The absence of individual animal identification may leave your cattle at risk during a disease outbreak.

Consider the following:

• Less than half of adult cattle - 45% - have any form of USDA official identification

• The number of heifers identified as part of the Brucellosis Eradication Program has declined by 55% since 1992

• About half of cows and heifers have no form of individual identification

• Identification is frequently removed when cattle arrive at feedlot and stocker operations, even though 75% have ID when they arrive

Individual animal ID can help trace the source of a disease outbreak and locate all affected and at-risk animals. Reduced use of individual animal ID can mean slower, less effective disease investigations. For example, recent bovine tuberculosis tracebacks took as long as 199 days - allowing the disease to potentially spread unchecked for more than six months.

For these reasons and more, expanded use of individual animal ID in the cattle industry is a high priority.

Using NAIS-Compliant 840 Eartags

You can use 840 eartags whenever you need official individual animal ID. These tags are already used in Federal and State animal health programs and to facilitate interstate movement. In this role, they help enhance animal disease response. But they can also be used to support participation in industry programs and marketing opportunities, including Country of Origin Labeling (COOL).

You can buy 840 visual only eartags or ones with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Each tag is imprinted with the standardized 15-digit animal identification number, or AIN, that begins with 840, the numeric code for the United States. An AIN stays with the animal throughout its life.

To start using 840 eartags, take the following steps:

• Obtain a Premises Identification Number (PIN). Contact your State or Tribal animal health official to obtain a PIN. For further information, go to www.usda.gov/nais/getPIN.

• Order your 840 devices. Veterinarians, breed registries, and industry organizations may sell 840 devices or be good contacts for finding local sources for devices. For more information, go to www.usda.gov/nais/840.