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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced new regulations for cattle tagging that require the use of electronic (EID) ear tags. The rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register in May and will take effect 180 days after publication. Currently, the only approved electronic official identification tags are RFID tags.
What is RFID technology
RFID technology is a non-contact automatic identification technology that uses radio frequency signals for two-way communication to achieve automatic identification of target objects and obtain relevant data information. This technology has many advantages, such as no contact, large-capacity data storage, fast identification, high fault tolerance, excellent anti-interference ability and corrosion resistance, while also having a high degree of safety and reliability.
The rule is a solution developed by USDA years ago to improve traceability of dairy beef cattle to prevent livestock disease outbreaks. According to USDA officials, the agency is committed to implementing a traceability system that will track and identify animals from birth to slaughter.
The soon-to-be-enacted regulations target unneutered cattle and bison aged 18 months and older, all dairy cattle, and any cattle or bison used for rodeo or recreational activities.
Less intrusive process
Traditional animal identification requires the user to visually read the printed number on a metal ear tag. Metal tags require manual data entry, increasing the potential for transcription errors.
Store merchandise management
According to USDA, the manual data entry process can also interfere with normal herd operations, increase stress for animal handlers, and increase the risk of injury to animals and handlers.
USDA officials claim that EID ear tags enable faster and more accurate animal identification data collection. One advantage is that veterinarians can access the information more efficiently, with less disruption to the animal or the herd as a whole, and thus less impact on producers and communities.
Tens of millions of cattle will be tagged
Currently, the total number of cattle and bison in the U.S. fluctuates between 85 million and 100 million head annually, including some bison and cattle that move across state lines but are exempt from official identification requirements.
Under the new regulations, all cattle within the specified type and age categories will require an ear tag with a visual identification mark and an electronic RFID chip. If a cow was officially tagged with a visual identification only prior to the effective date of the regulations, producers will not be required to tag the animal again with an electronically readable tag at this time.
All official visual-only tags for cattle and bison that were affixed prior to the effective date of the rule will be considered official identification tags for the lifetime of the animal.
LF and UHF RFID for Livestock Management
Devices approved for EID include 134.2 kHz LF RFID tags that meet the 11784 and 11785 ISO standards, or UHF RFID tags.APHIS has been providing official identification tags for many years. Beginning in 2020, it will provide up to eight million LF RFID tags annually to state animal health officials for monitoring cattle and bison in their states.
APHIS does not recommend specific tag vendors, but tag companies can submit specific products coded with a 15-digit official ID number beginning with "840," the U.S. ISO country code, to APHIS for approval. The agency maintains a list of approved tag suppliers.
Where and how RFID cattle tags are read varies depending on the specific needs of production practices. These practices include how producers market their animals and how they maintain their records. In some cases, foreign beef producers have incorporated RFID tag reading into their own records management and production practices.
In addition, APHIS reports that veterinarians have begun to use RFID in some cases.Most certified veterinarians work for private veterinary businesses or private practices, not the USDA. However, some veterinarians are able to use collected RFID data to upload and track animal health information that can be managed and accessed by the USDA.
