Whether you own one goat, pig or sheep as a pet or hobby or have larger numbers of livestock commercially you will need to be registered with the National Assembly for Wales.
Before moving livestock to your holding you need a County Parish Holding (CPH) number for the land where the livestock will be kept. The CPH is a nine-digit number; the first 2 digits relate to the county, the next 3 relate to the parish and the last 4 digits are a unique number to the keeper, for example, 12/345/6789.
For an application form for a county parish holding contact the National Assembly for Wales on 01597 823777. Our Aninal Health Team can also provide application forms and can also provide a map with OS grid references of where the animals will be kept, if this information is unknown. These grid references are necessary for the application form.
When you start to keep livestock you must register within one month with the Animal Health Divisional Office of the National Assembly for Wales by calling 01597 823777.
Flock/herd numbers
Once you have obtained a CPH number you can contact Animal Health (Formerly the State Veterinary Service) on 01267 245400 to arrange for a herd/flock number to be allocated to you.
This number identifies your livestock and directly relates to your holding. Pigs have a different herd number format to sheep, goats and cattle.
Our Animal Health Team also provide a new livestock keeper's pack that helps explain all of the legal rules involved in keeping your species of livestock along with the welfare codes. We also visit new keepers to help ensure that these rules are understood and may also give practical advice with regards to husbandry and care.
For your copy of the New livestock keeper's pack, call the Animal Health Team on 01495 235291 or email tradingstandards@caerphilly.gov.uk.