Animal Health Amendments Would Allow DATCP to Register Premises

By Sarah Watson, Livestock Editor
Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:53 AM CST

The Department of Agriculture and Trade and Consumer Protection held three public hearings across the state last week on proposed animal health amendments including amendments to premises ID, VHS testing, CWD testing, Johne's testing, poultry imports, bovine TB testing, animal truckers and dealers and farm-raised deer.

Premises registration

The new rule would authorize DATCP to register or renew livestock premises for operators. For example, DATCP would register livestock premises on behalf of operators with religious objections of registering themselves.

DATCP must notify the operator of their duty, under law, to register their premises, and of the department's intent of registering that operator. The person could still be penalized for not registering premises when the law came into affect.

The rule would also decrease the renewal period for premises registration. Under current rules, premises must be renewed every year, but the new rule would increase the time-frame to three years.

Fish reports, registration

The rule would allow fish farm operators to register two or more fish farms under a single annual registration certificate. Currently a separate registration certificate is required for each fish farm, even if they are owned by the same operator.

The registration would cover both type 1 and type 2 fish farms, and each farm location and type must be included on the registration.

VHS testing

Veterinarians would be required to report both positive and negative results to DATCP when testing for viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS).

The rule would expand current VHS testing requirements for known VHS-susceptible species and were collected from a wild source in any state with in the preceding 12 months, or kept on a fish farm that received fish or fish eggs of any species collected from a wild source in any state within the preceding 12 months:

- Fish or fish eggs stocked into Wisconsin public waters.

- Fish or fish eggs moved between Wisconsin fish farms.

- Fish or fish eggs distributed by a bait dealer for use as bait. The testing requirement would initially apply to emerald shiners, but not to other major bait species which are not yet known to be VHS-susceptible species. As other species are found susceptible testing would apply. Retail bait dealers are not required to conduct duplicate tests on fish previously tested by a wholesale bait dealer.

The rule would also prohibit selling bait fish of any kind if a seller has reason to know that the bait is affected with VHS or another reportable disease.

Fish movement

This rule would clarify that VHS and other routine disease testing requirements do not apply when operators are moving fish or fish eggs between their own registered fish farms unless the operator knows the fish or eggs are affected with the reportable disease including VHS. DATCP would issue quarantines and other disease control measures to individual farmers when deemed necessary.

Johne's Testing

Under this rule, DATCP adopts the most current 2006 USDA herd testing and classification program for Johne's disease.

Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) authorized technicians would be allowed to take milk samples for Johne's testing.

Imported cattle, TB testing

The current rules exempt imported bovine animals form the requirement of a pre-import TB test if the animals originate from a state that is classified as "TB-free" if that state accepts Wisconsin animals without a TB test.

Under the new rule, the exception does not apply if the state of origin has a confirmed TB-positive herd until the herd is depopulated and all epidemiologically linked herds have tested negative for TB.

Cattle from Mexico

No person may import "M-branded" bovine animals to Wisconsin, except directly to slaughter. "M-branded" animals are animals branded with the letter M, signifying they have been imported from Mexico.

Animal dealers

This rule would eliminate the current requirement of passing a test before initially being licensed by DATCP. It would require animal dealers to transport and handle animals in a safe and humane manner, and requires dealers to record the official individual identification of goats. Lastly, the rule requires animal dealers to record the livestock premises code if known of each premises the dealer receives and ships livestock.

Animal truckers

The rule would eliminate the test requirement before obtaining licensure, and would eliminate the current license exemption for animal truckers that haul animals for other persons fewer than six times per year. Like dealers, it would require animal dealers to transport and handle animals in a safe and humane manner, and requires animal truckers to record the livestock premises code, if known, of each premises the trucker receives and ships livestock.

Slaughter establishments

No person may remove livestock after they have been off-loaded at the slaughter establishment.

Disease indemnities

If the owner of the destructed animal is eligible for state indemnities and if the animal type is not frequently sold at public auction, DATCP must appoint a knowledgeable independent appraiser to determine the value of the animal based on the animal's size, sex, grade or quality, and by relevant information related to prevailing market prices for similar animals.

