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NAIS helps protect livestock industryOklahoma The Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service is joining forces with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, in an effort to encourage youth awareness of the National Animal Identification System. It is important to establish an animal information system in order to support animal disease control, eradication, monitoring and surveillance programs, said Rusty Gosz, Extension youth livestock specialist. "The purpose of the NAIS is to identify animals and track them as they come in contact with animals other than herd mates from their premises or geographic location of origin," Gosz said. "Premise registration is the first step you can take to protect your investment in Oklahoma's livestock industry. A database of locations where livestock are produced, raised and kept will help animal health officials. The overarching goal is to have the capability to identify all animals and premises that had direct contact with a diseased animal within 48 hours after discovery." An added bonus for taking part in the NAIS is a $15 incentive that will be provided to the Oklahoma youth programs with $10 going to the 4-H county or FFA chapter and $5 going to either the 4-H Foundation or the FFA Foundation for youth livestock program support. The ODAFF will provide the incentive for the first 6,000 premises registered before Dec. 31. Registration must be on the youth incentive forms in order to receive the incentive, not online forms or standard forms from ODAFF. Gosz said animal tracking is one way to help prevent the spread of disease. "If an animal has been diagnosed with a disease, the NAIS allows officials to track the diseased animal and other animals exposed to the disease," he said. The four key data elements of the program include a uniform premises identification system; a uniform and nationally recognized individual animal numbering system; a uniform and nationally recognized numbering system for groups or lots of animals; and a uniform numbering system for non-producer participants such as tag distributors, animal health officials or laboratories. "Now is a great time to register your livestock premises, whether it's a farm, production site, feed yard or livestock market," Gosz said. "The whole project is a huge undertaking. At this time it's completely voluntary and premises registration is free of charge. Currently, cattle are the first priority, but the system will eventually focus on all livestock." After the initial registering process, individual animal identification is the next step. Each animal will receive a 15-digit code. The first three numbers represent the country where the animal is located and 840 is the identity number for the United States. That three-digit code is followed by a 12-digit animal number. When applicable a group/lot of animals will be identified as the entire group moves through the production chain as one unit. For more information about the NAIS, go to www.OKanimalID.com or call ODAFF at 405-522-6138. Date: 11/22/06
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