New authorized treatments for cattle fever tick, cattle identification and entry requirements and test exceptions for trichomoniasis (trich) were part of four cattle rules adopted during the Texas Animal Health Commission’s (TAHC) recent meeting.
TAHC’s authority to inspect and treat deer is expanded to premises adjacent to infected pastures and new treatment options for the cattle fever tick were added. The rule regarding cattle identification requires all adult breeding cattle, except cattle going directly to slaughter, to be permanently identified within seven days of change of ownership. Trich exceptions allow adult bulls to be purchased without a current trich test, if moved under TAHC permit with official permanent identification. Texas bulls participating in out of state “bull station feeding trials” will be allowed to return to their Texas farm of origin without a trich test, as long as they were maintained in a controlled environment without any female cattle contact.
These rules will go into effect Feb. 4, 2014.
To view details of all the rules that were adopted, visit http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/regs/code.html.
Potential new rules were also proposed for adoption during the meeting. Public comments on those proposed rules will be accepted for 30 days beginning Jan. 31. The rule proposals are available at http://www.tahc.state.tx.us.regs/proposals.html.