Atypical BSE

[bucket]

BSE isn’t infectious so not sure the PID would work to inform neighbours. However it and the CCIA tags seemed to work alright for the TB case. CCIA worked as well for the last BSE case in 2015.

Does a CCIA tag tell the history of where an animal goes after the farm...which feedlot ...which slaughterhouse?

Off topic but curious.

[Blaithin]

Does a CCIA tag tell the history of where an animal goes after the farm...which feedlot ...which slaughterhouse?

Off topic but curious.

It’s supposed too. I know at feedlots all animals are scanned at arrival. I believe they also are at auction marts?

I can sign into my CCIA account and it tells me when an animal I had has been terminated or whatever word it uses. I can’t see the trail of where it went from here but I can see it’s been slaughtered or died.

[shtferbrains]

As a small producer how do you handle putting in RFID tags Blaitin?

Can you do a mature bull before shipping?

[GDR]

It’s supposed too. I know at feedlots all animals are scanned at arrival. I believe they also are at auction marts?

I can sign into my CCIA account and it tells me when an animal I had has been terminated or whatever word it uses. I can’t see the trail of where it went from here but I can see it’s been slaughtered or died.

Dont believe those scanning records get uploaded to ccia, only at slaughterhouses. If there is a problem they will come back to you and you need to provide details of exit from your operation. No one does it I realize but you are supposed to keep records of every movement of the ccia number off your homestead premises ID, and therefore they need tagged before movement. Even going to pasture across the road or to the vet or whatever.

Like the question of tagging a mature bull on the way to market, we all do that but technically they are to be tagged on birth farm and when tags are lost they are to be retagged and recorded as such.

Out of simplicity I tag all my calves at birth but do not replace a lost tag till they are getting their last trailer ride to town. I would bet the chance of an aged cow to still have it's original tag from birth is 25% or less. System sucks but guess the charade makes the world feel safe and accept our beef?

This current BSE cow is not an issue to markets at all.

[bucket]

I do wish the tag numbers as the cow or calf gets slaughtered would be deleted off the database.

I look at the tags I have bought since it started and can't legitimately delete them as the retained heifers with one of those tags could still be on the farm.

IMHO once the animal hits the slaughter, that tag should be off file.

You would think the database would be allowed to do that.

[Blaithin]

I think the program has got better IF you do the record keeping in an organized way. I don’t Lol But I only have a small number so I could theoretically go through and know which ones went where and stayed. The ones that have been slaughtered go bright red I believe, on the CCIA site, so it wouldn’t be hard to translate that to ones own records.

Shtferbrains, I can’t do a mature bull here, no. However if I take any stock to the auction and they don’t have RFID tags then the auction charges to install them. (I’m skeptical the auction actually does this, they just charge for it) Now if the auctions actually started doing this, or do do it, then the records should technically trace back to me anyway.

Similar to GDR I tag everything as calves when I can easily do it. Periodically they lose the tag so I then retag if and when I need too. If their original tag has already been input into the system then I can link the new tag to the old tag. If I haven’t uploaded anything then I just put the new tag in and it’s like the old tag never got used.

It also seems to be a very common practice in private sales of sending a button in a bag along with any animal bought. Which is probably exactly how the CFIA prefer they be used hahaha……

[mcfarms]

Dont believe those scanning records get uploaded to ccia, only at slaughterhouses. If there is a problem they will come back to you and you need to provide details of exit from your operation. No one does it I realize but you are supposed to keep records of every movement of the ccia number off your homestead premises ID, and therefore they need tagged before movement. Even going to pasture across the road or to the vet or whatever.

Like the question of tagging a mature bull on the way to market, we all do that but technically they are to be tagged on birth farm and when tags are lost they are to be retagged and recorded as such.

Out of simplicity I tag all my calves at birth but do not replace a lost tag till they are getting their last trailer ride to town. I would bet the chance of an aged cow to still have it's original tag from birth is 25% or less. System sucks but guess the charade makes the world feel safe and accept our beef?

This current BSE cow is not an issue to markets at all.

We track all pasture and other moves as anyone who is certified under the verified beef production program tracks each movement , even pasture moves. We have a simple google forms program that whoever is doing the move or treatment can enter the information into their smartphone quickly and easily and it is immediately in our database in the office. very easy to do. works well for tracking data and looking back at incidents or simple things like bull turn outs and pull dates. We track calving , vaccination deaths and other stats with 4 varied electronic forms each of which is quick to do as they have a series of questions with drop down menus, the time and date of entry is automatically captured by google forms. . As far as tags we've taken it another step as the plastic in the tags are so poor and retention rates are varied, each cow on our farm is freeze branded as a heifer with a simple 4 digit code that allows us to quickly replace any lost tags either RFID or dangle and maintain traceability. One friend uses florescent tatoo ink to do the same thing, but he can't drive by and tell you how old a cow is without running her through the chute we can.

