Share this page |
Farm managementWorking in balance with nature, men and women have created a wonderful environment, rich in plants, wildlife and heritage; a partnership with nature that everyone can enjoy.
Farmers in recent years have been confronted with many difficulties, foot and mouth; BSE; falling livestock prices and dairy incomes; a strong pound; and now, proposed changes to the Common Agricultural Policy and European funding. It all adds up to the biggest threat hill farming has ever faced. For us, conservation is a priority. For a farmer on the breadline there are, understandably, other things to worry about. Despite this apparent divide, the challenges facing the industry bring new opportunities to work together. For more information, please visit the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group website below. Farm recordsFor farm record keeping, there are statutory requirements as to what information must be kept and for how long. To assist you with your record keeping, North Yorkshire County Council trading standards and planning services have produced template records for you to print out and use. These can be found under the useful downloads section below. In addition, we have included some guidance for each type of record. Cattle movement recordsThe records must be completed when:
Records must be retained for ten years. Sheep and goat movement recordsSince 31 December 2009, legislation relating to the identification, records and movement of sheep has changed. For more information, please visit the Defra website. Pig movement recordsThe records must be completed when:
At least once a year, you must record the number of pigs normally on the holding. Records must be retained for three years. Veterinary medicine recordsRecords must be completed at the time of purchase and administration of medicines. It is also a legal requirement to keep proof of purchase of all veterinary medicines. Records must be kept for at least five years. Mortality recordsAll owners or persons responsible for farmed animals should keep a record of the number of any dead animals found on each inspection of animals. This information should be retained for three years. All farmed animals should be inspected by the owner or another person responsible for the animals at least once a day, twice for calves, to check that they are in a state of wellbeing. Transport authorisation and certificate of competenceAnyone transporting cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, equines and poultry in excess of 65km (approximately 40 miles) as part of a business or for financial gain is required to have a valid transporter authorisation and a certificate to show your competence in transporting animals. The transporters authorisations are issued by Animal Health (Executive Agency). Applications forms for authorisation for journeys over 65km but under eight hours and applications for journeys over eight hours can be found below. These links will open up PDF files.
Certificates showing competence in transporting animals are issued following successful completion of a theory test. Details of test centres and awarding bodies can be found here. Animal transport certificate (ATC's)Animal transport certificates are required when transporting animals over 50km and must contain the following details:
There is no set format to an animal transport certificate, although it must contain the information above. The example below is provided as an option. Other formats are acceptable, for instance animal movement documents (AMLs) for pigs, sheep and goats or a delivery note containing all of the above information. Any document used as an animal transport certificate must be retained for six months after the journey has been completed. Farmers are exempted from carrying an animal transport certificate when transporting their own animals in their own means of transport on journeys up to 50km, although an animal movement document would still be required. For more details see the animal welfare during transport section on DEFRA's website. Animal by-products commercial movement documentRecords must be completed when:
A commercial document is required and this document must accompany the animal by-products during the journey to the disposal premises. The document must be produced in triplicate; the receiver retains the original; the producer and the transporter also keep a copy. Records must be retained for two years. An example of an animal-by product commercial movement document can be found below under useful downloads. Declaration for moving animals with slight injuriesThe law requires that animals are only transported where they are fit to do so and that they will continue to be fit for the duration of the journey; an animal which is injured, infirm, ill or fatigued would not be fit to transport. If you are unsure whether the animal is fit to be transported, you should seek veterinary opinion. Slightly ill or slightly injured animals can be transported, but only if the transport causes them no additional suffering or pain. If you consider that the animal's condition is deemed to be slight and therefore it may be transported for slaughter, it should be the nearest available slaughterhouse. The only place such an animal can be transported to legally is to a slaughterhouse. They must not be moved from farm to farm. Such animals must be accompanied to the slaughterhouse by a declaration, completed by the owner or person in charge of the animal. An example declaration can be found in the useful downloads section below. Breeding exemptions to standstill rulesFrom 1 August to 30 November each year, exemptions exist to the six day standstill for the movement of breeding rams and breeding bulls. The exemptions are explained below with links to documents you will need to use the exemptions. Exemption 1 & 2 - moving from farm to market or market to farm Rams or bulls can leave your farm, while under standstill rules, to go to a market provided the rams and bulls have been in a Defra approved isolation facility for six days before the move. Also rams and bulls bought for breeding or returning unsold from a market will not put your premises on a standstill if they are put directly into a Defra approved isolation facility, and remain there for six days. You must provide a declaration that the animal has been in Defra approved isolation, and in respect to rams supply this to the local authority along with your movement document. Exemption 3 - moving from market or farm to farm A ram or a bull can be moved onto your holding from a farm or from a market, for breeding purposes, without triggering a standstill on your holding, as long as the animal is put into a Defra approved isolation facility upon arrival on your holding and remains there for six days. In respect to rams a declaration certifying this is the case should be returned to the local authority along with the movement licence. The necessary declarations can be found in Part III and IV of General Licence. To make use of these exemptions, the isolation units used must be approved by Defra, via your local Animal Health (Executive Agency) Office.
|
