Animal Disease Traceability (ADT)

Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) is a cooperative program that is jointly funded and administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).

Animal disease traceability, knowing where and when diseased and at-risk animals are or have been, is important to ensuring a rapid response when animal disease events take place. Although ADT does not prevent disease, an efficient and accurate traceability system reduces the number of animals and response time involved in a disease investigation; this, in turn, reduces the economic impact on owners and affected communities.

Before an official identification device can be ordered, applicators or owners must be assigned a nationally unique number. Once the nationally unique number has been assigned, the applicator or owner will provide the number to the official tag distributor.

There are three nationally recognized identification number options: premises identification numbers (PINs), location Identifiers (LIDs), and scrapie flock identification (ID) numbers. To learn more about nationally unique numbers click here.

To request a PIN, LID, or scrapie flock ID contact the TAHC Animal Disease Traceability department at animal_id@tahc.texas.gov or 512-719-0733.

Official identification is fundamental to traceability and animal disease programs. Cattle, sheep, goats, swine and other livestock are subject to official identification requirements as outlined by the USDA and TAHC regulations.

For a complete list of acceptable official identification devices click here. Producers are encouraged to contact their veterinarian or TAHC to determine which method of tagging will be best for their operation.

To find a tag allocator or distributor visit the links below:

• Animal Identification Number (AIN) Devices
• National Uniform Eartagging System (NUES)
• Approved Premises Identification Number (PIN) Devices for Swine

Veterinarians interested in becoming an Animal Identification (AIN) device manager (tag distributor) is invited to read the USDA-APHIS AIN Device Manager Guidance Document.

The Texas Animal Health Commission received a limited number of no-cost Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ear tags from the USDA to distribute to Texans advancing animal disease traceability efforts for use in replacement breeding cattle.

The complimentary RFID tags are to be used as an alternative to silver metal Brite tags and orange metal Official Calfhood Vaccination (OCV) tags.

• Only Texas stakeholders may order the free RFID tags from the Texas allocation. Contact State animal health officials in each state to learn more about their State’s traceability programs.
• These RFID tags are only intended for use in replacement stock.
• Two types of tags are available to order: white "840" button tags and orange “840” calfhood vaccination (OCV) button tags. Both RFID tags are low frequency tags. Veterinarians may receive both white and orange tags, while stakeholders may only receive white tags.
• Currently, no ultra-high frequency tags are available through this program.
• Tags are ordered in bags of 100 and will be made available for pick up at TAHC region offices.
• RFID tag inventory may include more than one brand of tag. A specific brand cannot be requested.
• RFID tag readers are not required to distribute or apply 840-AIN RFID ear tags.

Texas stakeholders interested in ordering RFID tags at no-cost may submit their request to the TAHC ADT department by phone, 512-719-0733, or email, animal_id@tahc.texas.gov. In the event of high call volume, please leave a voicemail and our staff will return calls in the order they are received. TAHC staff continue to process requests and will distribute tags until the Texas tag allotment is depleted. Once the Texas tag allotment is depleted, no additional tags may be provided to the state.