[GDR]

We track all pasture and other moves as anyone who is certified under the verified beef production program tracks each movement , even pasture moves. We have a simple google forms program that whoever is doing the move or treatment can enter the information into their smartphone quickly and easily and it is immediately in our database in the office. very easy to do. works well for tracking data and looking back at incidents or simple things like bull turn outs and pull dates. We track calving , vaccination deaths and other stats with 4 varied electronic forms each of which is quick to do as they have a series of questions with drop down menus, the time and date of entry is automatically captured by google forms. . As far as tags we've taken it another step as the plastic in the tags are so poor and retention rates are varied, each cow on our farm is freeze branded as a heifer with a simple 4 digit code that allows us to quickly replace any lost tags either RFID or dangle and maintain traceability. One friend uses florescent tatoo ink to do the same thing, but he can't drive by and tell you how old a cow is without running her through the chute we can.

Have you been able to secure any higher prices as a result of the verified beef program? I assume to capitalize you would either have to make a private calf sale or sell as fat cattle direct to a specific packer?

I like the freeze brand idea, does that present any confusion with the brand inspectors?

[woodland]

We track all pasture and other moves as anyone who is certified under the verified beef production program tracks each movement , even pasture moves. We have a simple google forms program that whoever is doing the move or treatment can enter the information into their smartphone quickly and easily and it is immediately in our database in the office. very easy to do. works well for tracking data and looking back at incidents or simple things like bull turn outs and pull dates. We track calving , vaccination deaths and other stats with 4 varied electronic forms each of which is quick to do as they have a series of questions with drop down menus, the time and date of entry is automatically captured by google forms. . As far as tags we've taken it another step as the plastic in the tags are so poor and retention rates are varied, each cow on our farm is freeze branded as a heifer with a simple 4 digit code that allows us to quickly replace any lost tags either RFID or dangle and maintain traceability. One friend uses florescent tatoo ink to do the same thing, but he can't drive by and tell you how old a cow is without running her through the chute we can.

Mcfarms we’ve thought about freeze branding for id just like you do but haven’t because of how much time per animal it might take. Currently using boc loc brisket tags and quite happy with their retention. How much time does it take to freeze brand four digits from start to finish? Are you using alcohol or nitrogen?
Just curious. Thanks🍀

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Speaking of atypical BSE, does anyone remember the name of the person who postulated that the BSE found in Alberta last time was spontaneous, as a result of environmental factors. Copper I think was one of them. I tried to search it but nothing came up. I do recall that he passed away quite a few years ago.

[mcfarms]

Mcfarms we’ve thought about freeze branding for id just like you do but haven’t because of how much time per animal it might take. Currently using boc loc brisket tags and quite happy with their retention. How much time does it take to freeze brand four digits from start to finish? Are you using alcohol or nitrogen?
Just curious. Thanks🍀

We are using Dry Ice and alcohol, have 2 sets of numbers and 1 custom Brand , Its a process for sure to shave and blow off the animal 5 to 6 mins I suppose usually 2 people doing it . we like the L and H irons we got out of ND the best.
Not all will take the time to do it because it is time consuming but so much easier to track ages and know whos who in the zoo when the tags fall out which they seem to be worse and worse for. I did see a new RFID tag coming with a metal tag though that may last better. We are also do any new bulls as its also good to know their ages and ID for who goes where because bulls are even worse for tag retention .

https://lhbrandingirons.com/content/L-H%20Freeze%20Instructions.pdf

[Blaithin]

Speaking of atypical BSE, does anyone remember the name of the person who postulated that the BSE found in Alberta last time was spontaneous, as a result of environmental factors. Copper I think was one of them. I tried to search it but nothing came up. I do recall that he passed away quite a few years ago.

The 2015 one? I thought that was traced to her being old from before the stricter feed ban. I don't recall it being the spontaneous, atypical strain.

I've never heard of it being caused by anything environmental. But then again most of the cases I've heard of it are all from the States. They don't seem to ever have BSE from feed, except from cattle traced back to Canada, all their home ground cases are spontaneous.

Would be interesting to see what does increase chances of it.