AHDB Standstill Guidance

AML.1.2 – Moves Within a Pig Pyramid

Under the relevant Disease Control Orders for England, Wales and Scotland, all pig holdings are subject to a 20‑day standstill. This means that when pigs arrive onto a holding from another holding, no pigs may move off that holding for 20 days.

The purpose of the standstill is to allow enough time for any introduced disease to become identified so that the livestock keeper can identify signs of ill health and notify the appropriate authorities.

Commercial holdings operating a continuous, one‑way production system may be eligible for approval to operate under a derogation from the 20‑day standstill rule. This derogation helps maintain flow within integrated supply chains, where strict biosecurity and structured production processes reduce disease‑spread risk.

Definition of a “Move within a Pig Pyramid”

For a movement to qualify as a Move within a Pig Pyramid, both the departure and the destination holdings must be approved under the Pig (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 2011. Approval confirms that the holdings form part of a recognised, controlled commercial production system.

Examples

Only movements between two approved holdings are considered Moves within a Pig Pyramid and therefore eligible to operate under approved derogations from the 20‑day standstill.

If you require more information regarding PRIMO Approvals, please contact CSCOneHealthPRIMO@apha.gov.uk