Ruthin fallen stock collection covers some of the most varied farming country in North Wales. In the space of a few miles the land climbs from the rich dairy and arable ground of the Vale of Clwyd floor to beef and sheep holdings on the slopes of the Clwydian Range, and on up to the open moorland around Llandegla. Each of those farm types loses stock in different ways and at different times of year, and each brings its own access challenges for a collection vehicle.
Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved fallen stock and ABP collection business based in Burscough, Lancashire, collecting from farms across Denbighshire and the rest of North Wales. This guide explains how collection works around Ruthin and what farmers here need to have in place.
Ruthin fallen stock collection across the Vale of Clwyd
Ruthin sits at the southern end of the Vale of Clwyd, where the A494 from Mold drops down from the Clwydian Range and the A525 runs north towards Denbigh and south towards Llandegla and Wrexham. Farms surrounding the town range from vale dairies around Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd and Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd to suckler and sheep units around Pwllglas, Llanelidan, Derwen and Cyffylliog on the higher ground to the west and south. The official guidance on fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals sets out the legal duties in full.
Our farm and fallen stock collection service covers cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and poultry, from a single ewe to a mature cow. Same-day collection is often available when you call early. Ruthin is part of our wider North Wales fallen stock collection area, so the same licensed process, documentation and booking system apply here as across the rest of the region.
Sheep losses through the farming year
Sheep make up a large share of fallen stock around Ruthin. Losses peak at lambing in spring, when ewes and lambs are lost to difficult births, twin lamb disease, hypothermia and mismothering. Autumn brings another rise as ewes are gathered off the hill for tupping and older or thin ewes struggle, and hard winters add losses on exposed ground on the Clwydian Range and the Llandegla moors.
During lambing many farms prefer to keep small carcasses in a covered, vermin-proof container and book a collection when it fills, rather than calling for each lamb. That is fine as long as the material is stored properly and collected without undue delay. Adult sheep over 12 months, or with a permanent incisor erupted, are Category 1 because of specified risk material and go through our Category 1 ABP collection route. Young lambs are generally Category 2, but if they are collected alongside adult sheep the whole load is treated as Category 1.
Beef and dairy cattle and BSE sampling
On the vale floor and the lower slopes, suckler herds and dairy units produce a steady stream of cattle losses through calving, housing and turnout. Any bovine over 48 months that dies or is killed on farm other than for human consumption must be BSE tested. Martlands is a DEFRA approved sampling facility, so sampling is arranged as part of the collection. The government also publishes detailed guidance on animal by-product categories and disposal.
When you book, give us the age and ear tag number of the animal so we can plan correctly. You must also report a cattle death to the cattle tracing service within seven days and return the passport. Farmers have a duty of care to arrange collection promptly, ideally within 24 hours of discovery, and burying or burning fallen stock on farm has been banned since 2003.
Winter hill access around the Clwydian Range
Many farms above Ruthin are reached by steep, narrow lanes that ice up early and are slow to thaw. Roads over the Clwydian Range and up towards the moor at Llandegla can be closed or impassable after snow. A collection vehicle needs a firm, level surface to load safely, and cannot climb a frozen farm track or reach a carcass in the middle of a hill field.
The answer is planning ahead. Pick a collection point on hard standing near the lane or the main yard, away from live animals, feed and watercourses, and get the carcass there with a quad trailer or loader before we arrive. Cover it to keep off ravens, buzzards and foxes. When bad weather is forecast, tell us early about any losses so we can plan the route while roads are still open. Our article on how fallen stock collection services support upland and remote farms has more on getting through the worst of the winter.
NFSCO membership for Welsh farmers
Martlands is a member of NFSCO, the National Fallen Stock Company. Farmers registered with NFSCO can use member collectors and keep their fallen stock arrangements in one place, which many Denbighshire farmers find simpler than arranging each job separately. Collections can also be booked and managed through the KoLeCt system, which keeps a dated record of every job.
Every collection comes with a Commercial Document and a Waste Transfer Notice. Keep them with your flock and herd records, because farm assurance and government inspections can ask to see how fallen stock has been disposed of. Our licences are Waste Carrier Licence CB/QE5406MT, Site Licence EAWML/100236 and Animal By-Products Licence APB/CCN21/373/8002.
Ruthin fallen stock collection on market days and in neighbouring areas
Ruthin’s livestock market draws stock from across the vale and the surrounding hills, and animals that go down on the farm before or after a sale still need the same prompt collection and paperwork. We collect throughout the area, from the coast covered by our Rhyl fallen stock collection service and the Conwy farms included in Llandudno fallen stock collection, to the border holdings served by our Wrexham fallen stock collection service.
If you ever suspect a notifiable disease, report it to APHA immediately and do not move the carcass until you are advised. For every other loss, call Martlands on 01704 776977 or contact us online with the species, age, ear tag and location, and we will arrange collection from your farm around Ruthin as quickly as possible.
