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Livestock movement rules to be simplified
cows being moved
Farmers will be able to move animals around any land they have registered within a 10 mile radius - without the need for reporting or standstills.

New system welcomed by farmers

Farming minister George Eustice has announced plans to simplify the rules for moving livestock. The new regime will be introduced in July this year and phased in over a 12 month period.

Under the current system, farmers must report livestock movements to any other land they own or rent within a five mile radius. This triggers an automatic six-day lockdown, or 'standstill', during which time no animals can be moved.

There are a raft of different rules for sheep, cattle and pigs, which fall under a complex web of schemes.

According to Defra, the new scheme hopes to simplify the rules, cut red tape and reduce the burden of form filling. It will allow farmers to move animals around any land they have registered within a 10 mile radius - without the need for reporting or standstills. The reporting and lockdown requirements will still apply for movements to other farms or businesses.

The new system for registering land will be run jointly by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

APHA's veterinary director Simon Hall said the changes will also help with disease prevention by providing better livestock location data.

Mr Eustice added: "When a disease outbreak occurs, knowing where animals have been is fundamental to containing and eliminating it."

The changes have been welcomed by the National Farmers Union. Chairman of the livestock board, Charles Sercombe, commented: "We believe they have the potential to simplify the holding registration and livestock movement regime which has been a burden on the livestock industry for many years.

"Many of our members have indicated that this is a positive step and should clarify how they manage their businesses on a daily basis, without any loss of traceability and disease control measures."

Livestock farmers will receive guidance about the new system from next month.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.