Practical Pig Keeping for Beginners - Pig Paperwork and Regulations

When I collected the Saddlebacks on Tuesday they were accompanied by a Movement Licence.  This is the document you will be given when you pick up your weaners. The seller completes Part A.

Your Haulier completes Part B
If you have gone to collect you weaners yourself this if you

The receiver of the pigs completes this.
This will definitely be you!

The seller will tear off the top copy (White) to forward on to his local authority animal welfare officer
The Seller will also tear off the second copy (Yellow) for his own records
The next 2 copies are for your records and are the papers that must travel with you when transporting the animal.
If you are both the haulier and the receivers of the pigs then you put both with your documents.

This document is a REPORT OF PIG MOVEMENT LICENCE

you cannot move a pig without one.

It is soon to come into force that all Pig Movements MUST be recorded on-line but for now a paper movement form is accepted. Your local authority will explain the changes to you should they have come into force when you get you pigs.

A bundle of these will be sent to you once you notify the animal welfare officer at your local authority of your intention to get pigs or the Inspector will bring them with him when he calls to see you.

Now pigs are back on the farm it is time to get all other paperwork ready and in a file labelled PIGS.
You will need a Movement Book. This can simply be a sheet of paper with headings that you create yourself on the computer (Free) or it can be a fancy 'Movement Book' from most agricultural suppliers (£5 approx).

When you get your pig unloaded and settled in his new home do the paperwork straight away and file your copy documents in your pig folder. It is so easy to say I'll do it tomorrow and forget and it really can become an issue if you cannot remember details asked of you later on. The tracing of farm animals in this country is a very important issue following previous disease outbreaks and the recording of movements is now a legal requirement.

So you have your copy Movement Document with you and this means you can fill out the first line of your Movement Book.

Your Movement Record requires the basic information and is for your records and so does not need copying or sending anywhere else.

The last document you will need to prepare and have ready in your file is the Medicine Records.

This is very important if you are keeping pigs for the production of meat.
There is a period of time after any drug is given to an animal (different for each drug) for human consumption called a withdrawal period. This information is found on the manufacturers information leaflet contained within the drug box or on the actual label on the bottle etc.
The medicine records require detailed specific information about the drug to be noted down.  This is important because before any pig can be taken to slaughter a BPEX form needs completing on line which requires all drug information from you.
It is much easier to complete these forms with the information fresh in your mind.