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3 parts:

• Credits, Course Content
• The Need
• The Plan
• The Answers

Credits, Course Content

A certificate of completion is available for this course.  If you wish to receive credit for taking the course, go to http://www.cecp-online.org/, register and/or login, enroll in the course titled, “Animal Identification:  What Does it Mean to the Cattle Industry?”, and complete the course.  A score of greater than 70% on the Final Exam in CECP needs to be achieved in order to receive a certificate of completion.  If you do not need a certificate of completion, you may view the course here in Agripedia.

Course Content

• Jim Akers Beef IRM Coordinator Cooperative Extension University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 278-0899 Email: jakers@uky.edu
• Emmit L. Rawls Professor, Agricultural Economics Cooperative Extension University of Tennessee Phone: (865) 974-7271 Email: elrawls@utk.edu
• Tammy L. McKinley Extension Assistant, Agricultural Economics Cooperative Extension University of Tennessee Phone: (865) 974-7271 Email: mckinley@utk.edu

• Andrea Husband Program Coordinator, Agroterrorism and Disaster Preparedness Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-7868 Email: andrea.husband@uky.edu

• Jimmy Henning Assistant Director for Ag and Natural Resources Administration, Cooperative Extension Service University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-1846 Email: jimmy.henning@uky.edu
• Ricky Yeargan Extension Associate Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-5020 ext. 80762 Email: ricky.yeargan@uky.edu
• Patty Scharko Extension Ruminant Veterinarian Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 253-0571, ext. 149 Email: pscharko@uky.edu

• Shamick Gaworski Extension Associate Web Developer, Creative Applications for Learning Environments Lab Agricultural Communications Services University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-4736, ext. 488 Email: shamick.gaworski@uky.edu

• Henrietta Ritchie-Holbrook Graphic Artist, Creative Applications for Learning Environments Lab Agricultural Communications Services University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-4736, ext. 282 Email: henrietta.ritchie@uky.edu

• Robert Demattina Communication Specialist Agricultural Communications Services University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-4736, ext. 260 Email: bob.demattina@uky.edu

• Mark Eclov Communications Specialist, Electronic Media/News Agricultural Communications Services University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-4736, ext. 263 Email: mark.eclov@uky.edu
• Jeff Franklin Extension Communications Specialist Agricultural Communications Services University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-4736, ext. 264 Email: jeff.franklin@uky.edu

• Ashley S. Griffin Extension Communications Specialist, Creative Applications for Learning Environments Lab Agricultural Communications Services University of Kentucky Phone: (859) 257-4736, ext. 283 Email: ashley.griffin@uky.edu
• Larry Lippke State Leader, Information Technology Office Of Director, Texas Agricultural Extension Service Texas A&M University Phone: (979) 845-9689 Email: lalippke@tamu.edu
• Jim Segers Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Extension Informational System Texas A&M University Phone: (979) 845-9689 Email: j-segers@tamu.edu

THE NEED

There are two primary needs driving the development of a national premises and animal identification system.

• The first is control and eradication of disease. This could be from a biosecurity threat, foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak, or management of ongoing disease programs.
• The second need driving the development of a national identification system is meeting the demands of domestic and international consumers for source-verified products. Being able to meet these demands can determine access to markets at home and abroad.

Click on the navigation buttons in the bottom right corner of the screens to learn about the need for a national identification system for livestock. First, let's discuss the control and eradication of disease.

The control and eradication of disease is one of the primary needs driving the development of a national livestock identification system. Recent disease outbreaks around the world help illustrate this need.

For example, in 1997, Foot and Mouth Disease -- FMD is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hooved ruminants. Click Here for more information.
FMD devastated Taiwan where 4 million hogs were killed.

An Exotic Newcastle Disease -- END is a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of birds. END is probably one of the most infectious diseases of poultry in the world. For more information, Click Here.
END outbreak in 2003 cost the United States $175 million.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as 'Mad Cow Disease'. BSE is a chronic degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of cattle. For more information, Click Here. BSE, also known as "mad cow disease", affected both Canada and the U.S.

