Effective Jan. 1, 2015, Indiana's animal identification rules will change to comply with USDA's Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program.

 

The changes reflect new federal requirements for identification and documentation for all major livestock species to improve national traceability in high-consequence disease incidents, such as bovine tuberculosis. Some of the dairy-specific requirements for ID actually took effect at the federal level in March of last year. Since then, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) staff has been working to rewrite state rules to align with USDA's.

 

The following guidelines describe what types of identification and documentation are considered official in Indiana, along with when they are required.

 

Tag Requirements

Official 840 Tag

BOAH recognizes three forms of identification as official for cattle and bison. All are approved by USDA for interstate movements of livestock, and are accepted by all 50 states:

• 840 tags (15-digit number beginning with 840, may or may not be RFID)
• NUES (brite) tags, available in steel or plastic ("steel clips")
• Official USDA program tags (brucellosis)

To be considered official, all tags must bear the US shield. Old, out-dated tags are not acceptable, unless they were placed in the animal before March 11, 2015. After that date, all tags must comply with the new standards.

Official ID is required upon change of ownership and/or entry to Indiana for the following cattle:

• All sexually intact, 18 months or older
• All dairy breed females (including crosses) of any age
• All dairy breed bulls and steers born after 3-11-2013 (including crosses and veal calves)

All exhibition/rodeo cattle must also bear official ID, regardless of age.

 

Exceptions

Exceptions to the ID requirement:

• Animals moving directly to a slaughter facility
• Animals moving directly to an approved market, where the animal will be ID'ed

Producers who have closed herds should note that their animals may not need official ID. For example: Dairy cattle raised on an Indiana farm that do not leave the home site or change ownership until the animal goes to market/slaughter do not need to bear official ID. (Although BOAH recommends it.)

 

Farmers who raise their own replacement heifers and rear them on their own farm do not have to tag the animal until she leaves the site. The animal must be tagged if it is exhibited, sold, sent to market or back-grounded on another site (outside the state and/or under different ownership).

 

Documentation Requirements

Beginning in January, BOAH's requirements for documentation will change only slightly. Imports must still have a CVI (certificate of veterinary inspection) written within 30 days of entry, and a pre-entry permit from BOAH, unless they are moving directly to slaughter or an approved market.

 

Hoosier cattle owners, sellers, leasers and purchasers now must keep records for five years of all cattle and bison sold, purchased, leased, bartered or exchanged. Records must include:

• ID of animals
• Name and address of: seller, lesser, owner, purchaser

The recordkeeping requirement was adopted as a replacement for a long-standing (and little known) rule that required a CVI be written at change-of-ownership. The records will assist BOAH in tracing animals in a disease investigation.

 

Veal Calves

Questions continue about tagging requirements for veal calves. Because the federal rule requires all dairy and dairy-cross cattle born after Mar. 11, 2013 to have ID, all veal calves must bear official ID before leaving the premises of birth, unless the animal is going directly to slaughter. Producers who finish and market their own veal calves directly to slaughter or an approved market do not need to tag.

 

A series of MPP dairy producer information meetings were held throughout Indiana, with the final meeting to be held on Wednesday, November 19th at Beck's Ag Center in West Lafayette, registration beginning at 9 AM Eastern time. Click here for details on this final meeting.

The MPP Program is a safety net for catastrophic risk protection and should not be used as a profit-making tool. Enrollment for 2014 and 2015 is from Sept. 2, 2014 through December 5, 2014. Once a farm is enrolled, the operation is committed through 2018 for at least the $100 program fee and the minimum coverage.

All dairy operations who work through a cooperative should have received a statement of milk production, which is very helpful in using the online decision support tool. Click here and then look to the upper right corner for the decision tool link. There are also instructions for use if you have questions.

Please contact Doug Leman at 317-695-8228 if you wish to discuss this program, need further information, or have any questions about it.

Dairy farmers should not miss the opportunity for minimum protection at least for 2015, but producers must sign up with FSA by December 5th, and preferably before!

There is a growing list of companies that recognize IDP's value to Indiana's dairy industry. Please visit our list of companies that have become Corporate Sponsors for only $100. If you know of a company that may have an interest in supporting IDP at some level, please download a brochure here.