Know the livestock feed law

It has been illegal to feed any kitchen waste to your poultry, pigs and other food-producing livestock – including those you count as pets – since 2001.

This prohibition was put in place after the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak of 2001, where over 10 million animals were destroyed due to the viral illness, which is believed to have originated from the feeding of kitchen waste to pigs.

Waste food includes anything kept or prepared in your kitchen and kept in the kitchen fridge/freezer, as well as any waste from cafes, restaurants and takeaways. All feed for livestock must be stored separately to food that is intended for human consumption, either in an outhouse, garage or feed bin. You can, however, feed animals vegetables direct from the garden.

All livestock (including sheep, cattle, goats, pigs and deer) and poultry/bird keepers, whether commercial or pet keepers, must register with the Rural Payments Agency for a County Parish Holding Number (CPH number), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for a herd or flock mark. Registering assists these agencies – and your local authority – to contact you in times of disease outbreak, changes in law or guidance, or any other regulatory reason.

Information on registering animals can be found here:

● Register livestock to get a flock or herd mark https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-livestock-to-get-a-flock-or-herd-mark

● Premises with under 50 birds (backyard flocks) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-as-a-keeper-of-less-than-50-poultry-or-other-captive-birds

● Premises with over 50 birds https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/poultry-including-game-birds-registration-rules-and-forms

Other useful links: ● The Animal By-Products Order 1999 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/646/made ● To protect poultry, including those kept as pets, against potential devastating animal diseases, there are rules around what you can and can’t feed them. Watch our animation to learn more. It’s illegal to feed catering waste to farm animals. #birdflu | Animal and Plant Health Agency | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/APHAGov/videos/to-protect-poultry-including-those-kept-as-pets-against-potential-devastating-an/1793699278237355/ ● Gov.uk: APHA warning on kitchen scraps https://www.gov.uk/government/news/apha-warns-not-to-feed-kitchen-scraps-to-farm-animals-because-of-disease-risk