Texas Animal Health Commission : TAHC Adopts Cattle Rules for Animal Disease Traceability, Trichomoniasis and Fever Tick Programs

January 31, 2014 at 05:31 pm EST

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NEWS RELEASE

Texas Animal Health Commission "Serving Texas Animal Agriculture Since 1893" Dee Ellis, DVM, MPA ● Executive Director

P.O. Box l2966 ● Austin, Texas 78711 ● (800) 550-8242 http://www.tahc.texas.gov

For more information contact the Communication & PR Dept. at 1-800-550-0710 or at bonnie.ramirez@tahc.texas.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 31, 2014

TAHC Adopts Cattle Rules for Animal Disease Traceability, Trichomoniasis and Fever Tick Programs

AUSTIN - The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) recently held a regularly scheduled
Commission meeting on January 14, 2014, at its Austin office.
The following cattle rules were adopted during the Commission meeting and will go into effect on
Tuesday, February 4, 2014:
• Chapter 50, Animal Disease Traceability, Cattle Identification: This amendment establishes identification requirements for adult cattle being sold within the state of Texas. The rule states that all adult breeding cattle, except cattle going directly to slaughter, shall be permanently identified within seven days of change of ownership. Untagged adult cattle have seven days after purchase to be delivered to a slaughter facility, resold through a livestock market, or have acceptable permanent official identification applied at an "Approved" tagging facility. Slaughter type cattle that will be put on feed prior to slaughter shall also be permanently identified within seven days of purchase.
• Chapter 38, Trichomoniasis, Test Exceptions: This rule allows untested adult bulls to be purchased without a current Trich test, if moved under TAHC permit with official permanent identification. TAHC inspectors will permit untested bulls from a market to either a feeding facility, another sale barn (if the intent is to resell it), or to another physical location given by the buyer. The permit will expire seven days from the date of issuance. The bull cannot be commingled with female cattle during the seven days. At the end of the seven days the buyer must agree to have the bull tested, resold through a livestock market, or deliver it to a slaughter facility.
• Chapter 41, Fever Ticks, New Authorized Treatments: These amendments add new treatment options for the cattle fever tick and expands the TAHC's authority to inspect and treat deer on premises adjacent to infected pastures.
• Chapter 51, Entry Requirements, Trichomoniasis: The rule changes the Trich entry requirements to allow Texas bulls participating in out of state "bull station feeding trials" to return to their Texas farm of origin without a Trich test, if they were maintained in a controlled environment without any contact with female cattle while out of state.

Other rules that were adopted were:
• Chapter 47, Authorized Personnel: This new chapter sets the standards for personnel who perform work in any TAHC regulatory program. It will require a person (both veterinarians and non-veterinarians) to be authorized by the commission in order to engage in an activity that is part of a state or federal disease control or eradication program for animals.
• Chapter 57, Poultry, Indemnity: This rule authorizes the TAHC to depopulate diseased poultry if necessary, and to compensate the poultry owners when applicable.
To view details of all the rules that were adopted, visit http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/regs/code.html.
A number of potential new rules were also proposed for adoption at the January 14 meeting. The TAHC will be accepting public comments on those proposed rules for 30 days beginning January 31. A detailed explanation of the rule proposals will be available on the TAHC website at http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/regs/proposals.html.
Founded in 1893, the Texas Animal Health Commission works to protect the health of all Texas livestock, including: cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats, equine animals, and exotic livestock.
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