National Poultry Plan

A flock may not be enrolled in the National Poultry Improvement Plan unless the flock premises has been registered under the livestock premises registration program. The premises ID number must be included on the enrollment application.

Imports

The rule changes the current poultry import requirements. Poultry may not be imported to Wisconsin unless they are accompanied by a valid certificate of veterinary inspection that certifies one of the following:

- They originate from flocks enrolled in the national poultry improvement plan.

- They originate from flocks classified as "U.S. pullorum-typhoid clean" and for turkeys and turkey eggs "mycoplasma gallisepticum clean".

- All test eligible birds have tested negative for pullorum, fowl typhoid, and turkeys - mycoplasma gallisepticum within 90 days of prior import. Tested birds must bear official individual identification, and there may be no change of ownership between the test sampling date and import date.

Llamas and alpacas

Llamas and alpacas imported into Wisconsin must be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection that includes the official individual identification of a llama or alpaca.

Farm-raised deer

A veterinarian who tests farm-raised deer in Wisconsin for CWD must report the results, positive or negative, to DATCP.

This rule would change the annual registration certificate expiration date from Dec. 31 of each year to March 15.

The rule would allow a person keeping farm-raised deer at two or more locations to register under a single herd registration, but are subject to the following:

- All of the herd locations are actively enrolled in Wisconsin's CWD status program.

- The registrant may move farm-raised deer between locations identified in the registration certificate without a certificate of veterinary inspection if all of the following apply: those farm-raised deer are identified with official ID and the registrant keeps a detailed record of movement.

- All farm-raised deer covered by the registration certificated will be treated as members of a single herd for purposes of disease control and movement.

Under this rule separately registered herds may be kept at the same location if they are "medically separated" where each herd is considered separate for the purposes of disease control, movement and enrollment in CWD status program. Movement between these herds must be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection, and registrants must keep a detailed record of each movement.

If the herds are not medically separated, then the herds are treated as a single herd for disease control and movement regardless of location and ownership. They may be moved without vet certificates to locations identified on the registration certificate, and all herds must be enrolled in CWD status program.

CWD tests

Testing is required for all deer at least eight months old and a test sample must be collected within 10 days after the animal dies, is killed or slaughtered or within ten days of originally finding the deceased animal.

Condemnation

A condemnation may specify a reasonable deadline for destruction of the condemned animals, direct an appropriate disease testing and disposition of carcasses, and require the herd owner/custodian to enter into a premises plan as a condition to payment of state indemnities. Application for payments must include proof of compliance with condemnation order.

Herd census

The herd census would also have to include a report of escapes including dates and circumstances, explanation and accounting for overall changes in herd population since previous census and verification by Wisconsin certified vet if required by DATCP or USDA.

Fence certificate

When applying for a DATCP registration certification a copy of the valid DNR fence certificate for each registered location is required.

Hunting preserves

Hunting preserve registration certificate applications would now need to include an estimate of the farm-raised deer population on the preserve by species, age and sex, and the ID numbers of any farm-raised deer on the preserve that have ID numbers. All non-natural additions to the preserve must have two forms of official individual ID, one visible and one implanted.

Disease-free certification

The rule would extend the brucellosis-free certificate from two to three years to coincide with the TB-free certification of three years.

DATCP may transfer herd certification to a new herd owner or grant equivalent status to a new herd created from and existing certified herd, if the herd meets the certification standards and the owner applies for certification within 90 days.

TB slaughter date

The slaughter deadline for deer found to be a TB reactor has been extended to 30 days from the previous 15 days.

Importing

This rule would eliminate current requirements for post-import testing for deer.

Movement within Wisconsin

Currently deer may qualify for movement if it tests negative on two TB tests if the second test is preformed within 360 days prior to movement, the amendment would require a second test be conducted within 90 days prior to movement.

Deer would not be allowed to move between separately registered herds in Wisconsin unless it has been enrolled in the CWD status program for at least five years. If the source herd is located in a DNR CWD eradication zone, it must have been enclosed by a DATCP approved double fence for at least five years.

Comments on amendments

Comments on the proposed amendments will be accepted until Jan. 25. All comments must be sent to Melissa Mace, Division of Animal Health, DATCP, 2811 Agriculture Dr., Madison, WI 53703.

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