In this guide
8. Deaths
If cattle die on your holding, rather than at slaughter, you must record and report the death to BCMS.
All deaths of cattle on your holding, must be reported to the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) within 7 days of the death. Deaths can be reported using the reporting methods listed in Section Three.
You must also update your holding register within 7 days. When the carcass leaves your holding, you do not need to report an ‘off’ movement.
Death of a registered animal
After reporting a death you must return the passport and/or notice of registration (CPP35) to BCMS. The passport must arrive within 7 days of the date of death. Please post the passport to:
BCMS, Curwen Road, Workington, CA14 2DD
Please note, if you’ve reported 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.
Slaughter on farm
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.
If an animal is slaughtered and dressed on your holding, you must complete the death details section in the passport. The passport must show that the animal died on the farm or holding and the passport must be returned to BCMS.
Reporting the death of an unregistered calf
If a calf dies before it has been tagged, you only need to update your holding register by recording the calf’s date of birth and death against the dam details.
If a calf dies after it’s been tagged but before you’ve applied for a passport, you must notify BCMS about the death. They will remove the dead animal’s ear tag number from the drop down list on Register Births. If you have already sent off the application for its passport, please contact BCMS to notify them of the death.
Please note, you must not reuse a dead calf’s ear tags for another animal.