Individual Animal Identification


Considering that an estimated 51% of U.S cow-calf producers do not use ear tags or any form of individual animal identification for calves born on their operations, and 35% of producers do not identify their cows or calves, the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Producer Applications Committee hosted a discussion regarding the benefits of individual animal identification. The discussion took place May 30, 2003, during the 35th Annual BIF Meeting in Lexington, Ky.

According to Matt Perrier, director of commercial programs for the American Angus Association, individual identification is a profitable practice when tied to a recordkeeping system, allowing for evaluation of individual animal performance, as well as reproductive performance of the breeding herd. Along with being an essential tool for in-herd comparisons and genetic selection, individual identification is essential to source verification and genetic verification requirements of value-added beef marketing programs.

University of Kentucky Extension Professor John Johns cited examples of programs, such as the Five-State Beef Initiative, that are designed to help producers with small herds coordinate genetic selection and management practices necessary to take advantage of marketing options with greater profit potential. Johns said participating producers commingled their individually identified calves to have them finished and marketed collectively. Collection and return of detailed feedlot performance and individual carcass data allowed participants to evaluate their respective breeding programs and address weaknesses through genetic selection.

Paris, Ky., producer Nelson Curry explained how producers in his area collectively adopted a common protocol for managing and marketing their weaned calves. All individually identified, the calves were commingled and then sorted into uniform packages for marketing. The combined volume of sized, preconditioned and source-verified feeder calves represented added value to buyers.

With regard the controversial concept of a mandatory national identification system, using technology such as electronic identification tags, Perrier suggested that a national system initiated by the beef industry might be more producer-friendly than a government mandated program.

— by Troy Smith