Texas Administrative Code
Title 4 - AGRICULTURE
Part 2 - TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION
Chapter 51 - ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Section 51.8 - Cattle
Universal Citation: 4 TX Admin Code ยง 51.8
Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Brucellosis requirements. All cattle must meet the requirements contained in § 35.4 of this title (relating to Entry, Movement, and Change of Ownership). Cattle which are parturient, postparturient or 18 months of age and over (as evidenced by the loss of the first pair of temporary incisor teeth), except steers and spayed heifers being shipped to a feedyard prior to slaughter, shall be officially individually identified with a permanent identification device prior to leaving the state of origin.
(b) Tuberculosis requirements.
(1) All beef cattle, bison and
sexually neutered dairy cattle originating from a federally recognized
accredited tuberculosis free state, or zone, as provided by Title 9 of the Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 77, Section 77.8, or from a tuberculosis
accredited herd are exempt from tuberculosis testing requirements.
(2) All beef cattle, bison and sexually
neutered dairy cattle originating from a state or zone with anything less than
a tuberculosis free state status and having an identified wildlife reservoir
for tuberculosis or that have never been declared free from tuberculosis shall
be tested negative for tuberculosis in accordance with the appropriate status
requirements as contained in Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part
77, Sections 77.10 through 77.19, prior to entry with results of this test
recorded on the certificate of veterinary inspection. All beef cattle, bison
and sexually neutered dairy cattle originating from any other states or zones
with anything less than free from tuberculosis shall be accompanied by a
certificate of veterinary inspection.
(3) All dairy breed animals, including steers
and spayed heifers, shall be officially identified prior to entry into the
state. All sexually intact dairy cattle, that are six months of age or older
may enter provided that they are officially identified, and are accompanied by
a certificate of veterinary inspection stating that they were negative to an
official tuberculosis test conducted within 60 days prior to the date of entry.
All sexually intact dairy cattle that are less than six months of age must
obtain an entry permit from the commission, as provided in §
51.2(a) of this
title (relating to General Requirements), to a designated facility where the
animals will be held until they are tested negative at the age of two months to
six months. Animals which originate from a tuberculosis accredited herd, and/or
animals moving directly to an approved slaughtering establishment are exempt
from the test requirement. Dairy cattle delivered to an approved feedlot for
feeding for slaughter by the owner or consigned there and accompanied by
certificate of veterinary inspection with an entry permit issued by the
commission are exempt from testing unless from a restricted herd. In addition,
all sexually intact dairy cattle originating from a state or area with anything
less than a tuberculosis free state status shall be tested negative for
tuberculosis in accordance with the appropriate requirements for states or
zones with a status as provided by Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
Part 77, Sections 77.10 through 77.19, for that status, prior to entry with
results of the test recorded on the certificate of veterinary
inspection.
(4) All "M" brand
steers, which are recognized as potential rodeo and/or roping stock, being
imported into Texas from another state shall obtain a permit, prior to entry
into the state, in accordance with §
51.2(a) of this
title and be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection which
indicates that the animal(s) were tested negative for tuberculosis within 12
months prior to entry into the state.
(5) All other cattle from foreign countries,
foreign states, or areas within foreign countries defined by the Commission,
with comparable tuberculosis status, would enter by meeting the requirements
for a state with similar status as stated in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of
this subsection.
(6) All sexually
intact cattle, from any foreign country or part thereof with no recognized
comparable Tuberculosis status.
(A) To be held
for purposes other than for immediate slaughter or feeding for slaughter in an
approved feedyard or approved pen, must be tested at the port of entry into
Texas under the supervision of the port veterinarian, and shall be under
quarantine on the first premise of destination in Texas pending a negative
tuberculosis test no earlier than 120 days and no later than 180 days after
arrival. The test will be performed by a veterinarian employed by the
commission or APHIS/VS.
(B) When
destined for feeding for slaughter in an approved feedyard, cattle must be
tested at the port-of-entry into Texas under the supervision of the port
veterinarian; moved directly to the approved feedyard only in sealed trucks;
accompanied with a VS 1-27 permit issued by commission or USDA personnel; and
"S" branded prior to or upon arrival at the feedlot.
(7) Cattle originating from Mexico.
(A) All sexually intact cattle shall meet the
requirements provided for in paragraph (6) of this subsection.
(B) Steers and spayed heifers from Mexico
shall meet the federal importation requirements as provided in Title 9 of the
Code of Federal Regulations, Part 93, Section 93.427, regarding importation of
cattle from Mexico. In addition to the federal requirements, steers and spayed
heifers must be moved under permit to an approved pasture, approved feedlot, or
approved pens.
(C) Cattle utilized
as rodeo and/or roping stock shall meet the requirements set out in paragraph
(6)(A) of this subsection and the applicable requirement listed in clauses (i)
and (ii) of this subparagraph:
(i) All
sexually intact cattle shall be retested annually for tuberculosis at the
owner's expense and the test records shall be maintained with the animal and
available for review.
(ii) All
sexually neutered horned cattle imported from Mexico are recognized as
potential rodeo and/or roping stock and must:
(I) be tested for tuberculosis at the port of
entry under the supervision of the USDA port veterinarian;
(II) be moved by permit to a premise of
destination and remain under Hold Order, which restricts movement, until
permanently identified by methods approved by the commission, and retested for
tuberculosis between 60 and 120 days after entry at the owner's expense. The
cattle may be allowed movement to and from events/activities in which
commingling with other cattle will not occur and with specific permission by
the TAHC until confirmation of the negative post entry retest for tuberculosis
can be conducted; and
(III) be
retested for tuberculosis annually at the owner's expense and the test records
shall be maintained with the animal and available for review.
