Animal Disease Traceability Rule

On December 20, 2012, publication of the USDA Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule hit news wires all over the United States, but it wasn't until January 9, 2013 that the rule was actually published in the Federal Register.

Effective March 11, 2013, the ADT rule's core principle, with some exemptions, will require that livestock moving interstate must be officially identified and accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection. Due to changes within the rule, some forms of identification you have relied on in the past may no longer be official once the rule is fully implemented.

Learn more about Electronic Identification Tags

What this means for Wisconsin:

Export Cattle?

  • Need to meet USDA and the state of destination requirements
  • All rodeo, exhibition or event cattle (including steers) are required to be officially identified.

Import Cattle?

  • Need a 15 Digit Country Coded (840) Animal Identification Number (AIN) eartag (includes visual and/or RFID) OR a National
  • Uniform Eartagging System (NUES) tag (includes Brite tags which are nine digit alphanumeric tags that start with the state code. An example would be an orange Brucellosis calf hood vaccination tag.)
  • Wisconsin will still require official identification and a certificate of veterinary inspection on all sexually intact beef cattle and does not plan to develop any brand or commuter herd agreements.
  • All rodeo, exhibition or event cattle (including steers) are required to be officially identified.

Vaccinating and Disease Testing Your Animals?

  • Need a 15 Digit Country Coded (840) AIN eartag (includes visual and/or RFID) OR a National Uniform Eartagging System (NUES) tag (includes Brite tags which are nine digit alphanumeric tags that start with the state code. An example would be an orange Brucellosis calf hood vaccination tag.)
  • Registration Tattoos OR Registration Numbers (ONLY if they uniquely identify the animal and ONLY until the DATCP administrative rule is updated.)

Ship Directly to Slaughter?

  • No changes - a backtag will still be considered identification and a certificate of veterinary inspection is not required.

Animals at Market?

  • If an animal is officially identified when it enters a market, the rule does not allow anyone to add a second form of official identification, UNLESS, they are adding an 840 Animal Identification Number (AIN) tag. Markets will need to read the existing official ID number if they have one.

Veterinarian Writing Health Papers or a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection?

  • If an animal is officially identified, the rule does not allow anyone to add a second form of official identification, UNLESS, they are adding an 840 Animal Identification Number (AIN) tag to an animal that already has a NUES tag. Veterinarians will need to read the existing official ID number if they have one.