Electronic ID moves forward in the Dairy State

I’m not up on the minute details of Wisconsin’s Buy Wisconsin ID system, but the basics are the same as what’s in Michigan and a bunch of other states.
You buy a strip of eartags from the feed store, that set of numbers gets entered as being on your farm. When you run those calves through a sale, the new owner is added to the database on that bovine. Each time it changes hands, the database is updated, either at the sale barn or by the seller. Can do it on line or over the phone. The slaughter Plants enter the chip’s number and it gets taken off the database. Cattle can lose an ear tag, so it isn’t perfect. Nothing is. In Michigan the Ag Department inspect Livestock Sales to make sure the cattle are tagged. Electronic ID is mandatory in Michigan. In WI it is voluntary. More and more cattle buyers are refusing to buy cattle that can’t be back traced. So, if you don’t tag your cattle, you shrink the pool of buyers and that often effects price.
The numbers on the tag can be read by your eyes or with a scanning wand.

A clean bill of health is one thing. If I sell ten heifers to a guy down the road and he wants a vet to test them for everything ....fine. But when they test out OK then what they get/if they come down with something... during his possession becomes his problem or he decides to sell them in a few months and the next guy does the same. Whats to keep one person in that chain to say" We got them from this guy who raised them" but then I could show I had a clean bill of health from the vet.
If they are tagged all the way from the birth to the slaughterhouse, how is anyone going to be able to prove where this disease or that disease come from or originated? Or if they wind up in some feedlot and get something, someone could say well they came from so and so's place!
The only way I see it is to have a vet sign off on your cattle everytime they change hands.
Just like they can pregnancy check a cow or semen test a bull there on the spot.
Before you know it they will mandate a chip in every animal
and you won't be able to do anything without government consent.
This program as I see it is just a very suttle step in that direction...make everybody think it is the best thing for everyone...but then the tags won't be good enough etc, etc.

I totally agree with this. We DONT want this. The mega farms do. They dont have to tag every animal, so I've heard. This came from the mouth of the man who owns the mega dairy down the road from here. He is friend with DH.
They get to have one number per building. Us small people, every animal. I hate it. Its even mandatory to show premise ID for a kid to show in 4H. Even if they only have the animal from spring till fair just for showing, them it's shipped. The tagging is BS. This is big mega farm territory, and big cash crop country. They are the ones who want it, not the family farmer.

The guberdent needs to keep their noses out of it. If they HAVE to do this, it should be required for big ag, and small producers should be exempt, but that will never happen. 'They' want to run the small guys out. Big ag rules the day! Voluntary is where it starts, then its suddenly mandatory, then there is a fee.....

I handle each of my animals on my own. I call the vet if there is an issue. I dont want to export, I sell local. If my critters are sick and dirty, people dont buy from me. End of story.

__________________
www.infowars.com
www.angorafiber.com
Licensed ARBA Registrar

Well said LFG.......... it seems to me that it makes the guy at the bottom of the totem pole the scape goat. the small family farm, independent, self suffencient is a nemisis to Big Ag and they will try anything to run us out of business. when all this becomes mandatory don't think it won't cost and you will have to keep a record of how many cows piles you racked up everyday.

Well according to the news release in the OP, if you don't want it you don't have to do it. It says it is VOLUNTARY and that the database is handled by an INDUSTRY GROUP and not a government body. So if it isn't of any benefit to you, don't do it. But if somebody else wants it and thinks it will make them more money, do you really want to deprive them of it??

"American Angus???" They came from Scotland. That's why the breed code is AA, short for Aberdeen Angus. Yes, they have been here a long time but they are not native. No cattle are. There weren't any cattle in this hemisphere until 1493. I'm proud to be an American, too, but I still don't want to take credit for something that isn't American.

__________________
It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with the simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Let's say a cow shows up at the Slaughterhouse with TB. With the ID, they can see what farms this cow was at through its life. They can check those farms. If they discover TB at one of those farms, they can then open the database and see where the cows are that were
sold off that farm, then check the cows at those farms. Doesn't work 100% if you don't have 100% participation, but a whole lot better than testing every cow in the whole state (as was done in Michigan 12 years ago).
It isn't a fingerpointing deal, trying to access blame.

The US has been lucky. We haven't had a major Foot and Mouth outbreak in many years. But because it is so serious, spreads so fast and cattle move all over the country, getting to the source and stopping movement off that farm quickly is critical to the livelyhood of every farmer. Numbered ear tags and a database is important to me.

