Pigs have their own movement system, their own standstill and their own paperwork, and it catches small keepers as often as commercial ones. Here is the England rule, with where Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ.
In England, get a CPH number from RPA and a herd mark from APHA, then mark every pig with a tag, tattoo or slap mark carrying that herd mark before it leaves. Set up each move on eAML2 before the pigs go, and the sender confirms within 24 hours of departure. A pig arriving starts a 20-day standstill. Record every move in your holding register within 36 hours, add a yearly inventory, and keep records for 3 years after you stop keeping pigs. Pet pigs count. Registration steps are in our CPH number guide.
Three things, in order. Get a county parish holding (CPH) number from the Rural Payments Agency for the land and buildings. Get a herd mark from APHA. Then identify the pigs before they go anywhere. The GOV.UK guidance on moving pigs lists all three, and says the rules cover pet pigs and micropigs as well as commercial herds.
On timing, that page says to get the herd mark within 30 days of pigs arriving. The general herd mark guidance says register before you move livestock onto the land. Do not test the gap. Register first, because a pig without your mark cannot legally leave.
Tell RPA and APHA within 30 days if your details change or you stop keeping pigs.
Moves are made under the general licence for moving pigs in England, so comply with it and you need no separate licence each time.
Before a pig leaves your holding it must carry an ear tag in either ear, an ear tattoo in either ear, or two visible slap marks on the shoulders. The GOV.UK pig identification guidance says this applies even if the pig already carries a mark from another holding. It must carry the herd mark of the holding it is moving from.
Tags and tattoos start with UK, followed by the 6-character herd mark, for example UK AB1234. For moves to Northern Ireland or exports the prefix changes and slap marks are not allowed.
An individual number is needed only for pigs going to shows or exhibitions, artificial insemination centres or other breeding locations, and anywhere outside Great Britain. It is written after the herd mark, for example UK AB1234 99.
There are two exemptions. A pig going to a vet for emergency treatment need not be marked. A pig under 12 months old moving directly from its birth holding to another farm can carry a temporary paint mark until it arrives. Imported pigs need a compliant mark, ending in F, within 30 days of arrival.
Tags must be heat resistant so the number survives carcass processing, and lost ones must be replaced.
Every pig movement in England is reported through electronic animal movement licensing, eAML2, and you register the first time you use it. The GOV.UK guidance on reporting pig movements sets the order. Set up the move before the pigs go, except for an emergency trip to a vet. Then the sending keeper confirms the departure within 24 hours of the pigs leaving. The receiving keeper confirms arrival, and the page gives no deadline for that.
At set-up you give the departure and destination, both CPH numbers, the herd mark, the number of pigs, any lot or individual IDs, the birth location, health and welfare answers, transporter details, and the date, distance and duration of travel. Correct any change in count on the off movement, and record pigs found dead on arrival on the on movement.
No internet or printer is no block. Ring the eAML2 helpline on 0844 335 8400 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) for each move and allow for post, which can take 5 days. A receiving keeper without an account should ask the haulier for 2 copies, report by phone and keep a copy for 6 months. Hauliers keep a copy for 6 months too.
Buyers at a market do not pre-notify, as the market handles it. Our livestock markets directory and livestock haulage directory help find both.
Bring pigs on from another holding and nothing may leave your holding for the next 20 days: no pigs, and 6 days for cattle, sheep and goats already there. The GOV.UK standstill rules count day 1 as the day after arrival. A pig arriving on Monday means pigs can move off on day 21, and other species on day 7.
Exemptions are narrow. Pigs going direct to slaughter, including through a red market, are exempt. So is a pig taken to the vet for emergency treatment that has not mixed with other livestock. If pigs go into an approved isolation facility, your other livestock avoid the standstill. Ask APHA.
The trap on a mixed holding is that one bought-in weaner holds back every pig for 20 days and your cattle, sheep and goats for 6. Plan sales before purchases, not after.
Moves within 10 miles of your main pig area need no report if the land is registered to your CPH and the pigs will not mix with others. A temporary land association does the same for land used under a year. The cross-species picture is in our sheep movement reporting guide.
Record every movement on or off within 36 hours, pet pigs included. The GOV.UK pig holding register guidance asks for the herd mark or marks, the number of pigs under each, and where they came from or went to. Add the individual ID for pigs going to shows, breeding locations or outside Great Britain.
Once a year, on a date you choose, record how many pigs are on the holding and the total you normally keep. Keep everything for 3 years after you stop keeping pigs, and show it to a field officer on request.
The format is your choice: a notebook, a spreadsheet, farm software, or the eAML2 movements archive, which can serve as the register. Put the date in the UK livestock deadlines calendar.
The wider rules for sheep, cattle and pig registers are compared in our holding register guide.
Feed first. The GOV.UK pet pig guidance says you cannot feed pigs catering waste from any domestic or commercial kitchen, including used cooking oil. Kitchen scraps are a common way small keepers break the law without meaning to.
Medicines. Pigs are food-producing animals, so treatments are recorded and kept for 5 years, as set out in our medicine record 5-year rule guide. Withdrawal periods apply before slaughter. A vet gives the periods for any prescribed product, and our medicine withdrawal periods guide explains how to read them.
Dead pigs cannot be buried or burned on the farm. They must be collected and sent to an approved site, as in our fallen stock disposal rules. GOV.UK says you do not need to report a pet pig's death through eAML2, but you must dispose of the carcass under the fallen stock rules.
Walking a pet pig off your premises needs an APHA walking licence with a route map, renewed each year. Walks under that licence need no movement report.
Scotland reports through ScotEID. The Scottish pig guidance says to notify before the move or on the day, and the receiving keeper checks and confirms receipt within 3 days. A paper movement document is needed in set cases, such as pigs moving to England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Wales uses eAML2 too. The Welsh Government pig guidance asks you to notify before pigs leave, record moves within 36 hours, keep records for 3 years after you stop keeping pigs, and register with APHA within one month of starting.
Northern Ireland has its own holding code. DAERA's pig guidance says register before moving pigs on, identify pigs before they leave or by 6 months, notify DAERA of pig movements within 7 days, and use the PM1 movement book. Lost marks are replaced within 28 days.
Check each nation's guidance before a cross-border sale.
Yes. GOV.UK says anyone keeping a pet pig or micropig is a pig keeper and must register with APHA for a herd mark, with a CPH number from RPA for the land. Movements are reported on eAML2, and the holding register and yearly inventory apply too.
In England, 20 days for pigs, counted from the day after arrival, so a pig arriving on Monday lets pigs move on day 21. Cattle, sheep and goats on the holding are held for 6 days. Direct-to-slaughter moves and emergency vet trips are exempt.
Both do their half. The sender sets the move up on eAML2 before the pigs leave and confirms within 24 hours of departure. The receiving keeper confirms arrival on eAML2. A market handles pre-notification for buyers taking pigs home.
In England, 3 years after you stop keeping pigs, and Wales says the same. Haulier and receiving keeper copies of a paper movement document are kept for 6 months in England. You can use your eAML2 history as the register.
A herd mark is enough for most moves. An individual number is required only for shows, exhibitions, AI centres or other breeding locations, and moves outside Great Britain. It is added after the herd mark, for example UK AB1234 99.