The farmland around Knutsford sits in the heart of the Cheshire plain, where dairy herds graze heavy, productive pasture between Tabley, Mobberley, Plumley and the Peovers. Knutsford fallen stock collection here is mostly about cattle, from dairy cows and youngstock to suckler herds, but the area’s estates and equestrian yards bring horses and sheep into the picture too. Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved business in Burscough, Lancashire, providing licensed fallen stock and ABP collection to farms across Cheshire.
This page explains how collection works locally, what the law requires when an animal dies, and how to handle cattle that need BSE testing.
Knutsford Fallen Stock Collection Around the Cheshire Plain
The farming landscape around Knutsford
The parishes surrounding the town are some of the most intensively farmed dairy country in the North West. Holdings around Tabley, Plumley, Over Peover and Lower Peover run sizeable milking herds, often with youngstock reared on the same unit or on outlying land. Toward Mobberley the land is more mixed, with grazing, smaller beef enterprises and horse paddocks close to the edge of Manchester’s commuter belt. The official guidance on fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals sets out the legal duties in full.
Large estates have shaped the area for centuries, and the Tatton estate land around Tatton Park remains a significant presence. Many farms in the district are let on estate tenancies, and tenants should check their agreement for any conditions on fallen stock storage, collection points or access across estate roads. Where a landlord’s agent manages shared tracks or gates, agreeing a collection point in advance avoids delays when a vehicle arrives.
Your legal duties when an animal dies
On-farm burial and burning of fallen stock have been banned since 2003, and there is no practical exemption for the Cheshire plain. Farmers have a duty of care to arrange collection promptly, ideally within 24 hours of discovery, using a licensed collector. Leaving a carcass in a field corner or a calf in a shed for days is not only a breach of the rules but a magnet for foxes, badgers and flies. The government also publishes detailed guidance on animal by-product categories and disposal.
For cattle, the death must be reported to BCMS within seven days and the passport returned. For horses, the passport should be returned to the issuing body so the animal’s record can be closed. Fallen cattle carcasses containing specified risk material are Category 1, which covers adult cattle in most herds; Martlands is licensed for Category 1 ABP collection and holds Animal By-Products Licence APB/CCN21/373/8002. Every collection is accompanied by a Commercial Document and a Waste Transfer Note for your records.
Dairy herd losses and BSE testing
Dairy units see a steady background of losses, from cows going down after calving and metabolic problems around transition to lameness culls and accidents in cubicle housing. Calf losses add to the total, particularly in the winter housing period.
Fallen cattle over 48 months old must be tested for BSE. Martlands is a DEFRA approved sampling facility, so cattle that need testing can be collected and sampled through our own site without the farmer needing to arrange a separate route. Make sure the ear tags remain in place and the passport is available, because the sample has to be matched correctly to the animal. Our guide to BSE testing of fallen cattle covers the process step by step.
Equestrian yards and estates
The country around Knutsford, Mobberley and the Peovers has a high concentration of livery yards, private stables and equestrian estates. When a horse dies or is put down, owners are often unsure what to do, and the yard owner may be the one arranging collection. Horses are generally Category 2 fallen stock, and a horse that has been put down by injection must be disposed of through a proper licensed route, not buried.
Horses are large animals and a collection needs reasonable access, ideally on firm ground close to a track rather than in the middle of a wet paddock. Covering the body and keeping other horses away while you wait for collection helps both welfare and biosecurity. Our farm and fallen stock collection service covers horses, cattle, sheep, pigs and other livestock, and can be booked for the same day where needed.
Access, roads and the A556
Knutsford is well served by the road network. Junction 19 of the M6 at Tabley links with the A556 toward the M56 and Manchester, and the A50 and A537 run through the town toward Holmes Chapel and Macclesfield. That makes the area straightforward to reach from Burscough, though narrow lanes around Over Peover and Plumley, plus heavy traffic on the A556 and around the town centre, mean clear directions are worth giving when you book.
Give a postcode for the yard rather than the farmhouse if they differ, and mention any weight limits, low bridges or tight gateways. Place the carcass on hardstanding near the entrance where you can, so the vehicle does not need to cross livestock areas.
Collection across the surrounding area
Martlands collects across the whole county through our Cheshire fallen stock collection service. Farms east of Knutsford toward the Pennine edge are covered by our Macclesfield fallen stock collection service, while holdings on the Manchester side of Mobberley may find our Wilmslow fallen stock collection page more relevant. To the west, farms toward Northwich and the Weaver valley are served through our Hartford fallen stock collection service.
As an NFSCO member, Martlands collects from scheme members, and the KoLeCt system is used to book and manage collections so that each one is tracked and documented.
Booking Knutsford fallen stock collection
When you call, have the species, approximate age and number of animals ready, along with ear tag numbers for cattle and whether any animal needs BSE testing. Tell us if there is any suspicion of notifiable disease, because in that case the carcass must not be moved until APHA have advised. Same-day collection is available for fallen stock, and our rapid-response fleet covers the Cheshire plain regularly.
To arrange a collection anywhere around Knutsford, Tabley, Mobberley, Plumley or the Peovers, call Martlands on 01704 776977 or contact us online.
