Guidance

Sheep and goat keepers: template holding register

Print a template holding register to record sheep and goat tags, movements and deaths.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 27 March 2011
• Last updated: 27 March 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

Documents

Holding register (Adobe PDF version)

PDF, 765 KB

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Details

You can use this blank template holding register (also known as a herd or flock record) to record legally required information about your sheep and goats.

This is one way to keep a holding register. You can instead choose to:

• use the Livestock Information Service to keep a holding register online – it will automatically update when you report animal movements to a holding that also uses LIS
• use a notebook or spreadsheet, as long as you record all the required information
• use the holding register function in your farm software package

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Find out how to keep a holding register, including when to update it.

How to use this template

Download and print the document and fill it in by hand.

There are sections for:

• information about your holding
• official identification numbers for new, replacement and replica ear tags, pastern bands and boluses
• all movements to and from your holding
• sheep and goat deaths

There’s also a section for the total number of animals on your holding for your annual inventory. Find out what you need to do to complete and submit your annual inventory.

Keep a separate holding register for each holding you use or rent that has been registered with its own county parish holding (CPH) number.

Published 27 March 2011

Last updated 27 March 2024 + show all updates

1. 27 March 2024

   You cannot order a paper copy holding register from Defra. This option has been removed from the list of ways to keep a holding register.

2. 20 July 2023

   Information added about the different formats keepers can use to keep a holding register, and a link to the annual sheep and goat inventory page. References to COVID-19 supply delays removed.

3. 28 March 2022

   Holding register (Excel version) has been removed. Use the Livestock Information Service (LIS) holding register function for an electronic holding register.

4. 8 February 2021

   Updated details on availability of hard copies.

5. 27 March 2011

   First published.