Implementation of an identification system will help protect the livestock industry and minimize the impact of events of this nature.

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Consider the importance of a national identification system for disease control and eradication. If a disease is identified at a packing plant, for instance, without a national identification system in place, the animal can likely be traced back to the next premises, logically a feedyard or sometimes a ranch.

However, it would be difficult to find the backgrounder or auction market from which it came. Attempting to find the animal's herd of origin would be almost impossible - and at the very least an extremely slow process. Without a national identification traceback system, many herds may be quarantined and tested because of the inability to definitively identify the locations and animals involved.

BSE in the United States, much time and money was invested in Washington state searching for the other cows shipped to the U.S. with the infected cow, when in fact, many of them may have already been harvested. In addition, several hundred bull calves were destroyed because there was no identification system in place to identify which one of them was related to the cow in question.

The National Animal Identification System -- NAIS is a national program intended to identify specific animals in the United States and record their movement over their lifespans. For more information, Click Here.

NAIS would not necessarily make the cow/calf connection, but it would have at least narrowed the case to only the calves coming from the farm in question.

Click on the button below to watch a portion of a video clip of an episode of Extension Today: On the Air that describes the case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as 'Mad Cow Disease'.

BSE is a chronic degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of cattle. For more information, Click Here.

BSE in Washington state and how an animal identification program would have made tracking the disease easier.

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Now imagine a national traceback system is in place and a disease is identified at the packing plant. The animal would be traced from the packing plant, back to the feedlot. Then, on to the backgrounder or auction market from which it came. And finally, back to the herd of origin, if needed. This would mean less quarantining and less testing of animals; less market disruption and expense to all. The faster a tracing system works, the fewer animals and operations are impacted by any particular incident. How far back the traceback needs to go is dependent on the epidemiology of the case. For example, if it is a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as 'Mad Cow Disease'. BSE is a chronic degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of cattle. For more information, Click Here

BSE in question, the animal probably needs to be traced back to the farm of origin. If it is a disease like Foot and Mouth Disease -- FMD is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hooved ruminants. Click Here for more information. FMD the system only needs to trace the animal back a few days or weeks.

We have just finished discussing the first need driving the development of a national identification system: disease control and eradication. Now let's discuss the second need: meeting the demands of consumers.

Consumers have three main concerns:

• Source- and age-verified products
• Food safety
• Humane handling and production practices

Without a national animal identification system, the consumers' concerns cannot be addressed. The result can have a negative effect in the marketplace. However, if these issues are addressed, they can add significant value to the product.

When considering market access, look at what happened in the United Kingdom during the crisis in early 1996. Notice the negative impact on the U.K.'s exports when markets were closed to their beef and veal products.

A similar impact can be seen on the United States' exports after the announcement in December 2003 when all export markets closed their borders to U.S. products. The U.S. averaged approximately 200 million lbs in monthly exports for the five year period of 1998-2002 and were even above that for a majority of 2003.

The U.S. suffered losses because of lost export opportunities; however those losses came during a phase of the cattle cycle where low cattle supply held prices high. As the rebuilding stage of the cycle begins and supply increases, regaining those markets becomes increasingly important.

U.S. exports are slowly beginning to recover with the opening of several minor markets.

The Plan

To understand how the National Animal Identification System works, it is important to know how it was developed. Click on the navigation buttons in the bottom right corner of the screens to learn about the development and structure of the NAIS

It is important to remember the United States is competing with many countries that already have national identification systems for access into other international markets. For example, the U.S. is competing with Australia for the Japanese market.

Which Countries Already Have National Identification Systems?

• The U.S. Animal Identification Plan was developed over a two year period.
• The development team was composed of about 100 animal and livestock industry professionals representing more than 70 associations, organizations, and government agencies.
• The Bovine Working Group, which is a subcommittee of the USAIP, established many of the guiding principles to be used by the cattle industry.

This has been the basis or guide for the development of a national identification plan.

On December 23, 2003, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman stated that the USDA would begin immediate implementation of a verifiable system of national animal identification.

Then on April 27, 2004, she announced the framework for the implementation of what is being called the National Animal Identification System. The goal of the National Animal Identification System is to have the capability to identify all animals and premises that had direct contact with a foreign animal disease and domestic diseases of concern within 48 hours after discovery.

Existing industry systems and the livestock industry are working together to help implement the NAIS.

This partnership will help achieve the following objectives:

• Flexibility to use current systems or adopt new ones.
• Build on the data standards developed in the U.S. Animal Identification Plan.
• Remain technology neutral.
• Not increase role and size of government.
• Ensure producers can use the system to add value to animals.

The cattle industry has adopted even more specific guidelines for identifying cattle. For example, the preferred method of standardized identification in cattle is the use of ISO (International Standards Organizations) compliant RFID (radio frequency identification device) eartags.

RFID animal identification tags have a set of internationally recognized standards that define the identification number used on the tags, how the tag communicates, and the tags' structural integrity. In addition, existing data collection systems operating in the industry will play a vital role in the NAIS.

There are three main components to the USDA's National Animal Identification System.

• Premises Identification
• Animal Identification
• Animal Tracking

First, let's address Premises Identification.

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Premises Identification is the first main component of the USDA's NAIS. Premises ID will identify the locations where animals or groups of animals are held during some point in the production chain. This would include where they may have been raised, held, or boarded (such as farms, auction markets, exhibit centers, etc.).

How the Premises ID System Will Work:

• A farm, auction market, or other location would request a premises identification number from the State Premises Identification System operated by the State Animal Health Official. They would supply basic contact and location information.
• The State Premises ID System requests a number from the National Premises Identification Allocator. The number is then checked for authenticity of the location information.
• And then a number is sent back to the state system. This is a unique seven-digit alpha-numeric number.
• Then, the number is sent from the State Animal Health Official back to the premises making the application.
• The number is also sent to the National Premises Repository which holds a listing of all of the premises in the U.S. for easy access when it is needed for a disease traceback.

The premises identification number is assigned to a property and not a person. It does not designate ownership of animals.

The second main component of the USDA's NAIS is Animal Identification.

Animals are identified either individually or as a group/lot, depending on species. However, there may be instances where the group/lot identification of animals may be used in other species.

One of three events will trigger the need to inividually identify an animal:

• Change of ownership
• Comingling with animals from another premises
• Interstate commerce

If one of these trigger events occurs, the producer would either tag the animals before the event or make arrangements to have them tagged before they are comingled.

Typical Animal Identification

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Animal Tracking is the final main component of the USDA's NAIS. The following basic information is needed for Animal Tracking: individual ID or group/lot ID (depending on species), premises of the receiving location, and the date of arrival.

How an animal is tracked through the production process:

• First, the premises is identified with a unique premises ID number.
• Each animal would then be individually identified when they leave that operation and enter commerce for the first time. They would be identified with a 15-digit number. The first three digits of that number would be 840 for the U.S.A. This is an internationally accepted standard.
• When the animal is sent to the auction market a "sighting" would be recorded with the date and the premise ID of the auction market.
• This animal is then moved to a feedlot and the date of entry on that premises is recorded along with the premises identification.

Think of animal identification working like the system of vehicle registration. When a vehicle is manufactured, the VIN (vehicle identification number) is assigned at the factory. That number does not change throughout the life of the vehicle. The title of that vehicle may pass through multiple entities throughout its useful life, but the VIN always stays the same.

The official U.S.A. ID tag does not have the premises ID number on it. The number on the tag is a unique number to each specific animal.

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This table is another way of looking at how information about an animal would be recorded.

First, the herd’s premises of origin is given a premises ID (A23L449). Then, the producer purchases a tag with a 15-digit ID number (840 834 502 584 384) on July 12. This is the first event to be recorded. The numbers in the far-right column are the event codes for each event that occurs to the animal. For example, “1” indicates an ID number is allocated.

Next, that animal leaves the herd of origin on October 15 and that event is recorded. The animal is then moved to another premises on October 16 and that event is recorded with the new premises number. On April 4, a sighting is recorded – perhaps the animal is treated or tested by a veterinarian on the premises and that vet reports that he has sighted that animal on that date. On May 4, the animal leaves that premises and is moved to another premises. These events are recorded for each – when the animal left SB3T552 and when it entered 5245G3D. The last event to be recorded would be when the animal is slaughtered at the facility with the premises ID of 442DW31.

This is a complete traceability string on an animal throughout its lifetime.

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This table depicts an alternate chain of events for the same animal. In this scenario, the animal arrives untagged at the sale barn and is tagged with an animal identification number. The animal is scanned and the premises of origin is noted. The animal’s arrival at the market is also recorded. Lastly, the sale of the animal to the new owner is logged. The animal is tagged, scanned, sold on the same day, and all of these events occurred at the same location. This recording was achieved with only one reading of the electronic tag. Next, the animal is moved to a feedlot. Later the animal is moved to the packing plant. The last event recorded is when the animal is slaughtered.

Producers often wonder how data in a national identification system will be used. When looking at a national identification system, it is important to understand that production information would not be needed for disease tracking purposes, but could enable value-added data to flow up the production chain.

The data may be used by producers for production purposes and to gain marketing advantage. This will be discussed a little more in a moment.

Entities like the Southeastern Livestock Network offer the connectivity that will allow data to be collected for both disease traceback and value added programs. The data is then appropriately classified, shared, or protected, as needed. Using this model, both the marketing and regulatory information can be collected in one step and then shared out of that system, eliminating the need to duplicate the efforts of regulatory officials and value added markets.

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This schematic shows in another format how an animal would be tracked through the production chain.

The top shows the information would be gathered and stored in a national database at each point in the production chain when the animal changes locations. This will eventually be mandatory by the USDA. Possible data gathered here would be the dates an animal was “sighted” at the auction market or other locations, when they entered and left feedlots, and when animals were slaughtered.

The structure and control of the National Database is one of the unknowns at this point. It could be either a public or private system but the experience of interacting with either will be very similar at the local level. There is still discussion taking place as to whether the database would be held by a government agency or by a third party. If the data was held by a third party, the appropriate state and federal officials would have access to needed data for the tracking of animals such as in the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak.

The lower portion also shows that data can be gathered by a third party database for potential industry use. The data gathered here could be production, health information, feedlot performance (average daily gain, pounds of feed per pound of gain, and more), and carcass data (quality grade, yield grade, fat thickness, ribeye area, and more). This is the data which can be used by producers to add value to their production practices and to their animals.

For more information on the private industry driven approach, visit the National Cattlemen's Beef Association website.

There are numerous third-party traceback systems available which producers can use. Entities like the Southeastern Livestock Network, which is a consortium of concerned industry partners in the region, have joined forces to offer services to producers and markets to eliminate the need for each individual to cut their own technology deal.

These cooperative efforts offer products and services to small/medium producers and markets at a much reduced cost to what they would experience by themselves. Furthermore, cooperative efforts create uniformity and eliminate confusion at the producer level.

$18.8 million was transferred from the Commodity Credit Corporation to begin to fund the initial phase of the development and implementation of the animal identification system. A portion of these funds was awarded to 29 state and tribal projects to receive a total of $11.64 million to advance the national animal identification initiative.

States and tribes can use the funds to register premises through a standardized system provided by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or through other systems that comply with the NAIS data standards. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) has believed that premises systems are the first priority, or hurdle, that must be addressed before additional work can be completed on a NAIS.

State and tribal plans include collecting intra- and inter-state animal movement records electronically; integrating data collection technologies at livestock marketing facilities and processing plants; tracking livestock imported from other countries; and electronically collecting animal movement data as livestock are loaded on and off trucks and trailers at their ship-from and ship-to locations.

There is another $33 million in the President’s FY 2005 budget for the NAIS, of which a portion will be used to fund additional cooperative agreements to continue the development and implementation of the NAIS.

The implementation of the national system will begin on a voluntary basis and then move towards eventual requirements for premises and animal identification as more is learned during the development and implementation of the system.

The USDA's first priority is to get a National Premises Allocator and Repository in place by 2005. Currently, all 50 states and 5 tribes have in place or are implementing premises registration systems. Other priorities include educating producers, marketers and processors and developing livestock numbering systems, technologies needed, and other aspects of the program.

The Southeastern Livestock Network (SLN) received $97,000 in 2005 to conduct a southeastern regional pilot project to demonstrate tracking in local auction markets. Information is available at http://www.slnllc.com.

As development and implementation of the NAIS progresses, the USDA has three main goals:

• Continue dialog with producers and stakeholders about what is needed
• Continue education of producers, market operators, and others about the system
• Address regulatory and legislative needs such as confidentiality and immunity from the Freedom of Information Act

The Draft Strategic Plan and Draft Program Standards documents can be found at the website at http://www.usda.gov/nais or by clicking on the images below. The comment period ended July 6, 2005.

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July 2005

• All States capable of premises registration
• Animal Identification Number system operational and being tested throughout 2005

July 2006

• Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) operational in all states

April 2007

• Premises registration and animal identification "alerts"
• Reporting of interstate movements using ICVI or electronic movement permit system

October 2007

• Infrastructure established to collect animal termination records at high capacity processors

• Initiate collection of animal movements at concentration points such as auction markets and shipping centers

• Premises registration and animal identification required

• Collection of high percentage of animal termination records at processors
• Collection and reporting of all defined animal movements

• Reporting of defined animal movements required
• Entire program mandatory

It is important to recogzine that market pressure may well accelerate the timeline. However, individuals have the flexibility to decide whether or not to respond to market pressure. Once we move into the arena of a mandatory system, compliance becomes the key to market access.

As discussed earlier, there are benefits of individual animal identification for producers. First and foremost, the NAIS is being built to enhance disease surveillance and management programs. The primary benefits to producers include increased market stability and the reduced likelihood of any one individual operation or animal becoming involved in a disease incident.

The NAIS can also be used by producers as a management tool and a marketing tool. Click on the button below to watch a video clip from Extension Today: On the Air that describes how an animal identification system will benefit producers.

As a management tool, a uniform animal identification program will provide an opportunity for the exchange of valuable information such as performance and carcass data. Coordinated management and marketing programs, delivered by private service providers operating outside the NAIS, can assist producers in accumulating the information. This data can help improve decision-making ability. Remember, this will require intentional effort of several parties and will have additional costs.

For a demonstration of how a producer can collect and input information at the farm by scanning cattle identified with RFID eartags, click on the button below.

As a marketing tool, individual animal identification can provide producers with the ability to market cattle with information which will add value to the cattle -- this is called "process verification". The producer can guarantee how the cattle have been handled, the vaccination program used, etc. This data verification adds value to the animals.

The three important pieces of information that drive value in today's market are age-, source-, and health-verification. There are some markets that provide a value for verifiable genetic information, but those are not widely available.

Age-verification may be established on an individual or group basis. A group age would be the first date of the calving season and it is assumed that all calves are born on that day since it is the oldest they could possibly be.

Source-verification means the animal can be traced to the farm or ranch of birth.

Health-verification is most widely used in organized "Vac 45" programs like CPH45 in Kentucky, Beef Advantage in Tennessee, and many others. Vac 45 programs are systems with defined health and management protocols which include a minimum 45 day weaning period. For more information about CPH45, visit http://www.cph45.com/.

A film clip showing how cattle identified with RFID (radio frequency identification device) eartags are scanned in the marketplace (this example was filmed at the Bluegrass Stockyards in Kentucky) can be viewed by clicking on the button below. First the cattle will be shown going down the alleyway and then being scanned as they pass underneath the walk-thru reader. As the cattle pass through the reader, the lights on top will blink. Then, the cattle proceed into the sale ring and the information from the tag scan appears on the computer screen. That information is then automatically printed in the office of the stockyard.