Yes, to some folks the next step to cattle ear tags is human implants. Ya de ya da, heard that before.

This is a voluntary Wisconsin program, so I don’t have a dog in this hunt. But, let’s clear up a few misconceptions and add some understanding to what’s real.
Many small producers are in favor of this, in fact the vast majority of Wisconsin cattle and dairy farmers want it.
In the rare situation, they call it “All in, all out”, farmers are allowed one ID number for the whole herd. But, only if all the cattle are in at one time, spend the rest of their lives there and go to slaughter at the same time. Makes sense. If one cow showed up with a disease, it gets traced back to the same farm as all the rest of the cattle in that group. In order to get this “exception”, not one cow from this group can be added or removed. In reality, that isn’t too common.
If you want this same exception, just operate all in/all out, too.
Fairs are powerful breeding grounds for diseases. Even little 4H fairs. Hundreds of animals are auctioned off, become the property of new owners and butchered. If a disease were discovered, how would you ever be able to trace back and warn the farm of origin without ID?
Let’s make small farms exempt from diseases, then there would be no need to traceback.
Don’t know why you mentioned “big cash crop country”, unless this a big guy against the small farmer class envy thing?
Do you understand how the strong export market makes you more money on the local sale of your cattle? Someone is tagging their cattle to meet the requirements of other countries and major domestic buyers (McDonald). That increases demand on US cattle, reduces overall supply and drives up the value of all cattle, even yours. So you benefit from the ear tagging done by others, yet you are still mad at the government over this cattleman’s association voluntary program?

Thanks for the History lesson....a lot of that I did not know.
Here in Ky we aren't property taxed on our cattle...YET! I am sure some day somebody will see it as a revenue cash cow.
I should be able to brand my cattle and have my own custom made eartags and get a premium for my feeder calves but it don't happen. If the buyers wanted it then they would let the stockyards know that. The cattle that a feedlot out west get from me is going to be a whole lot healthier at the point of arrival than after they have been exposed to cattle from all over the country for 30 days. If they said we want to be able to trace these cattle back to the point of origin.....it would be a joke!

Premis ID was voluntary when it started too. Now it's mandatory. You think tagging won't go the same way?

Yes, I agree, the fair is a hot bed for animal diseases. Tagging don't stop it. I know for a FACT, that the primary dairy goat family that shows at our fair has CL in their herd. The goat building is awash in CL bacteriums. If they tagged those goats, its not going to change that. They will still have CL, there will still be the risk of spreading it to my herd, and they will continue to show them.

I still won't allow DD to show goats, because I don't want CL in my herd.

You are also right, many are in favor, but many don't want it. I don't think its appropriate for you to claim the vast majority want it. You don't live here and I don't think you have asked the 'vast majority' either. I realize everyone runs in different circles and I certainly don't know a fraction of the cattle producers in this state, but the ones I know either don't want it, or don't know all the info. When they are informed of both sides of the story, they don't want it.

The non-gov local foods movement here is growing rapidly and people are becoming aware. There is a very thick line between big ag and small farmer, and unfortunately, alot of small farmers fall into the 'big ag' category, simply because they don't know any other way. Those on the other side of the line are educated, independent and conservative. This group is growing fast. More and more don't want the interference or intrusion upon their farms.

__________________
www.infowars.com
www.angorafiber.com
Licensed ARBA Registrar

Thank you for the enlightenment, but if they are raised on my farm they are American Angus.

__________________
Visit the Christian Homesteader
http://farmwoman.proboards.com/index.cgi

Tennesse has had something like this going on in the beef herds for a few years nows. Not sure about the dairys down there. From what I understood the state helped with set up cost and buying the tags to promote better information and tracking of the cattle. My buddy raises beef in the western part of the state was up here and talked to a majior tag manufacture a few yrs ago at the dairy expo. Another thing was to help automize the auction barns.
Bob

Don't be deceived. When they say that this is supported by "producers," they mean megafarmers. Because the small guys realize that this is another step toward complete control of the food supply and an attempt to drive us out of production by increasing our per-unit costs, WE DO NOT SUPPORT IT.

__________________
"Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon."
Nehemiah 4:17

If a $2 ear tag puts your operation into the red, you might as well throw in the towel now.

More likely that your refusal to get on board with this popular program will shrink your customer base and that could reduce any chance for profitability.
YOU DO NOT SUPPORT IT. Fine, don't. But until you survey all the farmers to prove different, I'll believe the report that it is a popular program.

