Minstry Inspection

[ann]

I got notice yesterday that i was down for a ministry inspection today. so frantic checking every thing was in order, one steer minus an eartag and some baby calves with only metal tags in as i wait until their poor little ears are a bit bigger, so we decided to black leg vaccinate all last years calves at the same time, which ment moving all the cattle round to get them into the crush. One of the cows was in bulling so first thing today I put her in the crush for the AI man and hoped he would either get here before my inspection, or we would not need the crush.
It took longer to check all the paper work than the cattle. Its a while since I had an inspection, but i don't believe they checked back as far as this one. I have a 15 yr old cow that hasn't been to a show for years and they still wanted to check its movements. Fortunately all my paperwork passed with flying colours. Then out to check the cattle. Its amazing how some of them are very good at hiding behind others, in the end we had a couple of the short legs that i had to march past him as they where doing a very good job of being invisible, but we managed without having to use the crush and apart from a note on my missing eartag,which I had on order. I have a clean bill of health. Phew! It also helps when your inspector is pleasant, which this one certainly was.
Many years ago when you where allowed to only have tatto's in cattle's ears I had a bull who's tattoo was rather hard to see and in the process of the lady inspector trying to check it, he stood on her foot, she assured me that she was o.k. and I thought that was the end on the story. However she must have gone back and complained, and I got a very snotty letter telling me to get proper handling facilites!
A.I man turned up just as the inspector left, so it was just as well we didn't need the crush.

hopefully I won't have another inspection for a while

[Broomcroft]

Nice story Ann. We've had much the same here and have to say the inspectors have also been pleasant and very helpful.

[Rob R]

Our last inspection went very similar.

BCMS less so - We recently bought in a cow that calved, according to their records, early and because of that I now have to get a DNA test to get the calf a passport. Not that a DNA test in any way verifies the date of birth but it is the way the computer system has been set up. They've issued a certificate of registration but it doesn't have the dam's ID on, so it can't enter the food chain - this is apparently in the (EU) law which governs the system, so effectively, if ever you get an animal like this, you have to register it later so that the birth date matches the system. Completely bonkers.

[ann]

your case Rob makes one wonder if before buying a cow in calf, you should check its calving record as it would only take someone to be a bit late registering a calf and deciding to maybe be a bit inventive with the date and the cow you have brought to calve early to create a problem if they have the computer set to flag up births which do not fit into a set pattern. Sadly we are in the main dealing with office staff who have no imagination . I bet you have to pay for the DNA test to.

[Rob R]

To be fair to the staff, there isn't a lot they can do (I was on the phone a few times and eventually got to speak to the managers)- it is the idiots in Brussels who haven't thought it through & left us with this situation. Even our own government can't rectify it, but no doubt other countries have more 'inventive' ways around the problem.

I had to get a vet to DNA test last time when I was a day late registering a birth (I had held off tagging two calves as I was waiting for new tags & already had one of the tags but didn't want to gather the animals twice, I appealed them both but was only allowed the one that I didn't have a tag for) but this time I can take the hair sample myself, so realistically there's nothing to stop me sampling two completely different animals, but it does make it a lot cheaper (£40 for the two tests).

[Mark Bowles]

I have had 2 inspections in 2 years, the last on back last summer gave me 2 hours notice! Luckily it was the same inspector from the previous year who proceeded to tell me how unlucky i was to be inspected agian in such a short space of time. The inspecter was on site for 3/4 of an hour and left verry happy. My records were ok, odd tag was missing but they were happy with that, my medicine book was inspected as well, it was basic but passable. I hope to not hear from then now for some time......

[Rob R]

When we were last inspected we had two inspections within a month, one RPA & one local authority, which wouldn't be a problem but each had different ways of how the movement book should be filled out (can't remember what it was now, but we wen with what RPA said).

[Kate]

I thought you might like to hear the story from France - we had an inspection last year - we were given two days notice for the equivalent of DEFRA ,to come out and inspect all the cattle tags, sheep tags, movement registrations. Inspections vary from department to department as each department has it's own equivalent of DEFRA and BCMS !

Two ladies arrived at the given hour on a very hot day approx 40 degrees - One lady went with my husband and did the cattle with help of binoculours they checked off every bovin on their list (approx 85) - the correct number and each had two tags. My dexters from the UK threw up a little problem as they have an extra number in their tags and the tags are not 'official' french ones - so I was asked to order new tags !

