Sheep movement regs

[Poorbuthappy]

I had an inspection a few weeks ago.
Mostly ok, but bit of discussion on the rules regarding taking keep locally. (Where keepership hasn't changed)
If you take adjoining ground and operate an 'open gate' policy, you only need to record dates in your records - no license required. Obviously this how all neighbouring ground is treated
If you have to walk them up the road, it needs to be 'frequent regular movements' (sounds like something needing medical attention!) to avoid needing a license. Eg, rotating grazing every few days with your own ground. A movement every few weeks does not constitute 'frequent', apparently.
What a nonsense - which is the greater disease risk - moving every few days or once every few weeks/ month.

So, now it seems I'm lumbered with more licensing. - 1 landowner in particular wants to be sure everything is done correctly.

Questions - When I license sheep on, if I remain keeper, do I keep the 'destination' copy?
- If I take seasonal grazing, and still remain keeper, and am sole occupier - does it trigger a standstill? I guess so, though there was a time a few years ago you could take keep within a certain radius under a simplified 'sole occupancy' license
- In these situations, is the land owner supposed to have a record of the sheep on his holding? (particularly bearing in mind I remain the keeper)
- where do you go to get official answers on this, as they've changed the rules several times in the last 4/5 years and you seem to get different answers depending on which body you talk to.

I used to think I understood the rules!

 

[romneymarsh]

If you remain the keeper you need to keep a separate holding register for each holding.

If you are sole occupier then its easy , if not its very complicated and if the owner is a SFP applicant and fully appreciated the implications he wouldn't be letting out the ground!

 

[topground]

Get animal health in to explain it and when they can't because they don't understand it either, keep a record of the chat so that you can remind them of it should they take you to task in the future. All these regulations are written by a few civil servants who might have a first class degree in classics from Oxford but haven't a clue about how what looks ok in theory, works in practice.

 

[Wooly]

We send several out to keep for the winter and fill in an AML1 form for each farm, but we were also told to keep a movement book for each farm that we send them too! Goodness only knows why. But I suppose if it stops us having a fine then that's what we will do.

 

[norfolk n sheep]

Had a defra check a few years back. All movements are recorded on a spreadsheet I compiled on the laptop. Movements on a SOA under a 5 mile radius of the main farm needs no AML1, but needs to be put on the inventory. Movements over 5 miles in your SOA needs an AML1 and putting in the inventory. Extra land taken on will be given a temporary holding number by the AH. AML1,s should be used onto the temporary holding number triggering a 6 day standstill on that land. Bringing the sheep back to one of your own fields on your SOA will trigger a 6 day standstill on all of your SOA's. I was told that because I kept a spreadsheet of all movements I didn't need to keep all copys af the AML1 as I could highlight individual holding numbers on the spreadsheet to check movements for SOA's and temporary holding numbers. Hope this helps

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Had a defra check a few years back. All movements are recorded on a spreadsheet I compiled on the laptop. Movements on a SOA under a 5 mile radius of the main farm needs no AML1, but needs to be put on the inventory. Movements over 5 miles in your SOA needs an AML1 and putting in the inventory. Extra land taken on will be given a temporary holding number by the AH. AML1,s should be used onto the temporary holding number triggering a 6 day standstill on that land. Bringing the sheep back to one of your own fields on your SOA will trigger a 6 day standstill on all of your SOA's. I was told that because I kept a spreadsheet of all movements I didn't need to keep all copys af the AML1 as I could highlight individual holding numbers on the spreadsheet to check movements for SOA's and temporary holding numbers. Hope this helps

This 5 mile radius rule is the one that no longer applies. It was brought in a few years ago, then changed again within a couple of years I think. Instead we have this idea of adjacent holdings, or those moved to regularly on foot.

 

[norfolk n sheep]

I thought it was outlawed as well, but the local AH insisted it hasn't??????? Trading Standards came for a check 6 months ago and was happy with what I was doing. Or they just didn't have a clue what I had to do, which is likely.

 

[llamedos]

I thought it was outlawed as well, but the local AH insisted it hasn't??????? Trading Standards came for a check 6 months ago and was happy with what I was doing. Or they just didn't have a clue what I had to do, which is likely.

Well when I moved my lot, all be it permanently it was within 5 miles, and first they said nothing would change except for having a 6 day standstill, they then had a re think rang me back, and had generated new holding no & flock no, it was a cross over of parish boundaries. Also, the whole of the land has 2 flocks on it, mine and my landlords, sometimes both flocks will run together, no movement licence is needed, BUT a 6 day stand still is still applicable. Its as clear as mud.