National Animal Identification System

Listen to this extended radio story about the national animal identification system. (MP3 download)

If you own livestock of any kind, you should consider enrolling in the government's voluntary National Animal Identification System. You'll be given numbers for your location and animal groups. In the event of a disease outbreak, officials can refer to the numbers assigned to affected livestock, and trace their original location and anywhere they might have stopped along the way. This can this help stop the spread of disease.

Radio interview source: Jim Rogers, spokesman, NAIS

For more information, we recommend the following Web sites:

Register your premises: Select your state and fill out an online form to get registered.

Why register?: Learn how registering with the NAIS can safeguard your livestock against disease and protect your market access in case of an outbreak.

Animal ID program inches forward: Getting the 1.5 million livestock producers in the U.S. registered is a monumental task, and progress has been slow. Read a report from our sister site, Agriculture Online, that explains what's being done to move the program forward.