I went with the second lady and started with the sheep - they asked me to choose a group of 50, bring them in so that the tags could be check - one tag electronic (left ear)and the other normal (right ear). From then on we had to go to each field and count - again with binoculours the number of ewes and lambs in each group - noting down any with replacement 'red tags' - luckly I keep my groups of ewes and lambs fairly small (approx 30 females in a group)

Once this was done it was lunch time - 30 minute break before the paperwork session started. We register all movements for the cattle on line similar to BCMS, so they want to check their official printout of births against calving book, deaths against tickets issued by the dead lorry, sales against sales invoices and purchase likewise. Of course each passport was also checked against our herd register !

Then sheep - I use a computer program to track all the sheep - so not too much of a problem - they wanted to check a list of sheep that had the 'red replacement ' tags and that I had officially noted when the animal had lost tag, the replacement was put in and why it had lost it !!!!! From then on we had to go through all the sales to check the date they left the holding and the date they received the movement records was within the legal 7 days .

Well it was a long stressful day but all went fine thankgoodness !!One lamb sale movement record that they received on the 8th day was out only error - unfortunatey they do not have a facility to do the sheep movements on line yet so we have to hope 'La Poste' doesn't loose anything ! It was drummed into us on the day - any missing cattle tags and we would loose a percentage of our premium - luckly we didn't have to find out !

Kate
Allier 03

[Kate]

I thought you might like to hear the story from France - we had an inspection last year - we were given two days notice for the equivalent of DEFRA ,to come out and inspect all the cattle tags, sheep tags, movement registrations. Inspections vary from department to department as each department has it's own equivalent of DEFRA and BCMS !

Two ladies arrived at the given hour on a very hot day approx 40 degrees - One lady went with my husband and did the cattle with help of binoculours they checked off every bovin on their list (approx 85) - the correct number and each had two tags. My dexters from the UK threw up a little problem as they have an extra number in their tags and the tags are not 'official' french ones - so I was asked to order new tags !

I went with the second lady and started with the sheep - they asked me to choose a group of 50, bring them in so that the tags could be check - one tag electronic (left ear)and the other normal (right ear). From then on we had to go to each field and count - again with binoculours the number of ewes and lambs in each group - noting down any with replacement 'red tags' - luckly I keep my groups of ewes and lambs fairly small (approx 30 females in a group)

Once this was done it was lunch time - 30 minute break before the paperwork session started. We register all movements for the cattle on line similar to BCMS, so they want to check their official printout of births against calving book, deaths against tickets issued by the dead lorry, sales against sales invoices and purchase likewise. Of course each passport was also checked against our herd register !

Then sheep - I use a computer program to track all the sheep - so not too much of a problem - they wanted to check a list of sheep that had the 'red replacement ' tags and that I had officially noted when the animal had lost tag, the replacement was put in and why it had lost it !!!!! From then on we had to go through all the sales to check the date they left the holding and the date they received the movement records was within the legal 7 days .

Well it was a long stressful day but all went fine thankgoodness !!One lamb sale movement record that they received on the 8th day was out only error - unfortunatey they do not have a facility to do the sheep movements on line yet so we have to hope 'La Poste' doesn't loose anything ! It was drummed into us on the day - any missing cattle tags and we would loose a percentage of our premium - luckly we didn't have to find out !

Kate
Allier 03

[ann]

The ministry do have to give you 24 hours notice, so you can refuse an inspection if they ask to come the same day as their phone call. Answering machines are very convient as they tend not to agree to anything

[domsmith]

Haha, i cant believe the French inspection was so thorough. we have a view here in the UK that the continentals are laid back and dont do all things we have to do. (well i do anyway) I think of the battery hen legislation and more so the sow stall ban, i thought we where the only ones that did all this rubbish.

I thought it would be, this is all said in an a Rene from Alllo Allo accent...... "do you ave la mutton, oui. do you av la vache..... oui. tick box and move to next farm.

so we are not to hard done too by our seerad.

Still would like to be out of the EU though!!

dom

[robin walker]

Ministry are a law unto themselves , I have had a few difficulties with them getting TB dates wrong , placing me on movement restriction then apologising . Even had health officer phoning me up and asking what a Dexter was , had me down as having sheep . However we can't upset them . So we must just grin and bear it .