The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: SmallTimeSmallholder on October 10, 2012, 09:46:06 am

Title: Trading Standards
Post by: SmallTimeSmallholder on October 10, 2012, 09:46:06 am
I've just had a call to say Trading Standards are coming to inspect my 'Farm' on Friday. I've only got a couple of pigs at the end of the garden!
What are they looking for, do you think?  :pig:
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: kja on October 10, 2012, 09:51:17 am
your movement records

med records

feed containers & storage

nothing to worry about

Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: SmallTimeSmallholder on October 10, 2012, 10:17:43 am
Thank you, all my records are up to date and I know I have nothing to worry about. Just had a slight panic  :'(
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: kja on October 10, 2012, 10:20:04 am
no panic required if all is present and correct they are nothing to fear if you keep to the book.
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: Fowgill Farm on October 10, 2012, 10:20:54 am
They're usually very helpful and if its a nice sunny day like it here today they'll be glad to be out of the office. :sunshine:
Good luck
Mandy :pig:
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: kja on October 10, 2012, 10:22:41 am
cup of tea goes down well too
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: The Woodsiders on October 10, 2012, 10:29:42 am
Good luck with your meeting, as everybody has said, they are there to help, if its a lady by the name of Dawn she is super helpful, very friendly. :fc: :wave:
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: Marsbar on October 10, 2012, 08:34:32 pm
Hi,
    When they came to do my inspection,all they looked at was the paperwork side of things and she didn't even want to see the pigs but she did want to look to see if they had plenty of water.


Richard
sheffield
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: jaykay on October 11, 2012, 05:57:07 am
When I was inspected last Dec the trading standards chap checked:

Paperwork - movement and medicine.
That I had my medicines stored securely
That I had my feed in secure containers

He looked at my trailer (I gather, on his way in) and he put his wellies on, came to look at my sheep and scritched the goats between their horns.

He was pleasant and friendly, younger son from a farming family, knew his business and was fine.
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: princesspiggy on October 11, 2012, 09:50:36 am
remember to keep the pig feed, chicken feed and sheep feed etc separate with a metre between them. they can take samples to check contamination. ur lucky u got notice, ours just turned up unannounced!
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: Fowgill Farm on October 11, 2012, 10:10:32 am
ours just turned up unannounced!

maybe different in Scotland but down here they have to give you 3 days notice of a visit personally there are a few i would rather they gave no notice too and it wouldn't bother me if they didn't give me any notice.
Mandy  :pig:
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: oaklandspigs on October 11, 2012, 11:39:26 am
ours just turned up unannounced!

maybe different in Scotland but down here they have to give you 3 days notice of a visit personally there are a few i would rather they gave no notice too and it wouldn't bother me if they didn't give me any notice.
Mandy  :pig:

Mandy, not sure that there is any legal basis for 3 days, and maybe your TS area is kind, I know of nothing in the legislation that requires this, and definately allowed no notice for SPS.
 
We have had a TS inspection on a Monday with notice by phone call Sunday evening!  We have just had a RPA inspection that turned up at 9.15 on a wednesday morning with no notice.  We sent them away for a hour and a half as we were just going out, but they came back promptly at 11am, adn we had to get all the sheep in for individual tag go through and reconcile against our sheep records, they were with us for 3 hours.
 
I see no point in them giving no notice, frankly if you can fix your records or pigs/sheep in 3 days, then you really can't be breaking much of any import.
 
And no notice - means you can't take mother out for birthday lunch today, go to that dentist or doctors appointment etc. etc. 
 
 
 
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: Fowgill Farm on October 11, 2012, 11:57:28 am
Just what the lady said when she rang to come to us, we were to be away on the day she wanted to come so i said well come today instead and she said no they had to give 3 days notice and she couldn't come as she'd already been to a pig farm that day. Never heard from them again!
Mandy  :pig:
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: oaklandspigs on October 11, 2012, 02:57:46 pm
Thanks Mandy, suspect that was an internal TS dept. rule.
 
As you say, the average smallholder should have nothing to worry about
 
 
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: SmallTimeSmallholder on October 12, 2012, 12:46:32 pm
Well they have been  :)
Lovely chap, very helpful. Wanted to check my paperwork, as you all said.
He said I was doing very well, so I thought he was very nice  ;D
Title: Re: Trading Standards
Post by: jaykay on October 12, 2012, 01:11:56 pm
Excellent, well done  :thumbsup: