Animal Identification System Update: July 2004
by Lisa Duffey, Montana Beef Network Coordinator
NAIS update
USDA continues to move forward with its plan to implement
a National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Recently,
USDA-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service selected
the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC)
system as its interim NAIS Standardized Premises Registration
System and Premises Information Repository. USDA APHIS
has also requested proposals for cooperative agreements
from across the country that would evaluate the policies
and procedures for state premise identification systems
and implementation of a national animal identification
program. Proposals were due to USDA-APHIS on July 15,
2004 and will be selected by August 15, 2004. The Montana
Department of Livestock, in cooperation with the Montana
Beef Network, Montana Sheep Institute, Montana Stockgrowers
Association, and Montana Woolgrowers Association, has
submitted a proposal to review premise and animal identification
in Montana.
USDA will be hosting a listening session on NAIS in Billings on August 13. More information about this meeting and the NAIS in general can be found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/nais/nais.html.
MBN 2003-2004
52 producers participated in the Montana Beef Network
in 2003-2004 enrolling more than 16,000 calves and cows
The graph below shows the distribution of weaning for
the calves which this information was collected.
MBN staff have gathered approximately two-thirds of the carcass data available and have been sending out reports to producers as the data becomes available. Final reports will be sent out once we are sure all the data collected has been received and entered into the eMerge correctly. The charts below and at right indicate the carcass data values as of July 12, 2004. Explanations of various aspects of the carcass data measurement may be found in the article titled "Reading a Carcass Data Report: What does it mean?" by Brian Rainey.
The reports on the eMerge website will be changing the next month or so and will allow for more user-de ned reports. If you have problems or questions about online reports, please call Lisa Duffey at (406) 994-4323.
Ordering Tags
If you plan on enrolling calves in the Montana Beef
- work for 2004-2005, please call Lisa Duffey at 406-994-4323
to order tags and schedule a date for MBN staff to come
assist you with tag application and data collection.
We anticipate being busy this fall, so the sooner you
call, the chance you will have of getting on the schedule.
BQA Vaccine Administrator Safety
It is important to be very careful when giving live
- stock vaccinations. If you are accidentally injected
with a livestock vaccine, take necessary action to protect
your health. The information below is courtesy of Dee
Griffin, University of Nebraska.
Passport
In light of recent industry events (a positive BSE case
and national animal identification discussions), it
is becoming more common and even more necessary to pass
on records with sold calves. Health records help the
feeder know how the calves have been treated and what
the feedyard health protocol should be. Birth date records
may help avoid discounts for calves mistakenly aged
over 30 months at harvest time. The Montana Beef Network
recommends using a herd treatment form or certification
passport to share this type of information. A sample
form is included (at left) for your information and/or
use.
Beef: Questions & Answers is a joint project between MSU Extension and the Montana Beef Council. This column informs producers about current consumer education, promotion and research projects funded through the $1 per head checkoff. For more information, contact the Montana Beef Council at (406) 442-5111 or at beefcncl@mt.net