__________________________________________
Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2003 17:43:42 -0600
From: Stan Potratz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: tags for national ID - some answers
Hi folks,
I'll try to answer some of the points raised in today's posts. The tags for the current national scrapie program for most states, including Texas, have a premise number and an individual animal ID. No tag in the nation is ever duplicated (same premise ID number and same individual ID number). The state postal code is part of the database for your premise. States vary according to the premise number form but most use the state post code (IA in the case of Iowa, TX for Texas, etc) followed by a number that is unique for that state. That certainly means that there could be a tag with IA123 and a TX123. Each tag has either a different premise number or different animal number. So Bill Fosher's sheep and my sheep may both have tags with individual ID's 111 but they would have different premise number (because his premise number starts with MA).
A few states have elected to do it differently (OK & TN comes to mind) but they are the distinct minority. It is well know that the early form of plastic tags (long and narrow) were/are problem prone. APHIS has approved the replacement at no charge of these to any producer that wishes to have this occur. Just contact your state office as before and ask for them. The replacement tag is Premier's 2X tag - which has proven to be far more satisfactory in terms of visibility, longevity, retention, etc. It is, as one post noted, more rectangular (actually a triangle on top of a rectangle).
The proposed national tracking system that is to cover a wider range of species will change the premise number system if it proceeds as currently suggested. The premise number will be a unique number --7 digit. It will not include the state postal code. There are some not supportive of this and would like the state postal code to occur on the tag somewhere.
Neither the current national mandatory scrapie ID system nor the proposed national livestock ID system is interested in matching ewes with their lambs so being present at lambing is not an issue. The scrapie ID system is only interested in matching premise of birth with an animal.
The proposed livestock system would go further (if it is accepted) and be able to provide data ( for those select few APHIS people that have permission to access it in time of national disease emergencies) re. which premises (includes farm of origin, auction market(s), livestock show/fair (s), feedlots, and any other farms or ranches) the animal was on in its lifetime prior to slaughter. To do this efficiently it is thought that electronic official ID of some form is the best approach along with automatic readers at the various transfer points. This system is far from being fully sketched out and proven as workable.
I am, along with representatives from an auction market, feedlot, slaughterhouse, purebred flocks, commercial flocks, etc part of a small team that is examining the issue from the sheep industry point of view. We hoped and still hope to take some time (years) to have the system and its components tested and proven before suggesting that the national industry should be asked to comply. Thus we might avoid the clumsy entry that occurred with the mandatory scrapie effort.
Your comments, thoughts and queries re. this are very much welcomed. Even with the BSE cow situation, I'm not convinced that the full electronic ID system with a tag in every sheep and goat that leaves the premise of origin is the optimum answer. But it may happen now no matter what I currently think! Many reasonable and thoughtful people who have looked at this in details are very concerned about the confidentiality issues.
I have heard nothing to date that feed records need to be kept as part of a national ID system.
Best wishes to all during this holiday season. -- Stan Potratz 2031 300th St Washington, IA 52353 800 282 6631
=============================================== This message is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list (http://www.awrittenword.com/listserv/index.html). To respond to this message, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly To search the archives, go to http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
