Play the Animal ID Game

Are you for or against a National Animal Identification System?  Before you answer, test your knowledge of the animal identification system.  

Are the following statments TRUE or FALSE?

 1. The National Animal Identification System, or NAIS, has as its goal to identify all livestock and premises that have had direct contact with a  disease of concern within 48 hours after discovery.

2. The swine industry will develop a species-specific identification system.

3. The animal identification standards that have been suggested for swine were developed by a group, including pork producers, and consider current industry practices and existing federal movement requirements.

4.The foundation of a successful animal identification system is the premises identification number.

5. Premises registration is the first of three steps included in the NAIS.

6. The information used in premises registration will be banked at the sTaste level and will only be used in case of an animal health emergency.

7. The swine-specific identification standards do not require individual identification of each pig. 

8. Group/lot identification of pigs that meet group/lot requirements is allowed under the NAIS.
 

All of the above sTastements are true.  How did you do? 

The National Animal Identification System debate is heated and misinformation abounds.  Here are some other facts:

• Since 1988, the swine industry has had a working animal identification system in place for hogs moved in intersTaste commerce.

• The industry adopted a premises identification system during the national pseudorabies eradication effort.

• A premises is a location on a map and does not provide livestock ownership information.

• With premises identification, in the case of an animal health emergency, animal health officials can rapidly assess the number of farms and animals affected or at risk.

• With premises identification, animal health officials will be able to inform premises about how to protect their herds if they are in the vicinity of a highly contagious animal disease outbreak.

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture has a document containing more information, questions and myths surrounding animal identification.  Access their Web site at www.animalagriculture.org. 

To find out how to obtain premises registration, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Web site on animal ID at www.usda.gov/nais.  You can also call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-PORK.