(D) Regardless of
reproductive status, test history, or Mexican State of origin, Holstein and
Holstein cross cattle are prohibited from entering Texas.
(E) All cattle moved into Texas from Mexico
shall be identified with an "M" brand prior to moving to a destination in
Texas.
(F) A copy of the
certificate issued by an authorized inspector of the United States Department
of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, for the movement of
Mexico cattle into Texas must accompany such animals to their final destination
in Texas, or so long as they are moving through Texas.
(G) Any certificate, form, record, report, or
chart issued by an accredited veterinarian for cattle that originate from
Mexico, have resided in Mexico or are "M" branded shall include the statement,
"the cattle represented on this document are of Mexican origin."
(c) Trichomoniasis Requirements:
(1) A breeding bull that is 12
months of age or older may enter the state provided the bull is officially
identified as provided by §
38.1 of this title (relating to
Definitions) and accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection stating
the bull tested negative for Trichomoniasis with an official Real Time
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test as provided by §
38.6 of this title (relating to
Official Trichomoniasis Tests) within 60 days prior to the date of
entry.
(2) A breeding bull that is
12 months of age or older is exempt from the testing requirement of paragraph
(1) of this subsection if the bull meets one of the following requirements:
(A) The bull enters on and is moved by a
permit, issued prior to entry, from the commission, in accordance with §
51.2(a) of this
title, for the purpose of participating at a fair, show, exhibition or rodeo,
remains in the state for less than 60 days from the date of entry, and is
isolated from female cattle at all times. The certificate of veterinary
inspection shall include the entry permit number. A bull that is in this state
on or after the 60th day from the date of entry shall test negative for
Trichomoniasis with an official RT-PCR test.
(B) The bull enters on and is moved by a
permit, issued prior to entry, from the commission, in accordance with §
51.2(a) of this
title, directly to a feedyard that has executed a Trichomoniasis Certified
Facility Agreement. The certificate of veterinary inspection shall include the
entry permit number.
(C) The bull
enters on and is moved by a permit, issued prior to entry from the commission,
in accordance with §
51.2(a) of this
title, directly to a facility that tests the gain and feed conversion of cattle
(bull test station) that isolates the bull from female cattle at all times. The
certificate of veterinary inspection shall include the entry permit number. The
bull shall return to the out-of-state premises destination directly from the
bull test station or test negative for Trichomoniasis with an official RT-PCR
test.
(D) A Texas bull that is
enrolled in an out-of-state facility that tests the gain and feed conversion of
cattle (bull test station) and isolates the bull from female cattle at all
times may move directly to the Texas premises of origin. The certificate of
veterinary inspection shall state the bull was enrolled in a bull test station
and was isolated from female cattle.
(E) The bull is enrolled at an out-of-state
semen collection facility, which complies with Certified Semen Services Minimum
Requirements for Disease Control of Semen Produced for Artificial Insemination,
that isolates the bull from female cattle at all times and the bull is moved
directly from a semen collection facility into the state. The certificate of
veterinary inspection shall state the bull was enrolled in a semen collection
facility and was isolated from female cattle.
(F) The bull originates from a herd that is
enrolled in a Certified Trichomoniasis Free Herd Program or other certification
program that is substantially similar, as determined by the Executive Director,
to the program requirements provided by §
38.8 of this title (relating to
Herd Certification Program--Breeding Bulls).
(G) The bull enters from a premises of origin
(farm, ranch, or dairy where the bull has been raised or maintained for
breeding purposes) and moves directly to a federally approved livestock market
with an owner shipper statement and does not require an entry permit or
CVI.
(H) The bull enters from other
than a premises of origin and is moved by a permit, issued prior to entry from
the commission, in accordance with §
51.2(a) of this
title, directly to a federally approved livestock market that isolates the bull
from female cattle at all times and the bull is Trichomoniasis tested as
required by §
38.2 of this title (relating to
General Requirements). The certificate of veterinary inspection shall include
the entry permit number.
(3) Female cattle 12 months of age or older
that originate from a known Trichomoniasis positive herd, or exposed to a known
Trichomoniasis positive bull, may not enter the state unless the animal is
officially identified and enters on and is moved by a permit, issued prior to
entry from the commission, in accordance with §
51.2(a) of this
title, directly to an approved slaughtering establishment. The certificate of
veterinary inspection shall include the entry permit number and a statement
that the animal is Trichomoniasis exposed.
(4) All breeding bulls entering from a
foreign country shall enter on and be moved by a permit, issued prior to entry
from the commission, in accordance with §
51.2(a) of this
title, to a premises of destination in Texas and shall be placed under Hold
Order and officially tested for Trichomoniasis with not less than three
official culture tests conducted not less than seven days apart, or an official
RT-PCR test, within 30 days after entry into the state. All bulls shall be
isolated from female cattle at all times until tested negative for
Trichomoniasis. The Hold Order shall not be released until all other post entry
disease testing requirements have been completed. All bulls tested for
Trichomoniasis shall be officially identified at the time the initial test
sample is collected. The identification shall be recorded on the test
documents.
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