WLSB and UDAF brand agreement announced

Recently, the Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB) and the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) signed an agreement to allow brands on cattle to be used as official identification for cattle moving between Utah and Wyoming.

This agreement was made in response to changes in official identification requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A virtual informational meeting was held on March 21, the same day the agreement became official.

“We have a large number of cattle moving between Utah and Wyoming each year,” stated UDAF Animal Industry Director Leann Hunting. “This agreement has been made to lessen the burden placed on the many livestock producers who move cattle between our two states.”

WLSB Director Steve True reiterated WLSB does not have any issues with traceability. The board has tracked all proposed changes to the Animal Disease Traceability Rule and is strongly against the application of a mandate in the new final rule.  

True said WLSB believes the 2013 version of the rule has worked well and allowed producers to voluntarily choose the method of official individual ID, which worked best for them.

“When Hunting approached us and informed us of their stance, we began discussing available options, and one of those was brands registered with the recognized authority and accompanied by a certificate, as long as agreed to by the shipping and receiving states, which this agreement does,” True stated.

However, the agreement does not apply to any other states at this time nor does it change the livestock import requirements for Utah and Wyoming. Therefore, producers should check import requirements for both states before making any such movements.

“This is one agreement, and itʼs only for the movement of defined classes of cattle between Utah and Wyoming,” True explained. “We do not have agreements with any other states at this point.”

Clarification

Under federal law, official identification is required for dairy cattle, cattle going to a show, exhibition, rodeo or recreational event or sexually-intact beef cattle and bison over 18 months of age. 

Official identification aids state animal health officials in tracing exposed animals if disease outbreaks occur.

Brands can only be used as the means of official identification if they are registered with the state. There is an agreement between the state of origin and state of destination, and animal movements are accompanied by a brand inspection certificate.

Cattle requiring official identification and those being transported to states without this brand agreement are required to be identified with an official individual identification tag such as an “840” radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or metal tag placed prior to Nov. 5, 2024.

Other official forms of identification are a registration tattoo, if accepted by the state of destination, or a group or lot identification number when allowed.

For additional guidance, Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) under this agreement must comply with the receiving stateʼs import requirements and commuter permit requirements, if applicable.

Also under this new agreement, the brand inspection certificate number and brand inspection certificate must be attached to the CVI, as veterinarians may not issue a CVI until they receive a copy of the brand inspection certificate.

However, CVIs are not required by Utah or Wyoming for cattle going directly to an inspected slaughter plant, cattle returning to the state of origin that grazed on a commuter permit or cattle moving between properties on a contiguous premises permit.

Import requirements

Utah cattle import requirements include a CVI and an import permit if coming from the brucellosis Designated Surveillance Area (DSA).

Another requirement is a brand inspection or proof of ownership, along with the statement, “These cattle have not been commingled with bulls of positive or unknown trichomoniasis status.”

Requirements for females include a brucellosis vaccination or brucellosis test within 30 days of import unless going to a qualified feedlot, and for bulls this includes a trichomoniasis test within 30 days of import for animals over 12 months of age unless they are rodeo bulls or show bulls being imported for a single event.

For dairy cattle, additional requirements include a tuberculosis (TB) test if they are over two months old and a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) test within seven days if they are lactating.

For rodeo cattle, the requirement is a TB test within 12 months of import. 

In the state of Wyoming, cattle import requirements include a CVI, and for all sexually-intact females entering the state, a brucellosis vaccination is required. For sexually-intact females entering the DSA, individual official identification such as an “840” RFID or metal tag applied prior to Nov. 5, 2024 is also required. 

Bulls imported into Wyoming must have a trichomoniasis test within 60 days if they are over 18 months of age unless they are rodeo bulls or show bulls being imported for a single event.

The requirement for lactating dairy cattle includes a HPAI test within seven days prior to import, and for rodeo cattle, additional requirements include a TB test within 12 months of import.

Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.