ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION

 

APHIS, the animal health division of USDA, intends to establish the American Identification Number (AIN) as a national standard numbering system for the unique identification of individual animals.  This unique number will be useable as permanent identification for animal health documents, DHI identification, breed registration, and other uses requiring unique and permanent identification.  The AIN number will be the same format as the American ID number (12-digit number preceded by a 3-character country code). 

 

The AIN Identification device will be a visual device, such as an eartag, issued by an AIN Administrator that bears a unique AIN number, the US Shield, and the 2-character postal code of the state where the animal is located at the time the tag is installed.  The US shield and postal code are not part of the AIN number but are included on the tag as visual indication of authenticity and of the state of origin.  The design, size, shape, color and other characteristics of the device will depend on the needs of the customer.  The devices shall be tamper-resistant and have a high retention rate in the animal.

 

Official AIN Administrators may be “any organization, agency, or private enterprise” that agrees to comply with all required activities and is approved by the AIN Oversight Board.

 

DHI Associations may become Official AIN Administrators who:

 

1.      Obtain a block of ID numbers from the National AIN Oversight Board

2.      Sell Official AIN tags to customers

3.      Maintain a record of the Premises ID of the farm to which each Official AIN tag is delivered.

 

The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) is on record as fully endorsing the current APHIS proposal establishing the AIN system as a National Standard.  The CDCB further resolved that:

 

1.      All members of the CDCB require animals in their programs to be identified with a unique permanent identification number.

2.      The permanent ID be the AIN number

3.      That the required implementation date be January 1, 2003

4.      That animals identified with another unique ID numbering system and previously enrolled by January 1, 2003 will be grandfathered in, but that all other newly enrolled animals be required to have an American Identification Number.

 

Click here for the APHIS proposal.