5 min read · Updated 10 July 2026
Guidance, not legal advice
Movement controls fall under the Animal Diseases Act and are tightened during outbreaks and in disease-control zones. Requirements — including when a permit or removal certificate is needed — change with the disease situation. Confirm current rules with your state vet.
What counts as a movement
- Animals you buy or bring onto the farm — from an auction, another farm or a neighbour.
- Animals you sell or send off — to an abattoir, a buyer or another of your properties.
- Animals moving between farms or grazing you use.
What a movement register should capture
| Field | Why it's needed |
|---|---|
| Date of movement | Builds the timeline for tracing |
| From (origin) | Where the animals came from |
| To (destination) | Where the animals went |
| Number & species | What actually moved |
| Purpose | Sale, purchase, grazing, slaughter |
| Permit / certificate ref | Where a removal certificate or permit applies |
During FMD controls, you may need a permit
In and around FMD-controlled zones, moving cloven-hoofed animals can require a permit or red-cross/removal certificate from the state vet. Moving without one can mean penalties and animals being turned back. Always check before you load.
Why traceability is the whole point
A movement register is not about your farm in isolation — it is a link in a national chain. If an animal you sold turns out to be diseased, authorities trace it back through your record; if you bought in a sick animal, your record shows where the risk came from. Gaps in that chain are what let outbreaks spread.
Log movements as they happen
Record a movement in seconds by app or WhatsApp, and FarmBind keeps your movement register audit-ready and reconciled against your stock counts.
See a sample movement registerCommon questions
- What is a movement register for livestock?
- It is a running record of every time animals move on or off your property — the date, where from, where to, how many, the species and the purpose, plus any permit or removal-certificate reference. It provides the traceability that disease-control schemes depend on.
- Do I need a permit to move cattle in South Africa?
- It depends on where you are and the current disease situation. In and near FMD-controlled zones, moving cloven-hoofed animals often requires a permit or removal certificate from the state vet. Outside controlled areas the requirements are lighter, but a movement record is still expected. Check with your state vet before moving.