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“We want to make our cattle worth more money than those in neighboring states and using the EID is a good way to do it,” said Elmore, as he watched the tags being punched into ears of calves at the Henry Cattle Co. recently.
Elmore, who was joined by Perry Mobley, beef director with the Alabama Farmers Federation, said the EID system has only been in place in the state for the past three years.
Several states are ahead of Alabama in electronic identification, Mobley said, and it will be a challenge to convince reluctant cattlemen to catch up with the herd, so to speak.
Mobley estimated that fewer than 10 percent of Alabama cattlemen use the EID system. He said only about 25 percent of all cattlemen in the state even bother to use any tagging system to keep track of their 1.2 million head of cattle.
“Using the EID is an important management tool,” Mobley said. “It’s all automated and provides invaluable records for cattlemen.”
Each microchip includes a 15-digit number that is unique to each calf. They are similar to Social Security numbers and can help cattlemen with their inventory controls and other needs.
“Using carcass data provided by these chips can be a big help when it comes to exports,” Elmore said. “It costs about $3 for each head, but is well worth it because information from the chips adds value since you will be able to document important details about each calf.”
Mobley said Montana, Kentucky and Oklahoma are ahead of Alabama in use of the EID system. Surprisingly, he said, Texas is not on the list of leaders in that department.
Few states have legislative mandates that would force all cattlemen to use the EID system. Alabama is not one of them. Mobley believes it will remain that way until a major event occurs.
“We supported a bill in the legislature not to mandate anything unless the federal government mandates it for every state,” Mobley said.
Elmore said he would not be surprised to see a federally mandated EID bill approved by Congress one day.
“I think that’s the next step,” he said. “Using these electronic tags can change the traits of cattle in one generation. They are that important. If we want to make our calves worth more money, that’s the way to go.”
Billy Powell, executive vice president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, is keeping close tabs on the EID situation, especially on the possibility of a federal mandate.
He said his organization and the Alabama Department of Agriculture are working together and with nine other southeastern cattle groups to insure that mandatory animal identification is “user friendly” to small producers and to the auction market system.
“We have been working with the Alabama Department of Agriculture in encouraging producers to register for their premises number which is the first step toward a national animal identification system,” Powell said.
He also said the marketplace is moving forward and encouraging producers to verify the source and age of their cattle.
Powell said the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is working with Auburn University to show that there can be “economic benefits” for using electronic identification for animals.
He said the Southeastern Livestock Network has helped with “significant improvements” in the national animal identification system “which is the tool that will be used for a mandated system.
“We currently have received a grant and are working with several auction markets to hold demonstrations that an animal identification program will not be costly or time consuming,” Powell said.
Davis Henry has a long memory, especially of the way it once was. He has no doubts that electronic “branding” is the way to go.
“It’s a lot better,” he said, as he watched his sons, grandson and employees punch the new ID system into a calf’s ear. The other ear had the more traditional number, but it was easy to see which ID system was preferred.
With the electronic system, information is uploaded, downloaded and then studied to see how the calf is doing as he ages.
Change is hard to accept at times and that is the reason so many Alabama cattlemen have avoided entering into the electronic identification age.
What makes the EID system so popular with those who use it is the “magic” wand that records vital information after scanning over a calf.
“We use a specific protocol and after the software is in place, we can keep a close watch on our animals,” Garrett Henry said, as he demonstrated how to use the long wand.
The possibilities of electronic scanning are endless, according to Elmore and Mobley.
Who knows? It might be possible one day to order a steak provided by a calf raised in Alabama. That’s not going to happen now, but as farming computerization continues to grow in popularity, it’s a possibility.
“One day we just might be able to market an Alabama steak,” said Elmore. “When you eat a steak now, you don’t know where it comes from. One day you could order a steak produced in our state.”
Retinal scanning is also making headway across the country, but the cost factor for that method of identification has become a major roadblock.
“It’s like a fingerprint and can be used on cattle,” Elmore said. “Right now, though it’s not user friendly and is definitely cost prohibitive.”
The “eyes” may not have it yet as far as retinal scanning is concerned, but cattle identification has come a long way from the days of roping and branding on the open range.
With modern technology advancing the way it has in recent years, electronic scanning may wind up as outdated as branding one day.
If it happens, it’s a sure bet that the Henry family will be leading the way in Alabama.
Alvin Benn is a freelance writer from Selma. |
