Moving pigs: what keepers need to know
How to report and record pig movements and when to follow the standstill rule.
Applies to England
You’re a pig keeper if you have day-to-day care and control of pigs, even temporarily. This includes pigs kept as pets.
There are rules to follow whenever you move pigs on and off your premises. These help contain and control the spread of disease. It’s your responsibility to follow the rules. If you do not, you could get movement restrictions on your herd, get a fine or be prosecuted.
There are other rules to follow when keeping pigs. Find out how to prevent disease when keeping pigs and other livestock.
What a holding is
Your holding is the land and buildings you use to keep pigs (and any other livestock), including those kept as pets or for a hobby.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) give each holding a unique county parish holding (CPH) number. A livestock business may have more than one holding and CPH number.
A single holding can cover the land and buildings within 10 miles of the main area you keep pigs. You’ll need to give details of each location where you’ll keep pigs (and any other livestock) when you apply for a CPH number.
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 another farm
- to a vet
- 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
Get a ‘walking licence’ to walk a pet pig
You can get a walking licence to walk a pet pig outside your home without reporting a movement. Read the guidance for keeping a pet pig or micropig to find out how to apply, along with other rules for keeping pigs at home.
Who needs to report movements
Anyone who wants to move pigs on or off their holding or premises needs to report movements. This includes:
- farmers
- pet pig keepers
- market operators
- collection centre operators
- lairage operators (where it has its own CPH number - for example a slaughterhouse’s nearby field lairage)
- slaughterhouse operators
You do not have to report movements if you’re a:
- showground operator – the animal’s keepers report these moves
- vet receiving an animal for emergency treatment
- haulier or transporter
Before you start keeping pigs
If this is the first time you’ll keep pigs, you must:
- Apply for a CPH number from the RPA.
- Get a herd mark from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) – you must do this within 30 days of your pigs arriving.
If your registered details or circumstances change, for example your telephone number or business name, or you stop keeping pigs, you must contact RPA and APHA as soon as possible (and within 30 days). Find out how to update your details.
Keep a holding register
You’ll need to keep a holding register to record pig movements, as well as births and deaths on your holding. You must update this each time you move pigs on to or off your holding. You can also use your movement records on eAML2 (electronic animal movement licensing) as an electronic register.
Read the ‘general licences’ for moving pigs
You should be aware of and follow the conditions of the general licence for moving pigs in England. The licences set out the legal requirements for moving pigs. If you comply, you can move your pigs without having to apply for a movement licence every time.
When you move pigs
When moving pigs, you must:
- make sure they’re correctly identified with an ear tag, ear tattoo or slap marks
- report the movement
- record the move in your holding register
You must also register with eAML2. You can:
- set up (pre-notify) movements
- confirm movements on and off your holding
- set up a profile on Pig Hub - it will save your details to make filling in the online movement form easier
Read more about how to report pig movements.
When you do not have to report and record pig movements
You do not have to report and record pig 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 pigs 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 pigs, 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 pigs will not mix with someone else’s livestock
Follow the ‘standstill rule’
The standstill rule helps reduce the spread of diseases. It applies to the movement of pigs, cattle, sheep and goats.
If you move pigs or 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 (20 days if pigs were moved on)
Day 1 is the day after the animals’ arrival.
You do not have to follow the standstill rule if:
- you’re moving pigs directly to slaughter, including through a ‘red’ livestock market (slaughter-only market)
- you’ve taken a pig to the vet for emergency treatment and it has not mixed with any other livestock at the surgery
There are some other exemptions. Read the guidance on when you might be exempt from following standstill rules.
Examples If a cow 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.
If a pig arrives on a Monday, day 1 is Tuesday and day 20 is Sunday in 3 weeks’ time. You can move pigs on day 21, the following Monday. You can move animals of other species off your holding on day 7 - the following Monday.
If your pigs go into an isolation facility for the required periods after they arrive, you do not have to follow the standstill rule for your other livestock. Contact APHA for information about isolation facilities.
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
Moving pigs through holdings (in a ‘pig pyramid’)
You can apply for approval from APHA to operate a set of holdings as a ‘pig pyramid’. If approved, you can move pigs without following the standstill rule.
This is sometimes used by larger integrated operations for breeding and growing.
The moves must be one-way (‘downwards’) only.
However, if animals are moved on to a holding in the pyramid from holdings outside of the pyramid, then the holding which receives the animals will go under a standstill. The rest of the pyramid is able to move animals.
You still have to report movements on eAML2.
You must have approval from APHA to operate a part of a pig pyramid. If you do not have approval you must always follow the standstill rule - you may get a fine or be prosecuted if you do not.
If you apply, APHA will explain to you what’s required and visit your holdings to check that you will meet strict movement controls and biosecurity conditions. This is to minimise the risk of introducing or spreading disease.
Contact APHA for more information and how to apply.
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
Importing and exporting pigs
You need to:
- report the movement to or from the port of exit or entry on eAML2
- make sure the pigs are correctly identified with ear tags, or ear tattoos or slap marks
There are other rules you must follow when you:
Pig births and deaths
You do not have to report the birth or death of a pig on your premises or record them.
You must not bury or burn carcasses on your holding unless an incineration plant on your holding has been approved by APHA.
Read the guide on how to dispose of fallen stock for more information.
Updates to this page
Last updated 4 December 2023 + show all updates
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Added information on when you do not need to report and record pig movements. Clarified what a holding is.
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First published.