Whether or not you’re aware of the new electronic identification (eID) traceability ruling from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which went into effect Nov. 5, 2024, these new guidelines are likely to affect you soon. However, in the case of bull buyers looking for new herd sires in surrounding states, the new ruling isn’t likely to cause much heartburn. In this month’s edition of “From the Field,” we visited with regional managers Radale Tiner and David Gazda to learn more about bull-buying trends in their regions and what buyers can expect this sale season.

The nitty-gritty

At its heart, the USDA APHIS permanent eID tagging guidelines are designed to safeguard the U.S. cattle herd from any potential animal disease outbreak and the result of its spread. While minimum nationwide identification and documentation rules have been in place since 2013, the Nov. 5 deadline solidified requirements for outlined classes of cattle and bison.

According to USDA APHIS, those outlined classes include the following animals: (1) sexually intact and 18 months of age or older; (2) all female dairy cattle of any age, and male dairy cattle born after March 11, 2013; (3) cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo or recreational events; and (4) cattle and bison of any age used for shows or exhibitions.

While the classes of cattle affected haven’t changed, cattle producers need to be aware of updated rules moving forward. Each state has its own animal health rules that apply when moving animals across state lines. While bull sellers are likely to have taken known rules for surrounding states into account, potential bull buyers should visit with their veterinarian ahead of time to determine need-to-know mandates, says Tiner, who serves as regional manager for Texas and New Mexico (Region 9).

“I encourage potential bull buyers to visit with their veterinarian prior to sale day, because these rules and regulations can differ so much from state to state,” he notes. “Bulls going to New Mexico, for example, are required to have a trichomoniasis [commonly known as trich] test completed prior to arrival in the state.”

Bull sellers familiar with this rule will often offer trich testing as a service to their customers, says Tiner, but being aware of a potential delivery delay while waiting on testing results of any kind could be crucial information for buyers.

Age is a factor

There’s no doubt that age-advantaged bulls are a hot commodity throughout the country. The same rings true for producers operating in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, explains Gazda, regional manager for Region 2.

While yearling bulls are still a viable option for commercial buyers in his part of the country, the preference for older bulls in recent years is quite noticeable, he says.

“In the fall of the year, we are primarily selling 2-year-old bulls because a big part of my territory would be fall-calving — anywhere from August through the end of December. A lot of those bulls will go to Florida to larger commercial herds,” explains Gazda, noting that yearling bulls have their time to shine in the spring sales. “January through the middle of March will be our spring sale season. We’ll sell primarily yearling bulls there with a few 2-year-olds sprinkled in.”

The same rings true in Region 9, with Tiner noting that while some yearling bulls are still being successfully marketed, the dollar seems to indicate buyers prefer older bulls. But with the new eID regulations in place, can buyers rest assured that sellers have them covered if bulls are traversing state lines?

The short answer is yes. Health papers and specific disease testing dependent upon the destination state have been something bull sellers have helped buyers with for years. While eID is new and tagging is an operation-by-operation decision, bull sellers with a steady multistate customer base are likely to have everything covered.

“The new rules in place might seem intimidating, but buyers can rest assured that bull sellers have likely already considered mandated rules when it comes to transporting bulls,” Tiner says. “Almost all bull sales will either have health papers completed ahead of sale day or have a veterinarian on site able to complete any necessary paperwork or tagging.”

While age-advantaged bulls older than 18 months will need to be tagged with an 840 eID tag prior to leaving the state, it’s important to note that bulls purchased from a single-operation production sale that are under the age of 18 months can travel across those same state lines without an applied 840 per the nationwide guidelines. State guidelines, however, may differ. It all comes down to awareness and education, whether you’re the bull buyer or bull seller.

Additional resources:

• Breakdown of new eID guidelines from the American Veterinary Medical Association

• “U.S. State and Territory Animal Entry Requirements”

Editor’s note: “From the Field” is a regular Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA column featuring advice, industry news and Angus updates from regional managers of the American Angus Association. For information on how to contact your regional manager, click here.

Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, Vol. 16, No. 12-B