Animal health and welfare

Our work involves animal welfare, animal disease control and food chain issues. Most of the livestock we deal with will, at some point, contribute to the food chain. Our work plays a vital role in ensuring the animals have been raised and kept to recognised standards. Disease control is also vital to the rural economy as shown by the devastating effects of the recent foot and mouth crisis. What may seem to be bureaucratic paper exercise could save us from a similar disease outbreak.

We make every effort to enforce legislation in a fair and pragmatic way.

Pigs, pet pigs and micro pigs

Information for keepers 

Guidance on the new sheep and goat identification legislation

On the 31st December 2010 The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement)(England) Order 2009 came into force requiring sheep intended to be kept over 12 months to electronically identified.

As of the 1st January 2011 new requirements have been introduced in terms of how stock needs to be recorded on the AML1. DEFRA has further information.

• Sheep tagging: electronic identification (EID)
• Sheep & goat reporting - Changes from 1 January 2011
• Sheep & goat health   

New keepers of livestock

New keepers of livestock should be aware of their obligations under the current animal health and welfare legislation. New keepers are requested to fill in the New Keepers questionnaire. From the information you provide we will be able to determine the frequency of inspections required.

• New keeper information (external website)
• New keepers questionnaire (PDF)

Bovine tuberculosis

Bovine TB is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be transmitted from affected animals to people, causing a condition very similar to human TB. However, the risk of people contracting TB from cattle in Great Britain is currently considered very low.
Bovine tuberculosis