Guidance

Report pig movements

How to report pig movements, including how to use electronic animal movement licensing (eAML2).

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
2 February 2012
Last updated
10 October 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

You must report movements any time pigs move on or off your holding or premises. You must do this even if you keep pigs as pets or have temporary responsibility for them.

Reporting movements helps contain and control the spread of disease. It’s your responsibility to follow the rules. If you do not, you could get movement restrictions on your herd, get a fine or be prosecuted.

You must also keep a holding register to record the movements.

There’s different guidance for reporting and recording pig movements if you’re a market, collection centre, showground or slaughterhouse.

Before you move pigs

Read what keepers need to know about moving pigs, which includes guidance on how to register your land and register as a keeper.

You must make sure:

You must report all pig movements using electronic animal movement licensing (eAML2). You’ll need to register the first time you use it.

After you’ve registered, you’ll be able to set up and confirm off and on movements.

You can also view your movement history, which you can use as a holding register.

If you cannot use eAML2 to report movements online, you’ll need to call the helpline each time you want to move pigs. You’ll need to allow time for them to set up the move and send you the movement documents in the post before you can move the pigs.

eAML2
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 335 8400
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

After you’ve registered, you can enter all your pig keeping details in Pig Hub - this will save your information and help fill in the movement forms.

Set up a movement (‘pre-notify’)

You must set up a movement on eAML2 before you move your pigs. This is often called ‘pre-notifying’.

You do not have to set up a movement if it’s to a vet for emergency treatment.

You’ll need to:

  • select your farm as the ‘departure site’
  • select where you want to send your pigs, for example a slaughterhouse

You’ll need your holding details and CPH number, unless you’ve set up your profile in Pig Hub (these details will already be filled in).

Depending on the type of move you’ll also need to record some or all of the following:

  • your herd mark
  • the total number of pigs you want to move
  • lot numbers or individual animal identification numbers (for example, for pedigree pigs), if you have them
  • where the pigs were born
  • questions about the pigs’ health and welfare
  • your transporter or haulier details
  • the journey details, including the date of the movement, the distance and how long the journey will last

If you cannot use eAML2 online, call the helpline.

eAML2
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 335 8400
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Get your movement document

After you’ve set up your movement, you can print the movement document (sometimes referred to as a licence or haulier summary).

Give the required number of copies (for example, one to the haulier and one to the receiving keeper, if they do not use eAML2) to the haulier or person transporting the pigs - the documents must travel with them.

If you set up the movement online, the eAML2 service will create a document for you, which you can print.

If you cannot use the internet or do not have a printer, call eAML2.

If you set up the movement by phone, you can choose to get the document by email or post - allow 5 days for the document to arrive.

eAML2
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 335 8400
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Hauliers and transporters must keep a copy of the movement document for 6 months.

If the receiving keeper does not have an eAML2 account

Ask the receiving keeper to call eAML2 before you move the pigs - eAML2 will register them over the phone and check that they:

  • have a CPH number
  • are registered as a keeper

eAML2
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 335 8400
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Report (confirm) the ‘off movement’ on the day

You (the sending keeper) must confirm the off movement has happened and any changes you’ve made since you set up (pre-notified) the movement. For example, any change to the number of animals you’re moving.

You must do this within 24 hours of the pigs leaving your holding.

You can confirm the movement:

eAML2
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 335 8400
Text: 07786 203 116
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Report an ‘on movement’

If you’re the keeper receiving the pigs you must confirm:

  • their arrival (the on movement)
  • any changes, for example if the number of animals that arrive is different from the number notified as being sent (including if any were dead on arrival)

You can confirm the movement:

  • online using eAML2
  • by calling eAML2
  • by texting eAML2, if you’ve registered your mobile phone number with eAML2

eAML2
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 335 8400
Text: 07786 203 116
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

If you do not have an eAML2 account, you should get 2 copies of the movement document from the haulier. Use these to report the move to eAML2 by phone. You must keep a copy of the document for 6 months.

When the pigs arrive on your holding, you must follow the standstill rules if there are livestock on your holding.

It’s against the law to send pigs without movement documents, so you should not receive pigs without movement documents.

Move pigs to and from a market or collection centre

On eAML2, select the ‘to a market or collection centre’ option. Choose the destination market or collection centre from the drop-down list.

