National Animal Identification Program Now Voluntary

On November 22, 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that the National Animal Identification(NAID) Program will be voluntary due to strong resistance from ranchers and livestock producers.

The Animal ID program would have been another measure for producers to provide traceability within their herds. Various producers have questioned the intrusion onto the farm by the program, as well as the need for a separate ear tag for each animal. Read more about this story on these Web sites: Radio Iowa; Agriculture Online; Corsicana Sun; Farm Futures.

South Dakota University Develops Drug-Free Cattle Profitability Tool

Courtesy AP/Dow Jones Newswires

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) – The South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service has created a natural cattle spreadsheet as a tool for owners to determine whether their livestock – free of growth-enhancing drugs—could be profitable, the Aberdeen American News reported. 

With changeable estimated or default data from a SDSU test, owners may look at traits such as the weight of feeder calves, the cost per 100 pounds, the average daily gain and the cost of rations listed on the spreadsheet.

Since the diet cost of natural cattle – receiving no antibiotics for faster growth – is more expensive than for conventional feeder cattle, owners have to make sure they can contract for a premium price. Cattle buyers are often willing to pay a premium because demand is high.

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