If I read this correctly I need to record batch numbers for my ewe nuts. Is this right? And I keep them in the same bin as the horse & pony cubes. Is this a problem and can you point me at the rulebook on DEFRA's websites?
Unfortunately it is the FSA that administer not Defra [as the FSA care not a jot for us - yes less than Defra!]
The following link is to the average level of detail the FSA give
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/hygguid/guidfarmThe following is from our book (Perfect Pigs, £15 from our website - lots more like this in it!), and summarises what you need to do
"This is another set of “new” regulations, which came into force on the 1st January 2008, and are from the EU Feed Hygiene Regulation (183/2005)
The regulations apply to both producers of Animal feed and to any “business that uses animal feed” in “the production of food for Human consumption” – i.e. you.!
There are some exceptions to the requirements
• the feeding of food-producing animals kept for private domestic consumption
• the feeding of animals not kept for food production
• the production of feed in some circumstances (if you are producing your own feed you should refer directly to the rules to see if you are exempt)
So if you are only keeping pigs for pets, then you do not need to comply. However if you are breeding - say for showing - even if you do not keep any weaners for yourself for meat, some of the weaners you sell may enter the food chain, and so we would advise you register. If you are planning to sell any meat from your weaners, we would suspect that you would fall foul of claiming “private domestic consumption”, even if to family and friends, and should register. The point of the regulations is to ensure that feed is produced safely and can be traced in the event of an incident. However the usual catchall of the EU ensures that even smallholders with a couple of weaners come under the legislation.
Having said that, most people will find little difficulty in complying, as the regulations are mainly around ensuring that your feed remains healthy and uncontaminated.
To achieve this you need to
A) Comply with the regulations
and
B) Either complete a certificate to say you comply, or
C) Be in an Official Scheme (the Single Payment Scheme, or being a member of a environmental stewardship scheme qualify – see annex 4 of the red tractor scheme below for details of qualifying schemes)
Complying with the regulations
The EU regulation lists the rules. However the current “Industry Code of Practice on Farm Feeding” covers all the requirements and is much more readable. It can be downloaded from
http://www.redtractor.org.uk//feedcopIf you grow feed (i.e. wheat and barley etc, as opposed to growing some supplementary fruit and veg), and/or mix your own, then the rules are more onerous, and for the purposes of the following summary, we are assuming that you buy-in your pig feed.
• You must comply with what is legal to feed to your pigs and consider any risks with what you are feeding your animals - for instance if you are feeding unused fruit and vegetables that may have been rejected from Human consumption, you should be aware of why, and the hazards it could present to your stock.
• You must ensure that water is “clean and suitable for Animal consumption”. Here you should consider the risks of contamination from chemical sprays in fields, and the regular cleaning of internal troughs.
• You should purchase feed from reputable sources, who should belong to trade associations such as TASSC (Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops), UFAS (Universal Feed Assurance Scheme) or FEMAS (Feed Materials Assurance Scheme). If you buy from a recognised feed merchant (e.g. Scats) or buy labelled (rather than plain) bags then you will almost certainly comply. The feed label will normally contain membership details, so if you see TASSC or FEMAS on it you will be covered.
• Ensure you store food in clean conditions, prevent contamination from other substances (e.g. chemicals), and ensure that vermin is excluded.
• Ensure feed is “in date” (remember pig feeds deteriorate after a time – see feeding section), troughs are clean, and give adequate space for the animals to feed.
• Where you house pigs outdoors, ensure that 8 weeks elapse after spreading organic or slurry manures on land before allowing the pigs onto the area, and observe withholding periods if you use any chemicals on the land.
• Keep Adequate Records. In a large commercial enterprise, this would include substantial records to show many aspects. Most information you are required to keep will be shown on the feed label and invoice or bill, and the legislation does not require you to keep any special records. However using labels, invoices or your accounts you should be able to show what was purchased from whom, and when.
Completing the certificate
The certificate can be download from
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/feedfoodguidance.pdfThe code under section 3 is :
R13 Livestock farms which do not mix feeds or mix feeds without additives
Other codes exist for growers of feed, and those who mix additives apply, see the rules if you have other farming activities which this could apply to.
You should send the competed statement to the Trading Standards Dept. of your local council. In our case we got an acknowledgement of receipt, but this may vary from council to council.
There is no fee involved (yet!).
"
Topic: A warning if you are new to keeping cattle!! (Read 10314 times)
