Final Push To Eradicate Bangs
Draws "Sweetener" Incentives

AUSTIN — State and federal animal health officials have added incentives to "sweeten the pot" for the final push to eradicate brucellosis in Texas.

Nearly anyone who's been in the cattle business has had experience with cattle brucellosis, or "bangs," a bacterial infection that has stricken thousands of Texas cattle herds during the past 50 years. Now, with only a handful of diagnosed infected herds in the U.S., interest in eradicating the disease can be expected to lag.

"Footba11 games are lost in the last seconds when momentum is lost," notes Dr. Terry Beals, head of the Texas Animal Health Commission. "Likewise, eradication efforts can fail if the level of effort is not maintained."

To prevent that, he says, "We've upped the ante in the find drive to eradicate bangs in Texas. When Texas had 1500 infected herds a decade ago, most ranchers — and even some TAHC'ers — thought we'd never get so close to cleaning up infection. Now we have to convince everyone that, working together, we can finish eradicating this disease."

"New incentives make it easier to wipe out infection," Beals explains. One such incentive is money set aside to pay private veterinary practitioners to test "at-risk" herds, giving producers the option to have the TAHC or a private veterinarian test the cattle.

"If infection is diagnosed and confirmed in a herd, state and federa1 indemnity funds make depopulation attractive," he continues. "A rancher can depopulate, collect the indemnity and restock with 'clean' cattle within weeks, avoiding the mandatory year-long quarantine.

Ranchers even have a choice between a fixed-rate or appraisal method, that, when combined with slaughter value, equals or exceeds fair-market value.

Under the fixed-rate method, a federal payment is made on all adult breeding cattle, weaned heifers, and nursing calves in the infected herd. Weaned steers are ineligible for the payment, Beals explains, but these animals may be retained on the ranch or sold without restrictions.

Commercial cattle are reimbursed at $250 per head, while registered animals are indemnified at $750 per head, To "sweeten the pot" for this option, the TAHC will add $100 per head for 100 or fewer brucellosis test-negative cows that are 18 months of age or older, and $100 for five or fewer test-negative bulls. Furthermore, the rancher gets the slaughter or "salvage" value.

As an example, Beals said that, under the fixed-rate method, a 1000-pound cow would be valued at about $300 at slaughter. The federal indemnity payment would be $250, along with the TAHC payment of $100, bringing the total payment for the cow to $650. If the cow has a nursing calf, the pair's buyout value would be $900 to $1000.

Some ranchers who own cattle with valuable registered bloodlines may need to opt for the appraisal route, Beals pointed out. A professional appraiser can determine the fair market value for the herd, and if it is acceptable to the USDA and to the producer, the herd can be sent to slaughter. The rancher will receive two checks; one for the slaughter or salvage value from the livestock market or slaughter plant, and a second one from USDA for the appraised value, minus the proceeds from slaughter.

"Time is running out for cattle brucellosis eradication," stresses Beals. "As of November, Texas has four quarantined herds and South Dakota has one privately owned infected bison herd. The day is coming when the country will consider cattle brucellosis to be a 'foreign' or 'exotic' disease, and other states could take appropriate, protective action to prevent the movement of Texas cattle across their boundaries.

"Kentucky animal health officials took similar action last spring, when Texas had two horses on a premise affected by vesicular stomatitis, a viral blistering disease. The authorities embargoed, or prevented, all Texas livestock from entering their state. It was late summer before all special requirements and restrictions were lifted," reminds Beals.

"Nearly two million cattle are moved out of Texas each year. Brucellosis movement restrictions would wreak further havoc on our state's ranching economy, already challenged by the drouth and floods.

"One infected herd will keep Texas from successful eradication of the disease," he says. "Does your herd need a test? It could, if your cows have aborted or delivered weak calves, or if your neighbor had an infected herd, and your herd was tested only once. Ranchers whose herd has a history of infection, or producers who have neglected to have 'new' cattle tested before adding them to the herd should be especially concerned, as these animals may have introduced infection to the herd.

"Have you sold only calves, but no cows? Calves aren't test-eligible, so a herd may be harboring undetected infection, if only calves are sold, or if the herd has never been tested. What you don't know could hurt the other 140,000 ranchers in Texas," says Beals. "The message is simple: Don't have the last infected herd in Texas. Get a herd test. Depopulate if your animals are infected. Collect indemnity and salvage value. Restock quickly with clean cattle. Get Texas cleaned up."

Ranchers can contact their private veterinary practitioner, their TAHC area office, or the TAHC headquarters in Austin at (800) 550-8242 for more information or to schedule a test.