date:May 20, 2013
n deciding how animals will be identified an important concession to cattle ranchers in western states, where brands are still commonly used.
The program covers a range of livestock, but much of the focus has been on cattle partly because aggressive programs to fight diseases such as sheep scabies have already resulted in widespread identification of those animals, said Neil Hammerschmidt, APHIS' animal disease traceability program manager. Tracking cows has been less of a concern over the pas