The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Buildings & planning => Topic started by: KatieL on April 16, 2012, 05:18:06 pm
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Hi,
I have a home with 4 acres of paddock and am thinking of starting up a smallholding breeding pigs. Do i need to apply for planning permission and do i need to register as a smallholder with an agency? Please help! - as you can see i have no business brain whatsoever!
Thanks :D , Katie
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You will need a County Parish Holding Number for keeping pigs, but its only a form to fill in.
I wouldnt ask anyone about the land issues until it arises, if indeed it does.
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Your paddock is almost certain agricultural unless you know something different so no problem. I assue you don't have planning permission for 40 houses....
http://rpa.defra.gov.uk/rpa/index.nsf/contentdocs/018D4B9233648D1D48025765C004EF7EE (http://rpa.defra.gov.uk/rpa/index.nsf/contentdocs/018D4B9233648D1D48025765C004EF7EE) for the CPH no.
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Thankyou. Doesn't seem quite so scary as i thought!
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The only other thing you need to do apart from discover the CPH holding number (CPH stands for county,parish, holding) before the piggies arive is to ring Animal Health at the council to get a herd number for them (UK then 6 digits, this is what goes on ear tags etc).
Also work out which local vet you are planning to use, AH may ask you that. AH will then send you a herd register book and also send out animal health info updates etc for pigs now and then, and may inspect periodically (prob fairly soon to start with and then if you are OK they tend to leave you alone for a while).
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Hi Katie - not too scary at all the paperwork - enjoy!!! Setting up the area (either VERY stong stockproof fencing or an electric fencing enclosure) to keep the little beauties in and working out what they need to be happy is the exciting bit!!
Our Animal Health department sent 2 people out from an office 25 miles away (after I had had my herd and flock numbers for about a year), gave me a sheep record book and left - I couldnt entice them to see the animals at all!!!!
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Hi we have a house and 5 acres we applied for a CPH number etc as stated in other postswhen we were planning to get our piggies. We only had to apply for change of use and planning permission for the outbuildings we are converting into a cattery.
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Katie
My best advice would be to do as much research as you can, you say you have no head for business well keeping livestock requires all kinds of skills and you do need some acumen to manage your animals. Why not find a pig keeper near you and ask if you can pay them a visit, that way you would get hands on information and see how things are set up and find about some of the rules and regs too.
I'm in North Yorkshire with GOS pigs and you'd be more than welcome to visit, but it depends where you are in the country, you could put an ask on the pig forum to try to arrange a visit to someone near you.
All the best
mandy :pig:
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I'm in North Yorkshire with GOS pigs and you'd be more than welcome to visit...
Is that offer open to anyone thinking about starting with pigs? It looks like you're not that far from where I am in Tyne and Wear... ;D
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Sorry just saw your reply yes certainly come and see us. If you go to GOS website members list my contact details are there.
Mandy :pig: