Traceability/Cattle/Texas/ New rules

[James T]

This might be old news for some cattle raisers in Texas but I thought I would mention it anyway.

Effective January 1, 2013, a new rule goes into effect requiring adult cattle (18 months or older) in Texas to have an approved form of permanent identification in place when ownership changes - according to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).

From www.tahc.state.tx.us:

TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION 1-800-550-8242 www.tahc.state.tx.us
Animal Disease Traceability
Acceptable forms of official identification: As of October 4, 2012
• USDA alphanumeric National Uniform Eartagging System (NUES) tags (USDA silver metal ear tags)
• USDA brucellosis calfhood vaccination tags (USDA orange RFID and alphanumeric metal ear tags)
• Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) tags, including 9-digit American ID number
• Official breed association registration tattoo (uniquely associated with an animal)
• Official breed association registration freeze or fire brand (uniquely identifying the animal)
• USDA approved 15-digit Animal Identification Number (AIN) tags for official identification of
individual animals. Four forms of official AIN tags are available:
* Manufacturer code prefix "900" series RFID tags only acceptable if traceable back to herd owner.
* USA prefix RFID tags
* Country code prefix "840" series RFID tags. (Producers who use the "840" series must have their
premises registered.)
* Country code prefix "840" series non-RFID tags. (Producers who use the "840" series must have
their premises registered.)
• A commercially produced cattle-style clip, flap or button tag that identifies the owner
and includes a unique animal number in the herd.
• The TAHC also is considering approval for other types of identification.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Yea I have been reading up on it.
Horseshyt is what I say more Big Brother chasing a problem we don't have.

 

[Jogeephus]

I hope the Texas Cattlemen's Association fights this tooth and nail. They are trying to get us in compliance with the EU by doing this and believe me we do not want the system they have. They tell us they have such a great system and they can track any animal within 24 hours. This may be the case but they are not considering the cost benefit of doing this. There, you cannot move your livestock without having a health inspector on site at the time of the move. If you move it across county lines then you will need to coordinate with two health inspectors in both counties. You also cannot move the animals yourself but must hire a certified trained livestock hauler to move the animals and they cannot be loaded or unloaded until the health inspector "inspects" the animals at point of loading and point of delivery. I don't know how they even move animals there because here the gov't workers will always be on a holiday, or off on sick leave, training or anywhere but where they are needed by the public. I have a friend who purchased 3 weanling pigs from a fella. Paid him on the spot for the pigs. Went to move them to his place which was across several county lines and three months later his hogs arrived. Poor fella that he bought them from had to feed them for 3 months till the beauracracy could work out such a complicated move. Oh, and forget home slaughter of your own livestock. This isn't happening. Gotta go through the correct channels else the paperwork will be fouled.

I hope you guys fight this. We don't need this type of burden placed on our backs especially when it is not needed and when no sane rational business man can justify the cost of such a thing.

 

[cross_7]

i received this from the tscra

POLICY DIRECTIVE
Cattle Tagging
(AH-D1)
WHEREAS, the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has discontinued the requirement of first-point testing for brucellosis and other diseases at auction markets; and
WHEREAS, TSCRA has policy supporting discontinuation of first-point testing provided a surveillance program is implemented to guard against an outbreak of brucellosis; and
WHEREAS, the TAHC is proposing tagging of all brucellosis test-eligible cattle at auction markets, as a part of a brucellosis surveillance program; now, therefore, be it
DIRECTED, that TSCRA support the presence of a TAHC approved eartag in all sexually intact cattle 18 months of age and older at all points of ownership transfer except direct to slaughter provided that cattle held in a feedyard prior to slaughter must be tagged by the owner.
new 9/30/11