This just sucks!!!>>>

[diswick]

*written by Texaspam on the CPEA color board*
NAIS (National Animal Identification System)

If you haven't been brought up to speed - here is the USDA (parent of this fiasco) info on it.

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/about/index.shtml

It's not just "food chain" livestock animals but any "cow, horse, pig, poultry, 'exotic animals', etc".

Premise ID, Animal Micro-chipping (Both GPS readable), Government control/tracking of all movements you do with your horses, etc.

Ag. Corporations will be able to 'lot' ID their animals; chicks, piglets, calves - through the feedlot/grow off process.

Independent animal breeders/owners will have to reg. each animal (Chipping for horses will be on left shoulder and must be done by USDA VET - I don't know too many USDA vets) and report all movement of that animal to the USDA.

This is not a Bill (to become law) because it has never been through Congress - rather it is a USDA ruling.

Essentially, you reg. your property with GPS coordinates (Premise ID - mandatory by 1/2007 and is $XX every year) If you don't have a Premise ID you cannot buy or sell whether it is a private sale or an auction.

Then you microchip your horses with a radio-frequency chip (GPS compatible) on the left shoulder. Must be done by a USDA certified Vet and not all vets are USDA certified.

Then, when you remove your animals from your premises you must file forms with USDA - preferably scan them when they leave your property and scan them when they arrive at the destination.

Now, on that note - if you are active in the show ring - forms before hauling. Have a horse colicing? Forms before hauling to vet. Trail ride with friends? Form before hauling. If you are co-mingling your horses with other horses, gotta tell USDA about it.

In Texas they are saying once 7/1/2006 comes along and you don't reg. the premises it could be up to $1000 a day fine.

You haul your horses without being chipped or form filled out - $1000 a day fine.

NAIS was essentially written for cattle, which normally move from lot to lot, and not a lot of activity with them. But this bill has pulled in almost every type of non-pet animal out there; Llamas, Alpacas, Parrots, Emus, Ostriches, Cattle, Pigs, Poultry, Equine... the list is actually quite long.

USDA is attempting to make "One-size" fit all with this bill and it won't work!

Bush just signed the "Anti-slaughter" bill removing horses from slaughter for human consumption. Goes into effect 3/10/06.

So, if horses can't be slaughtered for human consumption and this bill is to track the movement of livestock through the food chain . . . which takes precedence???

I can't disagree with the initial premise of NAIS but I disagree with the application of NAIS.

Oh, also want to make clear that these tracking forms are not a one-time thing; say 2007 show season , one form won’t cover it. It's a form for every show/trip you make.

A form every time you haul a horse off your property - even to go down the road with your friends from neighboring property.

Haul mares to a breeding farm? Vet? A form for every trip.

I was told the form would have to be filled in prior to the trip off your property . . . now if you haul much at all can you see where this gets to be cumbersome and places more work on the horse owner than owners of other livestock???

And by 1/2009 - it will be too late to make an "issue" of this.

The entire thing (NAIS) has been focused on cattle breeders and poultry.

I know in Texas it was just 'broadcast' the first week of January . . . I've been in touch with TAHC and they just sort of shrugged their shoulders saying "But we've had signs in the cattle sales barns" (Duh, how often do most horse owners go to a cattle sale barn?????)

Huge grass-root effort taking shape in Texas to nullify this - but the effort will have to be done on each State level.

What happens in Texas won't impact what happens in Mississippi.

Contact your State Animal Health Commission and see what they have in place for the horse owners

[cowboy ed]

ok, folks. lets not have chicken little reactions to this.

[CarolU]

There is a lot of misinformation in that post.

1) I've never heard of the chips being GPS readable...considering that it would require a battery that would have to be charged or replaced, I don't believe this.

2) As far as I know, this is not U.S. law - yet. I heard that Texas is trying it to see how it works.

3) Given that there's this much misinforamtion in their post, I would seriously question the rest of it until I have the facts.

I'll have to search the USDA site, right now I can't find it. I believe AQHA is following it closely and has a page dedicated to it...but I don't have time to find it right now.

On one hand I think microchipping all horses can be good....it would put an end to horse stealing for slaughter for one thing.

But, I don't trust our government for a minute! I think once the horses are chipped, there will be a 'fee' everytime you do anything with the horse to cover the cost of record keeping.