The Answers

During discussions about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), many practical questions and/or issues may arise. In this module, common concerns and important points about the NAIS will be addressed. To proceed, click on the navigation buttons in the bottom right corner of the screen.

To scroll through all of the Frequently Asked Questions about the NAIS, be sure to use the navigation buttons in the bottom right corner of the screen.

• At this point, it is difficult to quantify what a fully operational NAIS will cost since all components have not been fully developed or implemented.
• For producers, RFID eartags cost approximately $2.00 each in the year 2005.
• Data service providers can charge from $.50 to $5.00 per head for recording and storing animal records.
• It is anticipated that costs will be shared between state, federal, and private entities (porducers, markets, etc.).
• Producers will bear the cost of the tags and costs associated with their application.
• States will deliver and maintain their own premises identification systems.
• USDA-APHIS has a statutory responsibility to protect the national herd.
• State and federal health officials will have access to premises and animal identification data when performing their duties to maintain the health of the national herd

Cattle will be identified with a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID). The animals are tagged with a transponder that can read or write data content using a specified radio frequency. The unique identification number on the tag is then read with a reader/scanner.

For a demonstration of proper RFID tag placement, click on the button below.

There are several types of electronic tags available from different manufacturers. The tags most widely used in the industry and selected by the cattle industry to satisfy the NAIS requirements must meet the following criteria:

• Low frequency (134.2 kHz), RFID, button-type, eartag
• Tamper evident
• 15-digit animal identification number printed on the tag

Pilot data for different eartag systems can be found at the Southeastern Livestock Network website.

To view a video clip of how cattle are tagged with an RFID eartag, click on the button below.

Purebred cattle that are identified with a tattoo in the ear can use RFID eartags without interfering with the reading of the tattoo. Click on the button below to view proper tag placement for purebred cattle with tattoos.

There are also many different types of readers: wands, handheld devices, panels and chute readers.

Click on the button below to see a film clip describing how new technologies are emerging to include wireless reader applications.

There are also many different types of readers: wands, handheld devices, panels and chute readers.

Click on the button below to see a film clip describing how new technologies are emerging to include wireless reader applications.

If cattle are managed according to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) practices and all health/management products are given according to label instructions and documented, liability should be zero.

If a producer participates in animal identification for compliance purposes only, he/she would have no liability. The producer would only bear the risk of becoming involved in a disease incident and that risk already exists today.

If the producer uses animal identification for marketing purposes, then the liability risks are defined by the claims made by the producer in the market.

This is a very important issue that is continuing to be discussed and must be addressed before this system can work as planned. >>>>>>>>>.

• Producers should register their premises with the department of agriculture within the state where that premises is located.
• Producers that keep their animals on multiple farms should obtain a separate premises identification number for each property.

Click Here to obtain a copy of the Premises Registration Form for Kentucky.

• Animal identification is important and is beginning to have value in the market
• The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is coming
• Voluntary at first, but eventually mandatory
• Expensive tags and/or equipment should not yet be purchased for the sole purpose of animal identification compliance
• Tags and equipment can be purchased at this time if they will be used for mangement or marketing purposes
• There is opportunity to take advantage of premiums for early adoption
• The tag alone has no value, working within an organized system provides the value
• Will help reduce the impact of foreign animal disease outbreak or bioterrorism event
• Should help restore and gain export markets
• Should lessen consumer concerns about food safety
• Can result in more information to make management decisions

A certificate of completion is available for this course.  If you wish to receive credit for taking the course, go to http://www.cecp-online.org/, register and/or login, enroll in the course titled, “Animal Identification:  What Does it Mean to the Cattle Industry?”, and complete the course.  A score of greater than 70% on the Final Exam in CECP needs to be achieved in order to receive a certificate of completion.  If you do not need a certificate of completion, you may view the course here in Agripedia.