Then follow the same process to set up a movement and confirm the movement on the day.

Fill in a paper movement document and send it with your pigs. You can get paper documents from a market or print a copy of the farm to market template from the eAML2 website.

On the day of the move, the market will use eAML2 to:

  • record the movement from your holding
  • report the on movement to the market or collection centre

Occasionally, you may not have to set up a movement to the market if they agree to do it for you.

This might be necessary if, for example, the market asks you on the day of a sale if you have any pigs ready to sell so that they can meet their buyers’ demand.

If this happens, the market must report the whole movement - off your holding and on to theirs - on the same day the pigs arrive.

Movements from a market

As a farmer, keeper or buyer, you do not have to set up (pre-notify) a movement when:

  • you buy pigs from a market
  • if you take them back to your holding

The market will do this for you in eAML2 and give the haulier movement document copies.

You’ll need to confirm the pigs’ arrival at your holding - this should be the same as stated on the movement document. If the pigs were moved to a different destination you must make sure that is corrected on eAML2.

Move pigs to and from a showground

On eAML2, select the ‘to a show’ option and choose the show you want to take your pigs to from the drop-down list.

You’ll need to include:

  • the number of pigs you’re moving
  • each pig’s herd mark and individual identification numbers

You’ll then be prompted to set up the post-show movement either:

  • back to your holding
  • to a different place if the pig is not coming back to your holding - for example because you’ve already agreed to sell to another keeper, or it will be going to a different holding for breeding

If the pigs come back to your holding, log in to eAML2 and confirm the movement.

When you sell pigs at a show

If you’re planning on selling pigs at the show and you do not already have a buyer, you must also print a ‘show sales form’. You’ll get this after you’ve set up the movement to the show in eAML2.

Take this with you and give it to the new keeper, who’ll use it to confirm the movement on to their holding. Include the movement reference number, if you know who will be buying from you at the show.

When you buy pigs at a show

Log in to eAML2 and enter the movement reference number on the show sales form. You can then check the details and confirm the movement on to your holding.

Moving pigs for exhibition or performance reasons (‘special destination’ moves)

You might want to move pigs to non-agricultural locations that do not have a CPH number, such as:

  • a school or other education facility
  • a TV studio
  • other venues for performance-related activities

To report the movement, select ‘to a performance location’ on eAML2.

This will allow you to move the pigs to a destination without a CPH number. You can set up new destinations as you need to.

You’ll need to confirm the off and on movement on the same day - you’ll be prompted to set up the return movement.

You’ll need to apply to APHA for a permit to ‘disapply the standstill’ so that the standstill rule does not apply at the location and when the pigs return to your holding.

Contact APHA.

Animal and Plant Health Agency
Email: [email protected]
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

A condition of that permit is that they’re the only animals involved at the event.

If there are animals from other keepers involved, the venue becomes a ‘gathering’ and will need an animal gathering licence.

Move pigs to a slaughterhouse

On eAML2, select the ‘to an abattoir’ option and choose where you want to move the pigs. Then follow the same process for setting up an off movement and confirm the off movement on the day.

The slaughterhouse will confirm the on movement on to their premises.

Import and export movements

Use eAML2 to report imported pig movements and set up export movements.

For imported pigs, report the movement on to your holding on eAML2. You’ll need the relevant details on the import health certificate that should arrive with the pigs, such as:

  • where the animal arrived in England, for example the port details
  • the haulier details
  • the herd mark and any individual identification numbers from their country of origin
  • the total number of pigs
  • the type of pigs
  • food chain information, if you have it

To set up an export movement, you’ll need to get an export health certificate to send with the pigs. The you can set up the export movement on eAML2. To set up an export movement, you’ll need to get an export health certificate to send with the pigs.

Make sure that the pigs are correctly identified with ear tags, ear tattoos or slap marks.

There are other rules to follow when you:

Get help or advice

Call the eAML2 helpline for help with movements or registering with the service.

eAML2
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 335 8400
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Updates to this page

Published 2 February 2012
Last updated 10 October 2023 + show all updates

  1. New information includes what do to if a keeper does not have an eAML2 account; how to report import and export movements; and moving pigs for performance reasons. Information about keeping a holding register moved to a new page: www.gov.uk/pig-keepers-how-to-keep-a-holding-register

  2. 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.

  3. 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'.

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

  5. First published.

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