Understanding Indiana's Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) Rule

Dec 08, 2014

Effective Jan. 1, 2015, Indiana's animal identification rules will change to comply with USDA's Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program.

The changes reflect new federal requirements for identification and documentation for all major livestock species to improve national traceability in high-consequence disease incidents, such as bovine tuberculosis. Some of the dairy-specific requirements for ID actually took effect at the federal level in March of last year. Since then, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) staff has been working to rewrite state rules to align with USDA's.

The following guidelines describe what types of identification and documentation are considered official in Indiana, along with when they are required.

Tag Requirements

BOAH recognizes three forms of identification as official for cattle and bison. All are approved by USDA for interstate movements of livestock, and are accepted by all 50 states:

840 tags (15-digit number beginning with 840, may or may not be RFID)
NUES (brite) tags, available in steel or plastic ("steel clips")
Official USDA program tags (brucellosis)

To be considered official, all tags must bear the US shield. Old, out-dated tags are not acceptable, unless they were placed in the animal before March 11, 2015. After that date, all tags must comply with the new standards.

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Video: You Be The Judge: Evaluating 8 Breeding Rams!

It's time for some honest feedback here at Ewetopia Farms! Today, we’re showing you all eight rams we used for breeding this year. Instead of just presenting them, we thought it would be fun to create a “Ram Report Card” — where we point out both their strengths and areas for improvement.

But here’s the twist: you be the judge! In the comments, let us know what you like about each ram and what you think could be improved. No ram is ever perfect, but every one of them brings something valuable to the flock. By sharing perspectives, we all learn more about what to look for in good breeding stock.

At Ewetopia Farms, we raise registered Suffolk and Polled Dorset sheep, focusing on high-quality genetics, structure, and friendly temperaments. Evaluating breeding rams is part of the bigger picture of building stronger flocks — and we’re excited to share the process with you.

If you enjoy seeing how we evaluate our animals, follow along by subscribing to our channel. We share daily insights into the joys and challenges of sheep farming here in Canada.