The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) has mailed premises ID numbers to all PDA program participants and licensees. This number is to be used on PDA forms to correctly identify your farm. For example: submission forms sent to a laboratory (Penn State, New Bolton Center or PVL), inventory forms, inspection forms or receipts (this number replaces the propagator number). If you have not received a premises ID number or if you have any questions, please call your regional PDA office.
 

The deadline for choosing which program you desired was March 1, 2007. Anyone not in compliance at that time could receive fines of $300 every 30 days. The paperwork must be completed by all herd owners with susceptible species of cervids, including those already enrolled in the voluntary program. After the regional PDA has attempted to contact you and you are still not compliant, a certified letter will be mailed before citations are issued. The HCP requires two forms of identification (both forms must be placed by the end of 2007), test all deaths 12 months of age and older, annual inspection, annual updated inventory and additions must be from herds of equal (month, day, year) status or higher. Cervids from this program can be sold to anyone (watch status).

The HMP is for those herds that cannot/will not put identification on the cervids or provide accurate inventory. Inspections are done at PDA’s discretion. Herd owner must submit annual inventory showing additions/deletions. Testing requirements are based on the source of the cervids. If sources are non-program test 100% up to 30 per year, if sources are program test 10% up to 30 per year and if sources are certified herds no testing required. An inventory must be submitted with either program. HMP can be an estimated inventory and HCP can be what information you have available now and as ID is added, keep track and submit with annual inventory.

If you have any questions regarding either program, contact Mary Martin at 717-783-5309.
 

A CLO license application replaces the propagators permit. There is no fee at this time. All cervids behind a fence must have a CLO including: zoos, farms, hunting preserves and owning them as pets. The only exception is a herd owner that has a menagerie permit (issued by PGC).
 

Once you have received your premise ID number, you can receive the 840 RFID tags at no charge from Mary Martin 717-783-5309. At this time, these 840 RFID tags are considered an official form of ID by NAIS and may become mandatory by 2010.
 

PDA office to have a federal, state or accredited veterinarian collect the sample from the animal or submit the animal to one of the PADLS laboratories.
 

Cervids transported from one location to another within Pennsylvania must meet the following requirements:

1) Official identification: Each farmed or captive CWD-susceptible cervid, 12 months of age or older, that is within a herd enrolled in the Herd Certification Program shall have at least two forms of animal identification attached or affixed to it. One form of identification must be “official” as defined by USDA, the other may be unofficial (such as a farm tag) or official animal identification as defined by USDA/APHIS and approved by PDA. The following forms of animal identification are considered by USDA/APHIS as “official” forms of animal identification:

- A tattoo of a unique number approved by PDA and/or USDA/APHIS

- A tamper resistant ear tag (with or without Radio Frequency Identification –RFID- capability) bearing a unique 15-digit AIN or ISO compliant number.

- A USDA/APHIS- issued metal ear tag, bearing a unique number provided by USDA/APHIS.

- An ear tag bearing a nationally unique number approved by USDA which identifies the animal as unique within the herd and linked to the national CWD database

- An electronic implant device, such as a microchip provided that an appropriate reader is available.

2) Negative tuberculosis and brucellosis tests for animals 12 months of age or older with written certification by an accredited veterinarian that TB and brucellosis tests have been performed no more than 180 days prior to movement.
 

- Moved directly to slaughter

- Moved to a hunting preserve for purposes of being harvested

- Moved to an exhibition where there are no other hoof stock

- Cervids coming from a TB accredited, qualified, monitored, or BD certified herd – no additional testing required

- Cervids on a CWD Herd Certification Program may be moved intrastate.

- Cervids on a CWD Herd Monitoring Program may not be moved intrastate unless by special permit issued by PDA. An exception to this permit requirement occurs when at least 30 captive CWD-susceptible cervids age 12 months or older from a single herd have been tested for CWD and found to be test-negative, in which case live cervids from that herd may be transported intrastate without a special permit if they are transported only to a shooting preserve or a slaughter facility.
 

- TB: Must originate from one of the following and have no known exposure to non-accredited captive cervids

- An accredited herd

- A qualified or monitored herd with the individual animal having negative TB results “within” 90 days prior to entry and isolated from accredited herd until they have negative results 90 days following entry

- If not meeting either of the above – isolate and have negative results on two tests 90 days apart with the second test done “within” 90 days prior to movement. Keep in isolation until a negative result at least 90 days following entry.

- An accredited herd

- A qualified or monitored herd with the individual animal having negative TB results “within” 90 days prior to entry

- If not meeting either of the above – isolate and have negative results on two tests 90 days apart with the second test done “within” 90 days prior to movement. Keep in isolation until a negative result at least 90 days following entry.

- There is a TB monitoring program option available for herds that regularly send animals to slaughter. For more information, contact Mary Martin at 717-783-9550.

- BD: From certified herd to certified herd – no test required but recommend test 60-180 days after addition

- From non-certified herds

- Negative BD test “within” 30 days prior to movement

- Negative BD test 60-180 days after addition

- Third negative test on next scheduled herd re-certification test

- Must be purchased from herds with an equal or earlier enrollment date (date, month and year) or loss of herd status will occur.

On April 26, 2006, the requirement of USDA for accreditation for tuberculosis was changed extending the term for which accredited herd status is valid from two to three years (33-39 months). In addition, the number of consecutive tests of all eligible captive cervids to accredit a herd is now two (had been three).