Form

Livestock record-keeping guidance for arable or grassland

Updated 22 October 2020

Applies to England

Environmental Stewardship - Livestock record-keeping guidance on arable and grassland for agreements that start on or after January 1st 2013

Background

Agreement holders who have an Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreement with a start date of 1st January 2013 or later (Handbook version 4 ELS page 155 section 5.5.10, HLS page 100, section 5.5.9) are required to keep livestock records.

If you have an option in your agreement that requires you to:

• graze a field at a particular stocking density; or

• not increase your stocking above the existing level; or

• graze or exclude stock at specific times of the year

you must be able to demonstrate compliance with the scheme requirements by keeping adequate records which identify the livestock type and stocking level on each parcel where the option is located.

The aim of this guidance is to clarify the livestock record-keeping requirement that applies to your Environmental Stewardship agreement and help you demonstrate that you are managing your land in accordance with your agreement.

Non-compliance

If you do not keep the required livestock records as set out in the Handbook, it will be a breach of the option management rules and may result in reductions and penalties being applied. See section 5.7 of the ELS handbook, and section 5.7 of the HLS handbook.

How should livestock records be kept?

Livestock records must be kept for each land parcel that is covered by at least one of the options in the tables in Annex A and B. You don’t need to keep parcel specific records for parcels that don’t contain these options.

If you run several adjacent parcels together as one grassland unit, you may keep one record for that grassland unit provided that the total number of livestock is never more than the lowest number allowed on any individual parcels that make up that unit. For example: if you ran two parcels together and your agreement allowed a maximum of 3 cows on one parcel and 4 on the other, you could record them as one unit provided that the total for the two parcels never exceeded 3 cows. In effect you would be managing the land less intensively than the maximum allowed in your agreement. However, if you have HLS, you might also have to keep farm level livestock records unless that grassland unit represents your whole farm (see definition of farm below).

You can keep livestock records in a way that suits you – for example on paper or electronically. However, your records should include all the required information (see below) as you may be asked to produce these when inspected.

Whilst you might already routinely collect and record this data you might prefer to consolidate your records by using the livestock tables and spreadsheets. These tables and spreadsheets will (when completed correctly) provide the necessary information to help you explain how you have met your agreement requirements at both the parcel level and (for HLS only) farm level.

It is important that your records are kept up-to-date, in order that you can produce them if required.

You should retain these records for at least the period of your agreement and ideally for 7 years after it expires. This will mean that if a problem occurs you will be able to show evidence of when the problem started, and its extent, which may limit any penalties.

Your records should include:

• the agreement reference number, agreement holder’s name and the calendar year to ensure that the information can be linked to a particular agreement and the correct year

• the name of the person who entered the record to make it possible to check with the right person if there is an anomaly

• the date of the record to confirm that the information has been recorded in a timely way

Your parcel level records should clearly indicate:

• The parcel number(s) to ensure that the information is linked to the relevant parcel (or parcels - when adjacent parcels are managed as one unit)

• The option code that applies to the parcel(s) to ensure that the information can be compared with the relevant requirement

• The area of the relevant option within that parcel(s) to ensure that livestock density calculations are carried out correctly

• The dates when grazing takes place and (where appropriate) the livestock present on the option to show that grazing has taken place and (where appropriate) that the livestock density calculations calculated correctly. If you have a native breeds supplement you will also need to record the breed. Records need only be kept for the livestock types set out in Annex C. Your records will need to take into consideration the age of the livestock to allow livestock numbers to be converted into Livestock Units. For this purpose you can make a visual assessment of the age of the animals concerned or use any other records available.

Farm level records (HLS only) should include:

• livestock present on farm on the 15th of each month to show that livestock density calculations are carried out correctly you will need to record the species, age bracket and number of all the livestock on your farm. Recording each month will enable you to calculate an annual stocking density for your farm. Records need only be kept for the livestock types set out in Annex C. Your records will need to take into consideration the age of the livestock to allow livestock numbers to be converted into Livestock Units. For this purpose you can make a visual assessment of the age of the animals concerned or use any other records available.

• area of farm to ensure that livestock density calculations are carried out correctly the area of your “farm” is the agricultural area (the area of arable land, permanent grassland and permanent pasture, or permanent crops) of the land covered by your underpinning ELS agreement. If there is no under-pinning ELS agreement the “farm” will be the agricultural area (the area of permanent grass, arable land and permanent crops) of the land covered by your HLS agreement.

Options with restrictions that only apply at certain times of year

In these cases livestock records only need to be kept for the period when the restrictions on grazing, within the option, apply. For example, option HL7 (maintenance of rough grazing for birds) only requires a specific stocking density between 31 March and 20 June. Agreement holders will only need to keep livestock records for the relevant land parcel(s) covered by the option during this period.

How often agreement holders should update their records

Each time an agreement holder moves animals on or off a land parcel covered by an option listed in Annex A, the livestock records should be updated for that land parcel to show the new total number of animals present. This will provide evidence that you are meeting the required numbers in the option prescription.

