent CPH?
Yes – the exemption from completing the AML1 movement document only applies to
(certain) movements on foot.
(An example might be an adjacent field divided by a stone wall with no gap where the only
way to get your animals there is to transport them).
Q10.
Do I have to report the move if I walk my animals through a neighbour’s
field/orchard to get to my nearby / rented grazing?
You do not have to report that move - if - you have the permission of the owner and there is
no other livestock on that land.
You should however include a note in the Holding Register of the permission and the CPHs
of the land parcels involved.
If at any time the owner keeps livestock on the connecting land or rents it to another keeper
the exemption from reporting the movement will not apply and you must complete an AML1
movement document.
Q11.
If my animals on an adjacent/close proximity CPH give birth how do I tag the
lambs?
With the Flock Mark applicable to your main CPH.
Q12.
Should lambs be tagged before being moved (on foot) to an adjacent / close
proximity CPH?
Wherever possible - yes. Land with a different CPH is a different ‘holding’ and you should
not move unidentified animals between holdings.
See question 2 for links to guidance on ordering tags and tagging.
Keepers should shop around and choose tags suitable for the age / size / breed of animal.
Lists of suppliers of approved tags are published on the RPA’s website).
Q13.
If I move sheep to adjacent rented land but their day to day care is undertaken
by the owner of that land do I need to record and report?
Yes because the keepership has changed.
(2 / 12 / 2010)
Page 5 of 7
Q14.
Must I record moves within my business to adjacent CPHs i.e. in my Holding
Register?
Yes There is a simple way to do this. You should:
(i)
list the CPH numbers of the adjacent/close proximity land in the “Additional Identifiers”
box of Section 1 of the Holding Register, and
(ii) describe the nature/frequency of the movements in the on & off movement sections as
appropriate – (see below).
Section1 – Keeper / holding details
Section 5 - Off Movements
Should be annotated as to the frequency of these moves e.g. open gate or twice a week – see below
Section 6
Should likewise be annotated to reflect the return to the holding of origin (home holding) – see below
(2 / 12 / 2010)
Page 6 of 7
Q15.
How do I obtain a new Holding Register?
Contact your Local Animal Health or Trading Standards office.
Or
The Defra HQ Library on 020 7238 6575 quoting PB13281.
Remember you must keep a separate Holding Register for each different CPH.
Q16.
Do standstill periods still apply to move to these ‘adjacent land’ moves?
No. In moving animals to adjacent land or land that is in close proximity your animals should
not mix with other livestock during the movement to, at the other location, or on the return
movement.
MOVEMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FROM 31 DECEMBER 2011
Q17.
What are the changes to reporting requirements due on 31 December 2011?
From 31 December 2011 all individually identified animals are due to have their individual
numbers recorded on the movement document.
This will include the ‘historic flock’
(before EID was required).
i.e.
animals identified before 31 December 2009
The exceptions will be:  animals moving to a different CPH within your business if there is no change of
keepership - which can continue to be batch recorded.
 individually identified ‘historic’ animals moving direct to slaughter or via a slaughter
market - which can continue to be batch recorded.
(Defra will be consulting the EU Commission during 2011 on the need for this requirement –
for ‘historic’ animals).
(2 / 12 / 2010)
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