It's Fair Season!

So here it is, the last day of the month and I’ve realized I have only written one post all month. What a slacker!!! Actually, we have been swamped at the clinic and to be honest when I get home at night, there’s not much energy left to write… Unfortunately, this is one of those “boring” posts with only one picture, but this is what I have been up to for the last few weeks: 

Aside from my routine herd checks, and the sick cows (which have been numerous with the heat), I’ve vaccinated probably close to 200 animals for the fair season. This area has a few pretty big fairs so there are LOTS of animals that need their “fair shots”. “Fair shots” include a respiratory vaccine and a rabies vaccine for cows, and only a rabies vaccine for sheep and goats. They all need an official identification number and a health chart that certifies that animal had no infectious diseases at the time of the veterinarian’s examination. It is easy work, but tedious.

Rabies Vaccine, Respiratory Vaccine and Official ID

Every animal must have an “official” identification number which is a metal tag in cows or a “scrapie tag” in sheep and goats. In the picture to the left you can see the metal tag with an individual number on it. These are cattle tags and are often referred to in New York as “21 tags.” The first two numbers (21 for NY) identify what state the animal was born and raised in. Each state has their own number, ie. Vermont is 13, Maine is 11, etc.  Following the “21” for NY, are three letters and then 4 more numbers. No two of these tags are the same. If an animal is sold and moved across state lines, this metal tag is in their ear and is the lifetime identification as to where that animal originated. No two animals anywhere in the country will have an identical number on their metal tag/scrapie tag.

An individual official identification is part of the animal traceability act that is happening all across the United States. There has been much discussion over the ruling because many farmers and ranchers feel like we already have enough of “Big Brother” watching over us, and this is one more way for them to do so. Unfortunately, what many of these farmers and ranchers don’t realize is the thousands of animals that move across state lines with no identification and possibly carrying infectious diseases with them. In the livestock industry, we are closely monitored with animal movement. Let me just ask you this… How many times have you driven to visit family or friends a state or two away, and taken your dog or cat with you? Have you had a health certificate from your veterinarian with you on every trip? Technically if you are crossing state lines with any animal, you should. In the cattle industry, ANY time an animal is changing ownership, heading for a show, going to an auction or even going to get slaughtered, they must have one of the approved official identifications. 

As an industry, we are not as diligent as we should be with this information. Most sales, cattle shows and auctions will require the appropriate identification and corresponding health certificate. The information then gets sent to the State Department of Agriculture for filing. However, private sale of animals occurs just as, if not more frequently and often does not have the aforementioned documentation. An animal heading for slaughter does not have to have a health certificate, but it must have an official ID.  So, why all the fuss?

 Let’s say I have a really good cow on my farm in NY, which I decided to sell in an auction. The person that buys my cow has a farm in Wisconsin and my animal does not have a “21 tag” in her ear.  Now my animal is loaded on a trailer and hauled from New York, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois up to the farm in Wisconsin and has stopped at other farms along the way, for water breaks for the cow. Well come to find out, my cow is infected with Foot and Mouth Disease (a HIGHLY contagious blistering disease). Now that she is in Wisconsin, multiple cows at the buyers’ farm have all come down with symptoms of Foot and Mouth and require a very strict quarantine to prevent further spread. The farmer in Wisconsin knows he bought a cow at an auction, but has no idea who the seller in the auction was, or what state the animal originated from, because there is no identification tag. Where do we start looking to find other possibly infected animals? How does anyone know where the source of the infection came from??? How can they really quarantine the appropriate animals??? If my cow had a “21 tag” in her ear, State and Federal Veterinarians know to start looking for the source right in NY and can quarantine appropriately. 

Now we haven’t had an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in the US since 1929 and this case may seem extreme, but is used as an example of the reasoning behind the ruling.  The same thought process can be used for diseases such as Mad Cow disease, Rabies, Brucella and numerous other diseases where the point source of a disease is critical to know.  

The regulations are phasing in over the next couple of years, so there is time to comply.  The reasoning behind the ruling makes sense and it’s only a matter of time before the U.S. falls victim to a terribly contagious disease as so many other countries have.  When that time comes, I’m confident all farmers are going to appreciate the headaches they are going through now, to put the special identification in the ears.