Temporary changes in numbers, when removal and return of livestock happen on the same day, need not be recorded – for example cows at daily milking time – but agreement holders should ensure that they otherwise never exceed any maximum livestock density on a land parcel covered by an option.

If you have land under an option in Annex B (an option that requires exclusion of livestock) you should make a signed and dated declaration in your records that the exclusion has taken place. See table 4 (ELS) and Table 5 (HLS) for more details of these options.

When a farm level record is required (HLS only) it should be updated monthly.

Agreements on common land

If you are the agreement holder on a common (i.e. the signatory to the ES agreement) you will need to ensure the livestock records are kept for the whole common. It is up to you how you obtain the necessary information from individual graziers on the common. In most cases there will already be a requirement on graziers to keep their own records. The number of animals on the common, at different times of the year, will be set out in the individual agreement. Records on commons should treat the common as a single grazing unit, the records do not need to be broken down to the level of the land parcel.

If your ES agreement requires a minimum stocking level on the common, and stock are moved off the common you will need to make sure that there is no breach of the required minimum stocking density (other than for options that allow temporary removal of stock for routine husbandry such as lambing, calving, dipping and clipping).

Annex A

(Use with Parcel level record-keeping template)

ELS (including OELS and UELS) livestock record keeping requirements

The livestock record keeping requirement for ELS is set out in section 5.5.10 of the handbook. If you have an option that requires you to:

• graze a field at a particular stocking density; or
• not increase your stocking above the existing level; or
• graze or exclude stock at specific times of the year,

you must be able to demonstrate compliance with the scheme requirements by keeping adequate records which identify the livestock type and stocking level on each parcel where the option is located.

Table 1 - ELS options with a livestock density requirement

(ELS options with an exclusion requirement are in table 4)

A limited number of ELS options require you to have a minimum or maximum livestock density at particular periods of the year. For these you will need to keep records that are detailed enough to identify the stocking density on the relevant parcels during these periods.

EK5, OK5. UX3, UOX3, UL18, UOL18, UL22, UOL22, UL23, UOL23

Your records should include the agreement reference number, agreement start date, agreement holders name, the calendar year and the date of each record.

For each parcel your records should link together the parcel number with the ELS option code, the area of the ELS option within the parcel, the number, species and age bracket of livestock present, and the dates when they are present. This information will allow you to calculate the livestock density on each parcel. For EK5, OK5, UL18, UOL18 you can apply this density to the livestock ratio requirement in your agreement.

Your records will need to take into consideration the age of the livestock to allow livestock numbers to be converted into Livestock Units. For this purpose you can make a visual assessment of the age of the animals concerned or use any other records available.

If you are managing parts of a parcel differently – for example by using temporary fencing to exclude grazing from a buffer strip - then your records need to reflect the relevant requirements for each part parcel.

You can record several adjacent parcels as a single unit provided that you are managing them as one unit,and the total number of livestock is never more than the lowest number allowed on any individual parcels that make up that unit. The livestock should have free access to all the agricultural area in those parcels. Internal gates should therefore be kept open during grazing periods but may be closed for a short time to assist with collecting stock for removal or animal husbandry.

If you have an option and supplement(s) such as EK5 (Mixed stocking) on an area of ED2 (Take out of cultivation archaeological features currently on cultivated land) you will need to keep records that are relevant to both the underpinning option and the supplement on each parcel (or parcels if managed as a single unit).

HLS (including OHLS) record keeping requirements

The livestock record keeping requirement for HLS is set out in section 5.5.9 of the HLS handbook. If you have an option that requires you to:

• graze a field at a particular stocking density; or
• not increase your stocking above the existing level; or
• graze or exclude stock at specific times of the year,

you must keep adequate records for each parcel that is affected. This is in addition to any record keeping requirements that might arise from your ELS agreement.

Table 2 - HLS livestock density requirements – at the option and whole farm level

(HLS options with an exclusion requirement are in table 5)

If your HLS agreement contains options that require you to have a minimum or maximum livestock density at certain times of the year, you will need to keep records that are detailed enough to identify the stocking density at these times of the year. In addition you will need to keep farm level livestock records to show evidence of how you have complied with part 6 of your agreement which requires a maximum level of livestock density across the whole farm.

HK5, OHK5, HK9, HK10, HK11, HK12, HK13, HK14, HL7, HL8, HL9, HL10, HL16, UHL18, UOHL18, UHL22, UOHL22, UHL23, UOHL23, HQ12, HR1, HR2

Your records should include the agreement reference number, agreement start date, agreement holders name, the calendar year and the date of each record.

For each parcel your records should link together the parcel number with the HLS option code, the area of the HLS option within the parcel, the number, species and age bracket of livestock present, and the dates when they are present. This data will allow you to calculate the livestock density on each parcel in accordance with the livestock density calculation on page 84 of your handbook. For HR1, HR2, HK5, OHK5, UHL18, UOHL18 you can apply this density to the livestock ratio requirement in your agreement.

