Cattle birth and death notifications (MC1)

Advice and guidance in relation to completing cattle birth and death notifications.

When completing birth and death notifications always:

Send your calf birth notifications (by NIFAIS Online services, the dedicated telephony line or MC1) in good time so they arrive with DAERA within 27 days of the birth of the oldest calf on the notification. Calves whose birth is notified later than 27 days after the date of birth will have an NNO status applied to the animal. This will prevent the movement of this animal to markets or other herds. Calves notified by MC1 can take up to 5 working days to be registered on NIFAIS.

Notify the death of an animal in your herd (through NIFAIS Online services, the dedicated telephony line or by MC1), unless the death notification has been recorded on NIFAIS by a rendering plant - see changes to death notifications below. This notification must be made within seven days of the death of the animal to avoid potential cross compliance penalties. 

Tag and notify the birth/death of aborted, stillborn, or euthanaised calves (by NIFAIS Online services or MC1) so that Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) results can be processed for them. (All of these animals must be tested for BVD in the same way as living calves). Remember also to enter these animals in your herd register!

N.B.  Aborted or stillborn calves or calves which die within 24 hours of birth should, in addition, be reported to your local DAERA office by telephone or in person, within 24 hours, so that their dams can be tested for Brucellosis.

Changes to Death Notifications 

When you contact a rendering plant to dispose of dead cattle, and they record the death, the death notification will now be recorded on NIFAIS. This means that you will not need to confirm the death of these animals and no further action is required.

You will still be able to notify the death on NIFAIS online prior to contacting the renderer if you wish. If you check the herd list and a tag number is still listed,  this means its death has not yet been notified.

There is no change for deaths which have not been recoded by a rendering plant or have been disposed of through fallen stock processors, such as hunt kennels.  You must continue to notify DAERA using either NIFAIS online, telephony services or MC1.

When completing birth and death notifications never:

Leave your calf birth notifications (by NIFAIS Online services or MC1) to the last minute and so risk postal delays, public holidays, telephony or computer problems causing you to miss the 27 day deadline.

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