GovWire

You must report the death of any cattle on your holding. The information must arrive with the BCMS within 7 days of the death.

You must also update your holding register within 7 days.

Where to send documents

Reporting cattle deaths involves posting documents back to BCMS at:

Report fallen stock

You must either:

• report online or by phone, then return the animals registration document (for example, its passport) to arrive with BCMS within 7 days of the date of death
• report by completing and returning the animals registration document (for example, its passport) to BCMS

If you report a death on your holding online or by phone, you do not need to fill in the death details section of the passport before you send it to BCMS. If the animal has a single-page passport, you must tick the box to indicate that you have reported the death electronically.

If the animal is over 48 months old its carcass must go for TSE testing, which checks for the presence of BSE. You need to tear off the TSE testing slip from the bottom of a single page passport, or keep back a movement card if the animal does not have a single-page passport. The slip or card will go with the carcass to the sampling site.

Documents you must return to BCMS

Use this table to see which documents to return to BCMS. If you have several identification documents for the same animal, return the most recent ones BCMS has sent you.

Do not send other documents, such as breed certificates.

If you use CTS Online

You can report the death of a registered animal using CTS Online. To report multiple deaths, you can create a file for uploading movements and deaths to CTS online. To get a guide that explains how to do this, email bcmsenquiries@rpa.gov.uk, or call the BCMS helpline on 0345 050 1234 (English) or 0345 050 3456 (Welsh).

If you report a death by CTS Online you must still return the passport or certificate of registration, or both, to BCMS to arrive within 7 days of the death.

If you use the CTS self-service line

If the animals have UK numeric tags, you can report their deaths on the CTS self-service line.

Before you call, youll need to have:

• your county parish holding (CPH) number
• the ear tag numbers of the animals
• the date of death of each animal

If you report a death by phone, you must return the passport or certificate of registration, or both, to BCMS to arrive within 7 days of the date of death.

If you use farm software

If you report a death using farm software, you must return the passport or certificate of registration, or both, to BCMS to arrive within 7 days of the date of death.

If you report deaths by post

If you report a death by post, you must complete the death details section of the passport or certificate of registration, or both, and return them to BCMS to arrive within 7 days of the date of death.

Report animals slaughtered on the holding

If an animal is slaughtered on your holding by a vet or abattoir operator and taken to an abattoir for dressing, you must complete the death details section in the passport and send it with the animal to the abattoir. The passport must show that the animal died on the farm.

If an unregistered calf dies

If a calf dies before it has been tagged, you do not need to report its death to BCMS but you must update your records. Enter the calfs dates of birth and death against the dam details in your holding register.

If a calf dies after its been tagged but before youve applied for a passport you must tell BCMS about the death by either:

• using CTS Online or a compatible farm software package
• using the CTS self-service line
• sending BCMS the application for a cattle passport form (CPP12) once you have completed sections 2 and 3 (the animals details) and section 4 (the death details)

If a calf dies after its been tagged and you have sent off the application for its passport, contact BCMS to tell them about the death.

You must not reuse a dead calfs ear tags for another animal.

If you fail to report deaths

When an animal dies you are committing an offence if you:

• fail to report the death within 7 days
• fail to return the passport to BCMS within 7 days

You could face penalties and a cross-compliance reduction to any subsidy claims you have.

Dispose of a carcass

When the carcass leaves your holding, you do not need to report an off movement.

But you must follow the rules for TSE testing.

Animals that require TSE testing

Fallen stock must be tested for TSE if they are:

• over 48 months of age and born in the UK or in one of the countries listed in the following table
• over 24 months of age and born outside the UK or the countries in the table

The only exceptions are animals that die in the Isles of Scilly, Lundy Island, Bardsey Island, Flatholm Island or Caldey Island, which are exempt from TSE testing.

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