Regulations – Chapter 09 – Livestock Sales

By virtue of authority granted the Mississippi Board of Animal Health under the provisions of the State Laws governing the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, and particularly Miss. Ann. Code 69-15-9, 69-15-107, 69-15-115, the following regulation is adopted governing the movement of cattle through livestock markets, commission markets, stockyards, public auctions, or other places of livestock trading located and operated within the State of Mississippi. For purposes of this regulation, a livestock trading place is defined as any place, public or private, where cattle are assembled for the purpose of sale or resale based upon the purchase price of such cattle in an approved livestock market on the sale-day listed in the livestock market facility agreement.

(Amended September 14, 2007.)

ANIMAL TRACEABILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. Slaughter Cattle: All cattle of age and class, that are consigned to slaughter, must be back tagged by market personnel with tags furnished by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health and the United States Department of Agriculture. Back tags shall be applied in accordance with instructions issued by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health. The proper location for slaughter cattle shall be in the small hollow behind and near the top of the shoulder. Back tags shall be removed only by persons authorized by the Board. The livestock auction market shall provide necessary facilities for carrying out this requirement and shall make available the complete name and address of the person selling such animals.
2. Cattle Back to Farm: Adult cows and bulls (as evidenced by one permanent incisor in full wear) shall be ear tagged with Official Identification provided by the Board of Animal Health and the United States Department of Agriculture prior to leaving the stockyard, with the ear tag matched with the back tag and recorded as directed by the Board of Animal Health. Such animals already identified shall have the official identification matched with the back tag in such form as directed by the Board of Animal Health.
3. Use of More Than One Official Ear Tag: No more than one official ear tag may be applied to an animal, except that:
   1. Another official ear tag may be applied providing it bears the same official identification number as an existing one.
   2. In specific cases when the need to maintain the identity of an animal is intensified (e.g., such as for export shipments, quarantined herds, field trials, experiments, or disease surveys), the State Veterinarian may approve the application of an additional official ear tag to an animal that already has one or more. The person applying the additional official ear tag must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for 5 years: the date the additional official ear tag is added; the reason for the additional official ear tag device; and the official identification numbers of both the new official ear tag and the one(s) already attached to the animal.
   3. An ear tag with an animal identification number (AIN) beginning with the 840 prefix (either radio frequency identification or visual-only tag) may be applied to an animal that is already officially identified with one or more National Uniform Ear tagging System tags and/or an official vaccination ear tag used for brucellosis. The person applying the AIN ear tag must record the date the AIN tag is added and the official identification numbers of both official ear tags and must maintain those records for 5 years
   4. A brucellosis vaccination ear tag with a National Uniform Ear tagging System number may be applied in accordance with 9CFR part 78 to an animal that is already officially identified with one or more official ear tags under this part. The person applying the vaccination ear tag must record the date the tag is added and the official identification numbers of both the existing official ear tag(s) and the vaccination ear tag and must maintain those records for 5 years. 1
4. Removal or loss of official identification devices:
   1. Official identification devices are intended to provide permanent identification of livestock and to ensure the ability to find the source of animal disease outbreaks. Removal of these devices, including devices applied to imported animals in their countries of origin and recognized by the USDA APHIS Administrator as official, is prohibited except at the time of slaughter, at any other location upon the death of the animal, or as otherwise approved by the State Veterinarian when a device needs to be replaced.
   2. All man-made identification devices affixed to covered livestock unloaded at slaughter plants after moving interstate must be removed at the slaughter facility by slaughter-facility personnel with the devices correlated with the animal and its carcass through final inspection or condemnation by means approved by the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS). If diagnostic samples are taken, the identification devices must be packaged with the samples and be correlated with the carcasses through final inspection or condemnation by means approved by FSIS. Devices collected at slaughter must be made available to APHIS and FSIS by the slaughter plant.
   3. All official identification devices affixed to covered livestock carcasses moved interstate for rendering must be removed at the rendering facility and made available to APHIS.
   4. If an animal loses an official identification device and needs a new one:
      1. A replacement tag with a different official identification number may be applied. The person applying a new official identification device with a different official identification number must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for 5 years: The date the new official identification device was added; the official identification number on the device; and the official identification number on the old device if known.
      2. Replacement of a temporary identification device with a new official identification device is a retagging event, and all applicable information must be maintained in accordance with paragraph (4)(d)(i) of this section.
      3. A duplicate replacement ear tag with the official number of the lost tag may be applied in accordance with USDA APHIS’ protocol for the administration of such tags.
   5. Replacement of official identification devices for reasons other than loss.
      1. Circumstances under which the State Veterinarian may authorize replacement of an official identification device include, but are not limited to:
      1. Deterioration of the device such that loss of the device appears likely, or the number can no longer be read.
      2. Infection at the site where the device is attached, necessitating application of a device at another location (e.g., a slightly different location of an ear tag in the ear).
      3. Malfunction of the electronic component of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device; or
      4. Incompatibility or inoperability of the electronic component of an RFID device with the management system or unacceptable functionality of the management system due to use of an RFID device.
      2. Any time an official identification device is replaced, as authorized by the State Veterinarian, the person replacing the device must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for 5 years:
      1. The date on which the device was removed.
      2. Contact information for the location where the device was removed.
      3. The official identification number (to the extent possible) on the device removed.
      4. The type of device removed (e.g., metal ear tag, RFID ear tag).
      5. The reason for the removal of the device.
      6. The new official identification number on the replacement device; and
      7. The type of replacement device applied.
   6. Sale or transfer of official identification devices. Official identification devices are not to be sold or otherwise transferred from the premises to which they were originally issued to another premises without authorization by the State Veterinarian.

