Moving sheep and goats: what keepers need to know
What a movement is, who needs to report moves, and how to prepare to move sheep and goats.
Applies to England
You must report and record all movements of sheep and goats on or off your holding.
What a holding is
Your holding is the land or buildings you use to keep the animals, for example:
- a farm
- market
- home or a garden where you might keep a pet animal
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) gives each holding a unique county parish holding (CPH) number. A livestock business may have more than one holding and CPH number.
A single livestock holding can cover the land and buildings within 10 miles of the main area you keep sheep or goats.
You’ll need to give details of each location where you’ll keep sheep or goats (and any other livestock) when you apply for a CPH number.
Following these rules means that animals can be traced at all times to help prevent and contain disease.
It’s your responsibility to follow the rules to avoid penalties such as a fine or prosecution.
What a ‘movement’ is
A movement happens any time animals are moved on or moved off your holding. It can include moving them:
- to and from a different holding, for example a farm
- to your holding when you buy or import animals from another country in the UK or from abroad
- from your holding when you sell or export animals abroad, including through an assembly centre
- to a slaughterhouse
- to and from a showground, market or collection centre
You do not have to report a movement if it’s to or from:
- a vet, for emergency treatment
- land with the same county parish holding (CPH) number
- common land bordering your holding that you can use for grazing, if it’s registered with RPA as linked to your holding
- land bordering your holding with a different CPH number, which the animals move between frequently, on foot and without contact with other livestock - you’ll need a standing entry in your holding register so that the arrangement is clear to a field officer on a site visit
Example
If there is a gate open to a neighbouring field with a different CPH number, which the owner lets you use to graze your animals on a daily basis - you only need to update your holding register with a record of the arrangement.
Who needs to report movements
Anyone who is responsible for keeping sheep and goats must report movements on and off their holding.
This can include:
- farmers, including people who own sheep or goats as pets or for breeding purposes
- market or showground operators
- collection or assembly centre operators
- someone who is paid to keep sheep or goats on their land
- lairages (where it has a CPH number different from the animals’ location - for example a slaughterhouse’s nearby field lairage)
- slaughterhouse operators
You do not have to report movements if you’re a:
- vet
- haulier or transporter
If you’re a haulier or transporter, you must keep your own records to comply with animal transport welfare law. You can keep a copy of the LIS-1 movement document that comes with the animals - you’ll need to pass on any remaining copies to the destination keeper.
Before you move sheep and goats
There are steps you must follow before you move sheep or goats on to or off your holding.
Register as a keeper
If this is the first time you’ll keep sheep or goats, even as pets, you must:
- Apply for a CPH number from RPA.
- Get a flock or herd mark from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to use on ear tags or other tags (such as pastern bands) used to identify sheep and goats.
Keep a holding register
You’ll need to keep a holding register to record the animals’:
- official identification numbers
- movements
- deaths
You must update your holding register within 36 hours each time you move animals on to or off your holding.
Read the ‘general licence’ for moving sheep and goats
You should be aware of the general licence for moving sheep and goats in England. You need to comply with the conditions in the licence to have the right to move your animals.
What you need to report
You need to report the:
- address the animals are sent to or from
- details of the haulier moving the animals (which they might complete on the LIS-1 movement document)
- total number of animals moved
You also need to include the animals’ official identification numbers unless:
- you’re moving sheep to a destination that has been approved to scan and record animals with electronic identification (EID) tags and give these back to you - these are known as central point recording centres (CPRCs) and include most markets
- you’re moving animals to a holding within your business where you’re still the keeper in day-to-day care and control of them - for example, if you’re moving animals between holdings you own or rent, that have different CPH numbers
- the animals are tagged with a slaughter tag
When you move sheep and goats
You need to:
- make sure the sheep are correctly tagged
- make sure that your goats are correctly tagged
- report the movement to the Livestock Information Service (LIS)
You also need to record the movement in your holding register.
When you do not have to report and record sheep and goat movements
You do not have to report and record sheep and goat movements within 10 miles of the main area you keep them if:
- the land or buildings are registered to your CPH number – you can contact RPA to add them if you’ll use them permanently (for more than a year)
- the sheep or goats will not mix with someone else’s livestock
Rural Payments Agency
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
If you’re using extra land or buildings temporarily within 10 miles of the main area you keep sheep or goats, you can get a temporary land association (TLA). This links the land or buildings with your CPH number, meaning you do not have to report and record movements.
You can only do this if:
- you’ll use the land or buildings for less than a year
- the sheep or goats will not mix with someone else’s livestock
When to follow the ‘standstill rule’
The standstill rule helps reduce the spread of infectious diseases. It applies to the movement of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
If you move cattle, sheep, or goats on to your land from a different holding, for 6 days after you must not move off your holding any:
- cattle
- sheep
- goats
- pigs
If you move pigs on to your land from a different holding, you must not move any:
- cattle, sheep or goats off your holding for 6 days
- pigs off your holding for 20 days
Day 1 is the day after the animals’ arrival.
Example
If a sheep arrives on a Monday, day 1 is Tuesday and day 6 is Sunday. You can move animals of all species off your holding on day 7 - the following Monday.
You do not have to follow the standstill rule if you’re moving animals directly to slaughter, including to a red livestock market (slaughter-only market).
There are some other exemptions - read the guidance on when you might be exempt from following standstill rules.
If you need help or advice, contact the Defra Rural Services helpline and choose the APHA option.
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Email: customer.registration@apha.gov.uk
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
When you import or export sheep or goats
The movement of sheep or goats into or out of England must be reported.
You must also record the movements in your holding register.
Read the guidance on:
If you need help or advice
You can get help with reporting movements from LIS, including:
- how to use the online system
- creating or completing movement documents
- using the online holding register
- correcting any recording and reporting mistakes
Livestock Information Service
Email: support@livestockinformation.org.uk
Telephone: 03300 416 577
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
Last updated 4 December 2023 + show all updates
-
Added information on when you do not need to report and record sheep and goat movements. Clarified what a holding is.
-
Updated contact details for LIS with new telephone number and opening hours.
-
First published.