Over the Christmas holidays, sheep farmers might have a chance to get up to date with sheep records.
The census must be returned even if there are no sheep on the holding and failing to do so can leave the farm open to a potential penalty or affect scheme eligibility.
It is the most important form a sheep farmer is required to fill out annually.
Census forms have been sent out to 45,000 registered sheep and goat keepers and the census date is Monday 31 December and the closing date for receipt of completed 2018 census forms returned by post in the pre-addressed envelope provided is Thursday 31 January 2019.
If submitting online, the closing date is extended to Thursday 14 February 2019.
Up-to-date recording
Many farmers also use the census as a point-in-time to bring their records up-to-date, along with replacing lost tags and tagging any lambs remaining on the holding that are approaching nine months of age.
Most cross-compliance sheep inspections will usually have 48 hours’ notice as sheep need to be penned for inspecting.
In an inspection, there are three main areas focused on – the flock register, dispatch documents and an inspection of sheep to count numbers present and check for missing tags or incorrectly tagged animals.
Below is an overview of what an inspector is looking for in each section.
Flock register: an inspector will have the records of previous sheep census returns and will check to see that the flock register is being maintained. They will also have records of tag numbers ordered and will check to see that tasks such as tagging or movements (purchases, sales and deaths) are recorded properly.Dispatch documents: dispatch document booklets for sheep leaving the holding and copies of documents for bought-in sheep must be retained for three years. Inspectors will check that movements of sheep moving on to or leaving the holding are recorded in the flock register and also that documents are being filled out satisfactorily (includes notifying your local district office of farm-to-farm movements into your farm). This includes aspects such as recording the full 12-digit tag number (herd identifier and individual animal identifier) where there are sheep from outside the farm of origin being recorded.Inspection: an inspector will have the results of previous census applications. They will count the number of sheep on the holding and check that it collates with the numbers recorded in the flock register. A sample of tag numbers will also need to be read, again to ensure that the sheep recorded in the flock register are present. The number of animals missing tags will also be counted to see that it does not exceed the tolerance.
Over the Christmas holidays, sheep farmers might have a chance to get up to date with sheep records.
The census must be returned even if there are no sheep on the holding and failing to do so can leave the farm open to a potential penalty or affect scheme eligibility.
It is the most important form a sheep farmer is required to fill out annually.
Census forms have been sent out to 45,000 registered sheep and goat keepers and the census date is Monday 31 December and the closing date for receipt of completed 2018 census forms returned by post in the pre-addressed envelope provided is Thursday 31 January 2019.
If submitting online, the closing date is extended to Thursday 14 February 2019.
Up-to-date recording
Many farmers also use the census as a point-in-time to bring their records up-to-date, along with replacing lost tags and tagging any lambs remaining on the holding that are approaching nine months of age.
Most cross-compliance sheep inspections will usually have 48 hours’ notice as sheep need to be penned for inspecting.
In an inspection, there are three main areas focused on – the flock register, dispatch documents and an inspection of sheep to count numbers present and check for missing tags or incorrectly tagged animals.
Below is an overview of what an inspector is looking for in each section.
Flock register: an inspector will have the records of previous sheep census returns and will check to see that the flock register is being maintained. They will also have records of tag numbers ordered and will check to see that tasks such as tagging or movements (purchases, sales and deaths) are recorded properly.Dispatch documents: dispatch document booklets for sheep leaving the holding and copies of documents for bought-in sheep must be retained for three years. Inspectors will check that movements of sheep moving on to or leaving the holding are recorded in the flock register and also that documents are being filled out satisfactorily (includes notifying your local district office of farm-to-farm movements into your farm). This includes aspects such as recording the full 12-digit tag number (herd identifier and individual animal identifier) where there are sheep from outside the farm of origin being recorded.Inspection: an inspector will have the results of previous census applications. They will count the number of sheep on the holding and check that it collates with the numbers recorded in the flock register. A sample of tag numbers will also need to be read, again to ensure that the sheep recorded in the flock register are present. The number of animals missing tags will also be counted to see that it does not exceed the tolerance. 
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