Source: Miss. Code Ann. §69-15-3.

It shall be the duty of the operator or manager of each livestock barn, commission barn, or auction sale or place of livestock trading to notify the State Veterinarian by writing 30 days prior to holding such sales.

Amended: May 5, 2014

Source: Miss. Code Ann. §69-15-3.

Any cattle which are showing any signs of sickness or symptoms of contagious and infectious diseases will not be allowed to be offered for sale and shall be quarantined to the original shipper’s premises or original owner’s premises.

This regulation shall apply to all animals so classified, which are brought to or taken from all livestock sales wheresoever located, whether said animals are sold, traded, or offered from sale or not, and whether said animals are sold by the pound, head, or otherwise.

The operator or manager of each livestock barn, commission barn, or auction sale or place of livestock trading shall select and have employed during sales an accredited veterinarian who shall be specially approved by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health to render professional veterinary services and advice necessary to comply with this regulation. The veterinarian employed shall have the authority to represent the Mississippi Board of Animal Health in supervising the full compliance with this regulation. He shall keep any and all records required by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health to properly identify the movement of cattle going through each place of business.

Any operator or manager of a livestock barn, commission barn, auction sale, or other place livestock trading shall be guilty of a violation of this regulation upon failure to select and employ an accredited veterinarian or who shall, in any way, interfere with, obstruct, or fail to fully cooperate with such veterinarian or representative of the Mississippi Board of Animal Health in the performance of duties under this regulation and shall be the performance of duties under this regulation and shall be subject to prosecution as provided by law for any such failure.

The above regulation supplements all previous livestock sales regulations pertaining to cattle. (Chapter 01 adopted by the Mississippi Board of animal Health on October 4, 1978, to become effective on and after January 1, 1979. Adopted by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health on November 14, 1986, to be effective on and after January 2, 1987. Revisions occurred due to the regulation passage by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health on September 8, 1998, concerning age or status of brucellosis test eligibility. (Amended 3/01 to change definition of test eligible animals. Amended September 2009 to remove testing requirements)

Source: Miss. Code Ann. §69-15-3.