Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-3-1-.10 - Testing Of Cattle That Change Ownership

(1) All bulls and female cattle 18 months of age or older, and female cattle that are springers that arrive at livestock markets in Alabama from farms shall be identified by official backtag as required in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 71.18 . All bulls and female cattle 18 months of age or older that arrive at slaughtering plants in Alabama from farms shall be identified to the farm of origin and handled according to Title 9 Code of Federal Regulations, 310.2 (9 CFR 310.2).

(2) No person or persons, except those authorized by the State Veterinarian or Federal Veterinarian in charge, shall remove an official backtag from any animal. All blood samples taken shall be forwarded by the veterinarian or person doing the bleeding to the approved laboratory, whether or not previously tested, for brucellosis testing as deemed necessary by the State Veterinarian. Cattle may also be identified by any other method as may be prescribed by the State Veterinarian.

(3) All cattle 18 months of age or older except steers and spayed heifers returning to farms from a livestock market, shall originate from a Certified Free State or Certified Free Herd or to be tested negative to an official brucellosis test.

(4) Brucellosis reactor cattle revealed on tests at livestock markets shall be handled as provided under Rule No. 80-3-1-.05.

(5) Exposed cattle are bulls and females over six months of age that are part of an infected group or consignment of cattle or that have been in contact with a brucellosis animal in marketing channels for more than 24 hours. They shall be handled as set out below. Exposed cattle revealed in marketing channels may be returned to the farm of origin under quarantine for further testing. All exposed cattle not returning to herd of origin shall be identified by branding with heat, the letter "S" on the left jaw. Cattle branded "S" shall only move under permit to slaughter or to a quarantine feedlot meeting the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 9, Part 78 ( 9 CFR 78).

(6) It shall be the responsibility of livestock markets and slaughtering establishments to carry out subsections (1) and (5) of this Rule. The cost of blood sample collection for brucellosis tests required by subsections (1) and (5), shall be borne by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries or the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, to the extent that funds are available. The cost of blood sample collection under subsections (1) and (5) shall be borne by the seller of the cattle tested when federal and/or State funds are not available for this purpose.

Author: Reginald L. Sorrells

Notes

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-3-1-.10

Filed April 19, 1982. Amended: Filed March 26, 1985. Amended: Filed November 17, 1995 effective December 22, 1995. Amended: Filed May 10, 2001; effective June 14, 2001.

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, § 2-15-170.