The problem
GOV.UK says cattle moving on or off a holding must go in the holding register within 36 hours and be reported to BCMS within 3 days. On a small suckler and store-cattle farm, moves happen on mart days, at TB testing and when stores go to a finisher, which are already the busiest days. A farm moving cattle 6 times a month from paper notes has 6 chances a month to miss the 3-day window, and GOV.UK says failing to report can bring movement restrictions, reduced subsidy payments or prosecution.
What the AI does
Herdwatch is a herd records app. Its cattle page says it registers calves and movements with BCMS, ScotEID and NIFAIS, tracks medicine withdrawal periods, records data even when offline and lets several users share the same herd data. GOV.UK lists compatible farm software using CTS Web Services as one way to report movements, alongside CTS Online, the self-service phone line and post. Log each move in the app on the day, in the yard, and it is sent once the phone has signal. The duty stays with the keeper: the holding register and CTS Online remain the record, so check in CTS Online each week that every move shows as reported.
A worked example
A 90-cow suckler and store-cattle farm in Herefordshire, run by the owner and a part-time stockman, moves cattle about 6 times a month: calves registered in spring, stores sold through the mart and bulls in and out. Moves were written on the back of a feed docket and entered in CTS Online at the weekend.
Before
6 moves a month on paper, entered at the weekend, so a Monday move was close to the 3-day limit by then
After
6 moves a month logged in the app on the day, plus a 10-minute weekly check in CTS Online that each one shows as reported
What it's worth
This is a compliance safeguard rather than a money saving: the aim is every move reported inside the 3-day window. Herdwatch's Starter Offer is $105£79€94A$152C$149 for 6 months excluding VAT, about $17£13€15A$25C$24 a month ($105£79€94A$152C$149 divided by 6), with full Complete features. After that, plans are billed yearly and priced by farm size, and the pricing page only offers a quote, so ask for the price before the offer ends.
How to set it up
- Keep the holding register and CTS Online as the official record, and pin the 36-hour register and 3-day reporting rules up where everyone who moves cattle can see them.
- Start the 30-day free trial or the $105£79€94A$152C$149 Starter Offer and let the app download your animals from BCMS.
- Give the stockman their own login so whoever loads the trailer logs the move on the day.
- Report one small batch through the app and check in CTS Online that it arrived correctly before relying on it.
- Every Friday, compare the week's moves in the app with CTS Online and the holding register, and report anything missing straight away.
- Ask Herdwatch for the yearly price for your herd size before the 6-month offer ends.
What goes wrong
- A report can fail silently, for example if a phone never gets signal or a login expires. The weekly CTS Online check is what catches it, so don't skip it in busy weeks.
- The keeper is responsible for reporting whatever app is used. If the app is down, report through CTS Online or the phone line within the 3 days.
- The price after the first 6 months is by quote and not shown on the page, so the ongoing cost is unknown until Herdwatch quotes.
- GOV.UK exempts some moves within 10 miles on land registered to your CPH number; check which of your moves need reporting rather than assuming.