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Guidance on keeping cattle, bison and buffalo in Great Britain

Anyone with responsibility for cattle or other bovine animals must follow the rules and procedures that apply to all cattle keepers.

Published 6 May 2014
Last updated 9 April 2020 — see all updates

• From: British Cattle Movement Service

A cattle keeper is a person who is responsible for cattle, bison or buffalo on a permanent or temporary basis. In official guidance, the term ‘cattle’ always covers all 3 species.

Some examples of cattle keepers are:

• farmers
• people who run livestock markets and calf assembly centres
• transporters
• those buying and selling cattle
• people who run slaughterhouses and lairages

There are detailed laws setting out the tasks that cattle keepers must carry out, both before they take responsibility for animals and once animals are in their care.

Register to keep cattle

• Register a holding so that you can keep cattle
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Get a herd mark for cattle
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Register with the British Cattle Movement Service
  • 30 June 2020
  • Guidance

Keeping cattle and representing keepers

• Register a holding so that you can keep cattle
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Get a herd mark for cattle
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Register with the British Cattle Movement Service
  • 30 June 2020
  • Guidance
• Get and use bar code labels for your holding
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Update your holding details
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Register with CTS Online to represent cattle keepers as an agent
  • 15 January 2019
  • Guidance

Tagging, passports, record keeping and inspections

• Keep a holding register for cattle
  • 13 May 2019
  • Guidance
• Official cattle breeds and codes
  • 13 February 2020
  • Guidance
• Get new or replacement official ear tags for cattle
  • 27 February 2020
  • Guidance
• What to do after a calf is born
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Get a cattle passport
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Cattle passports: temporary changes to requesting amendments
  • 9 April 2020
  • Guidance
• Cattle passports: what to do if problems arise
  • 8 August 2018
  • Guidance
• Replace lost, damaged or missing cattle ear tags
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Cattle identification inspections: what to expect
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance

Reporting and recording events in your herd

• Send cattle reporting information online or by phone
  • 23 September 2020
  • Guidance
• Report and record cattle movements
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Get and use continuation sheets for cattle passports
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Report and record cattle deaths on the holding
  • 2 February 2016
  • Guidance
• Send cattle to slaughter
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Report and record the deaths of cattle at slaughter
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Correct a cattle birth, movement or death error
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Cattle without passports
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Register cattle imported or moved into Great Britain
  • 5 February 2019
  • Guidance
• Report cattle exported or moved out of Great Britain
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance
• Report cattle movements on and off a showground
  • 6 May 2014
  • Guidance

Published 6 May 2014
Last updated 9 April 2020 + show all updates

1. 9 April 2020

   New page 'Cattle passports: temporary changes to requesting amendments' added.

2. 9 April 2015

   Added paragraph on legislation

3. 6 May 2014

   First published.