Nebraska official says ranchers should prepare for animal ID system

A new animal identification system that will be required for virtually all ‘adult’ cattle or bison (18 months and over) that are moved across state lines will likely begin at the end of 2012 or early in 2013, according to an official with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. And at some point following implementation of the first phase of the Animal Disease Traceability System (ADTS), all cattle and bison moving across state lines, regardless of age, will be included in the program, Ross Baker, coordinator of the Nebraska ADTS, told a small group of area residents on Nov. 2. The system affects only animals that are moved across state lines; animals moving within the state are not included, Baker said. “This program is limited to the interstate movement of livestock.” The ID requirement initially applies to dairy cattle of any age, all cattle and bison used for rodeos and shows, as well as “all sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age or over.” There are some exceptions to the ID rule, including for animals moved directly to slaughter, animals moved as a ‘commuter herd,” and animals moved between states that have agreed to accept some other form of identification.

Animals can also be moved without an ID in place, provided they go to an approved tagging site and are officially identified before commingling with animals from other places. Owners will not have to have a “premise identification” as part of the ADTS, according to Baker. The “backbone” of the system will be an ear tag with a specific, 15 digit number for each animal, said Baker. Similar identification systems are already in use for specific animal diseases, he noted. Nebraska will issue the ID tags to veterinarians at no cost, said Baker. The vets will then provide the tags in batches to producers, noting the beginning and ending numbers and the person to whom they go...more