Guidance

Pig keepers: report and record movements to or from your holding

How to report and record pig movements and the standstill requirements that apply when pigs arrive at your holding.

Applies to England

If you own or keep farmed or pet pigs (including micropigs), you must report and record any movements.

You must ‘pre-notify’report any changes to your pig-keeping to the Animal and confirmPlant (report)Health Agency (APHA).

This is so APHA can track the location and movement of livestock to prevent and control disease.

Read the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board’s (AHDB) guidance on biosecurity on pig farms.

Before you move pigs

Before you move pigs you must:

Pre-notify movement of pigs

To dopre-notify, this, you can:

  • reportpre-notify online using the eAML2 system (you’ll need to register if you have not used it before)
  • call the bureau helpdesk of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB): 0844 335 8400)

ToAgricultural pre-notifyand online,Horticultural youDevelopment needBoard to(AHDB) registerbureau (forhelpdesk free)
Telephone: on0844 the335 eAML28400
Email: website
eaml2@ahdb.org.uk.

You can also contact the bureau helpdesk for help with setting up a new account.

Telephone:

Get 0844a 335haulier 8400summary/movement
Email: eaml2@ahdb.org.uk

document

When

Pigs toin pre-notify

Youtransit must pre-notifybe beforeaccompanied youby movea the‘haulier pigs.summary/movement document’ (HS/MD).

If you’reyou pre-notifyingpre-notify a move online, the detailseAML2 system will registerautomatically ingenerate thean systemHS/MD immediately,that so you can pre-notifyprint at any time before you move the pigs.off.

If you’reyou pre-notifyingpre-notify a move by telephone, you mustcan allowchoose timeto forget AHDBthe todocument sendby youemail theor movementpost. documentsYou’ll you’ll need to sendallow with your pigs. Normally 5 working days willfor bethe enough.document AHDBto canarrive alsoby emailpost.

The youhaulier or person transporting the documentspigs ifmust youkeep cana printcopy them.of the HS/MD for 6 months.

ChangeOn detailsthe day of athe pre-notified move

OnYou the(the daykeeper ofsending the move,pigs) you’llwill need to confirm details of the move and any changes you’ve made since you pre-notified it (for example, a change to the number of animals being moved).

To do this, you can:

  • notify the changes online if you have an eAML2 account
  • call AHDB: 0844 335 8400
  • text AHDB: 07786 203 116

You’ll have to register your mobile number through your eAML2 account if you want to use the text message service.

Documents that accompany pigs in transit

Pigs in transit must be accompanied by a ‘haulier summary/movement document’ (HS/MD).

If you pre-notify a move online, the eAML2 system will automatically generate an HS/MD that you can print off.

If you pre-notify a move by telephone, you’ll need to allow extra time for AHDB to post you an HS/MD.

The haulier or person transporting the pigs must keep a copy of the HS/MD for 6 months.

Report the arrival of pigs

The keeper who is receiving the pigs must confirm the arrival of the animals, and any changes from the initial notification.

To do this, they can:

The receiving pig keeper needs to register their mobile phone number through their eAML2 account to use the text message service.

If the receiving keeper does not have an eAML2 account, the sender needs to give the haulier 2 copies of the HS/MD. The haulier will give 1one copy to the receiving keeper to help them report the move.

MoveAfter pigs toarrive aat marketyour orholding

You collectionmust centrefollow standstill rules. They prevent the spread of disease during an incubation period.

You docannot notmove haveany:

  • pig tooff pre-notifyyour movementsholding tofor markets20 ordays
  • other collectionlivestock centres,(for ifexample, sheep, goats, cattle) off your holding for 6 days, except deer

Day 1 is the marketday orafter collectionyou centremove hasthe agreedpigs or other livestock.

Find exemptions to reportstandstill restrictions in the wholegeneral licence for the movement of pigs annex A to C.

Moving pigs through holdings

You can move (movementspigs on‘downwards’ andthrough a set of holdings, known as a pig pyramid. The movements off)are onfrequent theand samepre-determined dayand thatare exempt from the pigs20-day arrive.standstill rules.

ToYou helpmust controlget disease,approval however,of itexemption isfrom betterAPHA if you areown ablethese holdings. APHA will inspect your holdings to check that they comply with strict biosecurity conditions. This is to minimise the risk of introducing or spreading disease. If the holding does not comply, then APHA will not approve.

Move pigs to a market or collection centre

To help control disease, you should pre-notify online before a move to a collection centre or market.

You do not have to pre-notify movements to markets or collection centres if the market or collection centre has agreed to report the whole move (movements on and movements off) on the same day that the pigs arrive.

You’ll need to fill in a paper HS/MD and send it with your pigs to the market or collection centre. You can get a paper HS/MD from a market or collection centre, or request one from AHDB.

On the day the pigs are sent, the market or collection centre will use the eAML2 system to:

  • pre-notify the movement from your farm
  • report the arrival of the pigs at the market or collection centre

YouBefore you move animals you must check that the market or collection centre you’re sending animals to provides the same-day movement reporting service before you move animals.service.

Move pigs from a market

If you buy pigs at a marketmarket, you do not need to pre-notify the pigs’ onward movement.

The market will pre-notify the next movement of the animals online through the eAML2 system and provide an HS/MD to the haulier.

You’ll only need to confirm the animals’ arrival at the premises stated onin the movement document.

Standstill restrictions after pigs arrive at your holding

If a pig arrives on your farm from another holding, you cannot move any:

  • pig off your holding for 20 days
  • other livestock (for example, sheep, goats, cattle) off your holding for 6 days, except deer

Exemptions to standstill restrictions are listed in the General Licence for the Movement of Pigs - Annex A-C.

Keep a holding register

YouA mustholding keepregister is a record of every movement of pigs to or from your holding. Within 36 hours of any movement, you need to record:

  • the date of the movement
  • the herd mark of the pigs moved (or herd marks if there are pigs from more than 1 herd involved)
  • the number of pigs you moved from each herd
  • details of the holding the pigs came from (for movements on)
  • details of the holding the pigs are going to (for movements off)

You must also record the individual identity number of any pigs moved to:

  • exhibitions or shows
  • artificial insemination (AI) centres or other breeding locations
  • other countries

You can keep a paper or onlineelectronic holding register.

You must keep records for 3 years after you stop keeping pigs and make them available during an inspection, or to inspectors by post, on request.

You do not have to keep a holding register if you have an eAML2 account, because these details are all recorded in the eAML2 system. But you’ll need to make paper copies of records available to governmentinspectors on request.

You must keep records for 3 years after you stop keeping pigs and make them available during an inspection, or to inspectors by post, on request.

Published 2 February 2012
Last updated 2124 OctoberJanuary 20222023 + show all updates
  1. Updated guidance for what you need to do before you move pigs, on the day of the move and after they arrive at your holding.

  2. Removed references to BPEX and Meat and Livestock Commercial Services Limited - contact details for 'Meat and Livestock Commercial Services Limited (MLCSL) bureau of the British Pig Executive (BPEX): 0844 335 8400' have changed to 'bureau helpdesk of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB): 0844 335 8400'.

  3. Updated exemptions to standstill restrictions - added link to all exemptions.

  4. First published.