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New ID rule coming for Nebraska cattle, bison

Gayle Smith

Cattle and bison producers in Nebraska will be required to place an official identification tag in their animals once a proposed rule is implemented, as early as 2013. The tag will be used to help the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) trace animals and facilitate interstate movement of livestock in case of a disease. Nebraska’s plan, “NDA’s Locate in 48 Animal Disease Traceability” program, is the result of a new USDA Animal Disease Traceability Framework that requires each state to develop and submit a compliance plan by Dec. 31, 2011.

“The official identification requirements for cattle and bison will be phased in,” according to Ross Baker, the animal disease traceability system coordinator for Nebraska. Beginning on the effective date of the final rule, the following animals will be subject to the official identification requirements:

• All sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age or over



• Dairy cattle of any age

• Cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo or recreational purposes



• Cattle and bison of any age used for shows or exhibitions

“All other cattle (beef cattle under 18 months of age) would be exempt from the official identification requirement when the rule is first published, and until a notice is published in the Federal Register defining the effective date for requiring official identification for these cattle,” Baker explained. “Additionally, during this period, cattle and bison moved directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment, or through no more than one approved livestock facility and then directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment, may be identified with a USDA-approved backtag.”

Although these animals will be among the first to be monitored, Baker said once the program is working smoothly, and the state reaches 70 percent compliance, they propose to add feeder cattle to the rule. “It might be a challenge to make sure the fall run of feeder cattle are all compliant and have official identification tags,” he noted.

Cattle and bison producers in Nebraska will be required to place an official identification tag in their animals once a proposed rule is implemented, as early as 2013. The tag will be used to help the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) trace animals and facilitate interstate movement of livestock in case of a disease. Nebraska’s plan, “NDA’s Locate in 48 Animal Disease Traceability” program, is the result of a new USDA Animal Disease Traceability Framework that requires each state to develop and submit a compliance plan by Dec. 31, 2011.

“The official identification requirements for cattle and bison will be phased in,” according to Ross Baker, the animal disease traceability system coordinator for Nebraska. Beginning on the effective date of the final rule, the following animals will be subject to the official identification requirements:

• All sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age or over

• Dairy cattle of any age

• Cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo or recreational purposes

• Cattle and bison of any age used for shows or exhibitions

“All other cattle (beef cattle under 18 months of age) would be exempt from the official identification requirement when the rule is first published, and until a notice is published in the Federal Register defining the effective date for requiring official identification for these cattle,” Baker explained. “Additionally, during this period, cattle and bison moved directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment, or through no more than one approved livestock facility and then directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment, may be identified with a USDA-approved backtag.”

Although these animals will be among the first to be monitored, Baker said once the program is working smoothly, and the state reaches 70 percent compliance, they propose to add feeder cattle to the rule. “It might be a challenge to make sure the fall run of feeder cattle are all compliant and have official identification tags,” he noted.

Cattle and bison producers in Nebraska will be required to place an official identification tag in their animals once a proposed rule is implemented, as early as 2013. The tag will be used to help the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) trace animals and facilitate interstate movement of livestock in case of a disease. Nebraska’s plan, “NDA’s Locate in 48 Animal Disease Traceability” program, is the result of a new USDA Animal Disease Traceability Framework that requires each state to develop and submit a compliance plan by Dec. 31, 2011.

“The official identification requirements for cattle and bison will be phased in,” according to Ross Baker, the animal disease traceability system coordinator for Nebraska. Beginning on the effective date of the final rule, the following animals will be subject to the official identification requirements:

• All sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age or over

• Dairy cattle of any age

• Cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo or recreational purposes

• Cattle and bison of any age used for shows or exhibitions

“All other cattle (beef cattle under 18 months of age) would be exempt from the official identification requirement when the rule is first published, and until a notice is published in the Federal Register defining the effective date for requiring official identification for these cattle,” Baker explained. “Additionally, during this period, cattle and bison moved directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment, or through no more than one approved livestock facility and then directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment, may be identified with a USDA-approved backtag.”

Although these animals will be among the first to be monitored, Baker said once the program is working smoothly, and the state reaches 70 percent compliance, they propose to add feeder cattle to the rule. “It might be a challenge to make sure the fall run of feeder cattle are all compliant and have official identification tags,” he noted.