Guidance

Livestock keepers: update your details

Who to contact when your registered details change if you keep livestock (including as pets).

• From: Rural Payments Agency, Animal and Plant Health Agency, British Cattle Movement Service and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 6 May 2014
• Last updated: 30 September 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 30 September 2026

     In the section 'If you keep poultry', we've added a link to an online service that you can use to confirm changes to your details or the size of your flock.

  2. 25 October 2024

     Updated to remove information that stated you do not have to register if you keep fewer than 50 poultry and no other livestock. You must register with APHA within one month of keeping any amount of poultry (or other captive birds) at any premises in England (or Wales).

  3. 11 July 2023

     Broadened the page to include all livestock keepers, not just cattle keepers, as all keepers must update RPA and APHA if their details change.

  4. 8 November 2022

     Clarified who you need to contact to update your holding details and how to contact them.

  5. 6 May 2014

     First published.

Applies to England

• Guidance for Northern Ireland
• Guidance for Scotland
• Guidance for Wales

When you started keeping livestock, you will have registered with the:

• Rural Payment Agency (RPA) to get a county parish holding (CPH) number
• Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to get a flock or herd mark, or to register as a poultry keeper
• British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) if you keep cattle, bison or buffalo, to report births, movements and deaths

You must keep your details up to date with all the organisations you registered with. This helps to ensure livestock can be traced to help prevent and control disease.

When you must update your details

If your details or circumstances change, you must contact the RPA and APHA as soon as possible (and within 30 days).

This includes a change to:

• your address
• your telephone number
• the name of your business
• where you plan to keep livestock (for example, taking on, or giving up, land)
• the species of livestock you keep

You must also contact them if you plan to stop keeping livestock (including if someone else takes on your farm).

Amend your CPH details

You can amend your CPH details online.

If you keep poultry

You must contact APHA to update your details or if the size of your flock changes. Specifically, if you previously kept:

• fewer than 50 birds and now keep 50 birds or more
• 50 or more birds and you have changed the number of birds you keep by 20% or more (unless this is because of normal seasonal stocking changes)

You can update your kept bird record online or:

• email: poultryupdates@apha.gov.uk
• call 03000 200 301 – lines are open 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday

Find out about call charges

If you keep cattle, bison or buffalo

You must also contact the BCMS to update them about any change in your details.

If your telephone number has changed, you will not be able to use the Cattle Tracing System (CTS) self-service helpline until you update it.

Contact the BCMS by:

• email: bcmsenquiries@rpa.gov.uk
• telephone (England): 0345 050 1234, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
• telephone (Wales): 0345 050 3456, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm

Find out about call charges