There are rules that control the movements of livestock to help prevent spread of animal disease. Most movements are covered by a "general licence". This is a general permission to allow most movements of livestock. There are seperate rules covering the welfare of livestock in transit.
A small team of Cambridgeshire Trading Standards Officers record the movements of livestock onto DEFRA’s (Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs) Animal Movement Licensing System (AMLS). This is a national database that records and monitors the movement of sheep, goats and farmed deer across the country. The system is an essential tool for the traceability of livestock in the event of a disease outbreak.
An Animal Movement Licence (AML) is made up of four parts: white (top copy) which is sent by the recipient of the animals to their local authority, pink which is retained by the destination farm, blue is for the haulier and yellow to be retained by the holding of departure. You can print off a blank form at the bottom of this page, but please ensure that you make the required number of copies and use carbonated paper between each page.
Once completed, please post the top copy to us using the postal address given in the "How to contact us" link on the right hand side of this page.
Sheep and goats
It is the responsibility of the destination keeper to notify local authorities within 3 days of the movement being completed (white copy of form to be sent or faxed - for postal address details, please see the "How to contact us" link on the right hand side of this page).
Exports of sheep and goats
It is the responsibility of the departure premises to notify local authorities within 3 days of the move being completed.
Cattle
Bovine movements are recorded and monitored by
British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS)
.
The BCMS must be informed of cattle movements within 3 days. Cattle born before 1st August 1996 must not be moved off your holding except under the authority of a licence granted by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
LATEST NEWS: From 1 August 2011 cheque book style cattle passports are no longer being issued. Instead the document will comprise a single page passport. Movements for these animals will need to be reported online or by telephone. See the new cattle keepers handbook for more information.
Pigs
From 1st April 2012 pig movements CANNOT be reported on the AML2 movement forms.
Instead, keepers will be required to use the free
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to
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use ‘eAML2’, which is the electronic version of the AML2 pig movement document and will replace the current paper version of that form. For farm
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to
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slaughter moves, it also combines the AML2 and Food Chain Information (FCI) forms into one.
Keepers who have access to a computer and internet can set up movements themselves. The new system provides for pre
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notification of moves.
Go to the eAML2 website and click on ‘Producer Registration’.
Pig keepers without computer or internet access can notify their pig movements to the MLCSL (Meat and Livestock Commercial Services Ltd) on 0844 335 8400. MLCSL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, providing independent meat services to the meat and livestock industry. The British Pig Association and marketing groups can also register pig movements for you.
Stand Still Period
Any movement of pigs on to a farm will invoke a 6-day standstill in the case of cattle, sheep and goats, and a 20-day standstill in case of pigs, on any further movements off that premises.
Any movement of cattle, sheep and goats on to a farm will invoke a 6-day standstill in the case of sheep cattle and pigs, on any further movements off that premises. In practice this means leaving 6 or 20 clear days between moves. The off movement may take place on the 7th or 21st day.
Movement direct to slaughter or to a slaughter only (red) market are not caught by the standstill.
For further information on the movement of livestock, movement licence forms and exemptions to the standstill, please see the DEFRA website.