- Home
- Food & Farming
- Farm animals
- Livestock movements
Livestock movements, identification and tracing for cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, deer and horses
In the event of a disease outbreak the precise location of all livestock is essential for effective measures to control and eradicate highly contagious viruses. To try and stop the spread of disease there are strict rules controlling the identification and movements of livestock. These rules apply to you even if you only keep one animal of the species covered. These pages explain how you must identify and move livestock.
- Cattle
- Deer
- Horses
- Pigs
- Sheep
- Goats
- Legislation
- Performing animal permits
- Registering your livestock - Whether you keep one animal as a pet or a commercial herd/flock you need to be registered with Defra.
Electronic identification (EID) for sheep - From 31 December 2009, the UK sheep industry will see a change in how sheep are identified and how the identification is read and recorded with the introduction of electronic identification (EID) of sheep.
Further information
- Local Authority/Animal Health Guidance on the licensing of movements of livestock (PDF 286 KB)
- Data protection statement
- Cost Benefit Analysis phase 1
- Cost Benefit Analysis phase 2
- Review of Livestock Movement Controls - July 2006 (PDF 258 KB)
Page last modified: 10 November, 2009