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Sheep (UK)

Sheep record keeping for smallholders: what to record and how

Whether you keep three pet sheep or a working flock, UK law asks you to keep certain records, and good records make lambing, worming and selling easier. This guide covers what you must keep, how long for, and what else is worth recording.

Before you get sheep

You need a County Parish Holding (CPH) number for the land where the sheep will be kept, then a flock mark so you can identify them. Apply for the CPH number before the animals arrive.

Records you must keep

  • A holding register (flock register): the sheep on your holding, their identification, and every movement on and off, including deaths and replacement tags.
  • Movement reports to your nation’s system: ARAMS in England, ScotEID in Scotland, EIDCymru in Wales and NIFAIS in Northern Ireland.
  • A medicine book: every medicine bought, given and disposed of, including wormers.
  • The annual sheep and goat inventory: count your animals on 1 December and send the return by the deadline (31 December in England).

How long to keep records

  • Holding register: at least three years after the last animal leaves your holding.
  • Medicine records: at least five years.

Can the records be digital?

Yes. Government guidance says the holding register can be a notebook or a spreadsheet, as long as all the required information is there. Whatever you use, it must be up to date and easy to show an inspector.

Records worth keeping anyway

  • Lambing: ewe, date, number born and alive, and any help needed.
  • Weights: to check growth and work out doses correctly.
  • Worming, vaccinations and foot treatments, with the next date due.
  • Health problems and losses, so patterns stand out.

What Herdtrail covers

Herdtrail keeps each sheep’s identification, weights, health checks, treatments with withdrawal dates, breeding and lambing, reminders, notes and photos, and exports everything to a spreadsheet. It does not report movements to ARAMS, ScotEID, EIDCymru or NIFAIS for you yet, so keep making those reports through the official systems.