Animal health inspections

Sheep in a pen
Farm inspections and inspections of livestock markets are carried out by the Animal Health and Welfare Team.

On-farm inspections

During an inspection we may look at:

  • Animal by-products (removal of fallen stock and records)
  • Medicine records and storage of drugs
  • Stock movement records
  • On-farm bio-security measures
  • Stock identification
  • Ear tags
  • Cattle passports
  • Vehicles

We carry out inspections to make sure you comply with current legislation. Problems we have found whilst inspecting farms relate to:

  • Medicine records
  • Failure to correctly tag stock
  • Absence of an animal transport certificate
  • Failure to record movements of stock within the required 36-hour period
  • Failure to complete cattle passports and report movements
  • Relaxation of bio-security measures

Market inspections

During an inspection we look at:

  • Animal welfare
  • Animal documentation
  • Suitability of the market to hold a sale
  • Stock movement records
  • Market bio-security measures
  • Stock identification
  • Vehicles

Problems we have found during market inspections relate to:

  • Failure to correctly identify stock
  • Incorrect documentation
  • Failure to notify destination local authority of movements within the required three-day period
  • Failure to cleanse and disinfect on market premises and to complete cleansing and disinfection
  • Relaxation of bio-security practices by visitors to market

Feedback

If we have carried out an inspection we will encourage you to fill in a comments card. We have analysed these comments and the results for 2005-06 are available to download from this page.