At the moment, the USDA microchipping issue does not apply to horses. It applies only to food animals such as cattle, chickens, sheep, etc. IF they do apply this to horses it will involve filing forms with the USDA for any horse that is going to be off the original property FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS.

If you take your horse somewhere for a show or to the vet or any place that requires less than 30 days absence, you won't need to file forms. Sales of horses from the original property will require the filing of forms, and I suspect that no horse will be permitted to be sold without the proper paperwork (or the seller being willing to pay the fine.)

This ruling will result in fewer stolen horses, but if they are stolen, they will be more easily tracked because of the GPS capacity of the chip, and breeders not selling "substitute" horses. Some breeders will advertise one horse, but actually sell a similiar but different horse. Once the horse is microchipped, the chip has to be removed surgically and the surgery will leave a tell-tale scar. I suspect the chip will also contain all the breeding/registration information for that horse. Identification of registered horses will be made far easier, therefore.

That is IF horses are included in this program. That is still an open question.

Rita

[Linda Y]

Microchip *chickens*? Boy, I hope they are going to be free! We just had the dogs microchipped, and it was $35 a pop! Even the HSUS charges $15. That would certainly put the poultry business under.

[SQUEAKS]

I have been in touch with both Florida Dept of Animal Industry and Florida already has some of these things. One program is called (FAIP) or Florida Animal Identification Program. They also now have a card you can get from their department for both intrastate and interstate transportation of equines. Check out their website.

http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/ai/

Bob

[pasogalinbama]

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/newsroom/index.shtml
this is the wed page for the usda.

[Monty]

This is what is set up in Wisconsin - and yes we are registered - just have to change address if you move them -

http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/premises/instructions.jsp

[CarolU]

Like I said, it DOES PAY to read the fact sheets before you get too worked up about anything...I just did...as an example:

Q. Will This be a Mandatory Program?
A.USDA and its cooperators are working toward developing a national program that will allow us to rapidly track animals exposed to a disease concern and that will meet the needs of animal owners, animal industries, domestic and international markets, and consumers.

The system needs to be tested to be sure it is effective and workable. While the NAIS is being developed and refined, producer participation will be voluntary. As the system continues to take shape and is tested for all livestock and food animals, USDA will reassess the need for making some or all aspects of the program mandatory. Some States, such as Wisconsin, have passed laws to make certain components of an animal identification program mandatory in areas under their purview.

Eventually, USDA may move toward a requirement for mandatory premises and animal identification for all species included in the system. If USDA does decide to make all or parts of the NAIS mandatory, we will follow the normal rulemaking process. The public will have the opportunity to comment upon any proposed regulations.


So, right now it is voluntary, unless the state or tribe or organization you're in or with have adopted it. As an example, many futurities are requiring chips so animals can't be substituted. Many countries are now requiring chips for import/export.

Here is a whole fact sheet with questions and answers:

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/newsroom/factsheets/nais_qa_factsheet.shtml#1

I also looked into GPS tracking technology and no, it is not possible to track by GPS through a microchip - yet! Even the chips they have for kids only allow 'tracking' if the reading device is quite close to the chip. Most chips require a close reader, like a barcode reader.

The tracking they are referring to is tracking (ear tags, leg bands, brands, tatoos, chips, whatever system is adopted locally) animals as them move around - from farms to feedlots to slaughter houses. Etc. It says USDA is not establishing one technology universally.

I am sure we will eventually have something. The ability to track and quarenteen is too important to ignore. But, what our government does with the information is something we should all be concerned about.

BTW - I did find that there was a HUGE backlash to idea of chipping kids. Too "Big Brother"....so, we'll see.

[Wendy]

This is the Tennessee link to it's animal ID program http://www.tennessee.gov/agriculture/tpis/index.html

I have already signed up and I personally like the idea of knowing if a particular area or herd has contagious diseases. And being able to trace back other animal that might have come into contact with them. I could save animal and people lives. I was planning on microchipping my horses anyway so now the local stockyards will have to check for microchips when animals come through.

[SandyMM]

From the Tennessee website... includes horses.... note bold.....

State of Tennessee. Step two is individual animal identification and tracking. At least to start, we will concentrate on step one and register as many premises as possible. Registration of premises and individual animals will become mandatory January 2008. Reporting of individual animal movement will become mandatory January 2009.