Your records will need to take consideration of the age of the livestock to allow livestock numbers to be converted into Livestock Units. For this purpose you can make a visual assessment of the age of the animals concerned or use any other records available.

If you are managing parts of a parcel differently – for example by using temporary fencing to exclude grazing from a buffer strip - your records need to reflect the relevant requirements for each part parcel.

You can record adjacent parcels as a single unit provided that you are managing them as one unit, and the total livestock is never more than the lowest number allowed on any individual parcels that make up that unit. The livestock should have free access to all the agricultural area in those parcels. Internal gates should therefore be kept open during grazing periods but may be closed for a short time to assist with collecting stock for removal or animal husbandry.

If you have an option and a supplement(s) such as HL15 (Seasonal livestock exclusion) on an area of HL7 (Maintenance of rough grazing for birds) you will need to keep records that are relevant to both the underpinning option and the supplement on each parcel (or parcels if managed as a single unit).

Farm level records(use with Farm level record-keeping template

Part 6 of your agreement sets out a maximum stocking density for your farm. Your records should show evidence of that you have kept within that limit. The methodology for calculating a farm livestock density, set out on page 84 of the HLS handbook, has been clarified to help you meet the requirements of your agreement.

The clarification means that:

• The maximum livestock density is an annual average figure and should be calculated by adding together the density for each month of the calendar year and dividing by twelve. The monthly density should be calculated on the basis of the livestock present on your farm on the 15th of each month. Effectively each month will contribute one twelfth towards the annual figure. This means that you could exceed the maximum at times during the calendar year as long as there are other times when you are sufficiently below the maximum.

• Your records will need to include the age bracket of the livestock so that you can convert livestock numbers into Livestock Units. For this purpose you should make a visual assessment of the age of the animals concerned but you might find it more straightforward to use other records that are available.

• For the purpose of calculating your monthly and annual figures your “farm” will be the agricultural area (the area of arable land, permanent grassland and permanent pasture, or permanent crops) of the land covered by your underpinning ELS agreement.

• If there is no under-pinning ELS agreement the “farm” will be the agricultural area (the area of arable land, permanent grassland and permanent pasture, or permanent crops) of the land covered by your HLS agreement

If you have to change your maximum farm stocking density as a result of this clarification please discuss further with your NE adviser.

Table 3 - HLS grazing requirements

There are some HLS options where the grazing requirement is written into your agreement prescriptions by your NE adviser, who will have tailored the prescriptions to meet the environmental objectives on your land. As a consequence the prescriptions for some options will differ between agreements - for example (for the same option) some agreements will require the exclusion of grazing at particular times whilst others might require a maximum stocking density.

HC14, HC15, HC16, HC17, HG5, OHG5, HG6, HJ6,

You should check the prescriptions for these options in your agreement. If the prescription:

• sets a maximum stocking density then you should follow the guidance set out in table 2.
• requires that livestock are excluded at any time then you should follow the guidance set out in table 5.
• simply allows grazing to take place, then there are no livestock recording requirements for this option.

Annex B

Table 4 - ELS Livestock exclusion options

There is a group of options which require the exclusion of livestock for a part or the whole of the year

EF2, OF2, EF4, OF4, EF6, OF6, EF15, EF22, EG4, OG4, EJ5, OJ5, EJ9, OJ9, EK1, OK1, EL1, OL1, UC22, UOC22, UJ12, UOJ12, UL20, UOL20

If you have followed your management requirements for these options your record should be a signed and dated declaration that you excluded livestock on the parcel(s) under these options and the dates between which that exclusion applied. Your agreement sets out the period(s) when an exclusion applies.

You might however wish to keep a fuller record as additional evidence that you have complied with the option requirements.

Table 5 - HLS Livestock exclusion options

There is a group of options which require the exclusion of livestock for a part or the whole of the year.

HC11, UHC22, UOH22, HF2, OHF2, HF4, OHF4, HF6, OHF6, HG4, OHG4, HJ5, OHJ5, HJ7, HJ9, OHJ9, UHJ12, UOHJ12, HK1, OHK1, HL1, OHL1, HL15, UHL20, UOHL20, HP11

If you have followed your management requirements for these options your record should be a signed and dated declaration that you excluded livestock on the parcel(s) under these options and the dates between which that exclusion applied. Your agreement sets out the period(s) when an exclusion applies.

You might however wish to keep a fuller record as additional evidence that you have complied with the option requirements.

Annex C

Animal numbers are converted into livestock units as follows:	LUs
Dairy cow	1.0
Beef cow	1.0
Cattle over two years old	0.7
Cattle six months to two years old	0.6
Lowland ewe and lamb	0.12
Hill ewe and lamb	0.08
Ram or teg over six months old	0.15
Ewe follower and/or store lamb	0.08
Horse	1.0
Pony	0.8