Your beliefs in Michigan do not change the reality in Wisconsin.

__________________
"Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon."
Nehemiah 4:17

I`m with several on here that the MEGA farms are always in favor of a program. If they don`t, they may miss out on some government program with money behind it. When the NAIS was having meetings years ago about the program, most of those that came to the meetings were small farmers that did not want it. Same was the case of those that wanted it, the big boys. And the shear lack of knowing what they were doing was a red flag, they had no idea how they were going to do it, but they were going to do it. NOPE the government can`t tell me they know whats best, only I know whats best. The best thing any small farmer can do is to market all of his own products, ALL of them. Beef,chickens,veggies,milk,pigs,sheep,wool, it doesn`t matter what you raise, sell it yourself. The middle man makes all the money on your products. > Thanks Marc

__________________
Our Diversified Stock Portfolio: cows and calves, alpacas, horses, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, cats ... and a couple of dogs...
http://springvalleyfarm.4mg.com

According to this article, it doesn't look like small or organic farmers in Michigan are supported NAIS, I don't think their opinion has changed just because the government changed the name of the program.

IT'S ELEVEN O'CLOCK, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHICKEN IS? THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND ITS APPLICATION TO SMALL AND ORGANIC FARMERS

__________________
Visit the Christian Homesteader
http://farmwoman.proboards.com/index.cgi

I agree, you can call BULL CRAP something else, but it`s still Bull Crap. > Thanks Marc

__________________
Our Diversified Stock Portfolio: cows and calves, alpacas, horses, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, cats ... and a couple of dogs...
http://springvalleyfarm.4mg.com

That article is over 5 years old, lots has happened in 5 years. Besides, this OP is about a voluntary program in Wisconsin. One of the beefs (sorry) people had with NAIS was that it was mandatory and government run. The Wisconsin program is aimed at promoting Wisconsin beef.

So, the middleman makes all the money? How does a voluntary promotion of Wisconsin beef become a middleman?
You display the signs of class envy when you say when the big boys want something it is a warning call that it will be bad for the little guys.
Then you bring up the off topic "government doesn't know best" comments when this isn't a government program and no one is telling anyone what is best for them.
The blanket advice of marketing all your farm raised products is hurtful to the small farmers. We need to keep our eyes open and maintain several ways to market what we have. Sometimes it is cheaper to let a neighbor be the middleman and take your veggies to the farmers market, when you could be more prodctive at the farm. Sell off the farm when you can, but explore other options, too.

What are you talking about with the "miss out on farm programs" nonsense? What government programs are connected to the Wisconsin Cattle Asso. voluntary program? For that matter what programs would a farmer lose if they didn't cooperate with the NAIS? More class envy?

If you had read the article you would have noticed that it addressed a so-called voluntary status, so even a govenment lackey should have understood that it was an article from the Michicigan State University College of Law and here is a direct quote addressing how small farmers felt about animal ID.

Small and Organic Farmers Speak Out Against the NAIS


"Opposition to the NAIS was slow to develop at first; large producers and livestock associations had been involved in the development of national animal identification from the start and had thus helped to determine its final form. Once small and organic farmers had a chance to see what the NAIS entailed, the cat was out of the bag. The Winter 2006 issue of Small Farmer's Journal featured an editorial and short article on the topic. The NAIS “generated more response than anything [the magazine had] published in 30 years.” In Maine two state agriculture officials were assaulted with “manure pies” at a meeting discussing state animal identification system legislation. The Spring 2006 issue of Small Farmer's Journal featured a short follow-up article by the same author as the first. The Summer 2006 issue featured extensive criticism of the NAIS, ranging from an article titled “NAIS - Nefarious Animal Identification System” to free posters created by the magazine to draw attention to the debate."
Small farmers do not support animal ID, it is being pushed by the government and big agri business.

This link may be six years old, but it shows that Michigan small farmers do not support animal ID.

Farmers Say No to Animal TagsBusinessweek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice - Businessweek

http://www.organicconsumers.org/arti...icle_12529.cfm

No matter how hard you push your agenda, most clear thinking people know it is just another word for NAIS. A rose by any other name smells the same. I wonder why you persist in posting these controversial-type messages unless you are pushing an agenda.

Telling me to shut up or accusing me of spreading hate will not stop me from stating my opinion, these are just liberal tactics of intimidation and suppression.

__________________
Visit the Christian Homesteader
http://farmwoman.proboards.com/index.cgi