(A) Purpose.
(1) The purpose of this section is to help facilitate the operation and cooperation needed in making the Market Cattle Testing Program (MCT) effective. The MCT Program is to replace the much more expensive and burdensome program of brucellosis and tuberculosis control that has been relied on in the past that has been paid for by tax funds. This consisted of testing all eligible cattle in the county every six years.
(2) The MCT Program is a method of collecting blood for tests and the examination of the carcass of all slaughter animals for evidence of brucellosis or tuberculosis, and by identification of the animals by a backtag, as infected animals can be traced to the herd of origin where the entire herd will be tested. Negative animals will also be credited to the county of origin, until such time as the entire state has qualified as a certified brucellosis-free area, and as an accredited tuberculosis-free area (M. Bovis in cattle).
(B) Area of responsibility.
(1) It shall be the responsibility of the herd owners and livestock dealers to allow an official backtag to be applied to all female bovine animals two years of age and over, or any heifer showing udder development, and all bulls over six months of age that are going to slaughter, provided further that cattle owners insist this be done.
(2) Any public livestock marketing facility within the county shall identify and apply official tags to all such bovine animals as described in division (B)(1) above. Identifying backtags will be supplied free of charge to the auction markets for the purpose of identifying all species of animals for their convenience.
(3) Slaughtering establishments within the county which buys identified animals from a market, or untagged animals, direct will collect and identify all blood samples from eligible animals as described in division (B)(1) above and sent to the Purdue Diagnostic Laboratory for testing (all necessary equipment and postage will be supplied). Untagged animals that are direct from the farm will be identified by backtag at the time of arrival at the slaughtering plant, and blood samples collected and submitted for testing in the same manner as described above.
(4) Any livestock dealer purchasing untagged livestock within the county shall identify and apply official tags to all such bovine animals described in division (B)(1) above unless a public livestock marketing facility agrees to provide such service to the dealer. The dealer will identify the source of each animal presented at the market.
(5) All persons required to identify animals in accordance with this section shall file reports of such identification on forms supplied by the State Board of Animal Health.
(6) When reactor animals are disclosed by the Market Cattle Test, the herd of origin shall be tested within 15 days under the supervision of the State Board of Animal Health.
(7) If the owner fails to comply, a quarantine will be issued with attending restrictions and penalties.
(Ord. passed - -)