Cattle herd register booklet

All cattle keepers must keep an up to date holding register for your cattle.

Your holding register record can be kept on paper, computer or a combination of the following:

• Download a blank holding register
• Computerised spreadsheet or farm software package
• A notebook or recordbook (containing the information fields listed below)

What needs to be recorded

Please make sure that your register records the information found in column 1 to 9 in the Welsh Government register. These are the following:

1. ear tag
2. date of birth
3. breed
4. sex
5. dam’s (and surrogate dam’s) ear-tag number
6. date of movement
7. departure or destination holding name and address or CPH
8. date of movement or death

The following events must all be recorded in the register:

• Births
• Deaths
• Movements on or off your holding
• Replacement tags

Please keep your register in a safe place and if you have an electronic register please make sure to create a back up version.

Printed herd register

If you would like a pre-printed copy of the holding register, please contact EIDCymru with your name and address:

• by e-mail - contact@eidcymru.org
• by phone - 01970 636959

and they will post one out to you.

Deadlines for your herd register

Your herd register should be completed as soon as you can after the event, and by law they must be completed within:

• 36 hours in the case of movement on or off a holding
• 7 days for the birth of a dairy animal
• 30 days for the birth of all other cattle
• 7 days of death
• 36 hours of replacing ear tags where the identification number is changed

How long to keep your herd register

It is required that you keep your register for 10 years following the last date that was entered in your register. It must be available to authorised inspectors when requested. Failure to complete and retain your register/s can result in penalites or you could also face prosecution.