USDA starts rolling out animal identification numbers
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The Department of Agriculture has announced plans to begin allocating animal identification numbers under the National Animal Identification System.

The long-term goal of the voluntary system is to provide health officials with the capability to identify production animals and premises that have had direct contact with a disease of concern within 48 hours after discovery.

The initial animal identification numbers will be for cattle, which typically have ear tags for official identification. Animal identification numbers will eventually extend to species that have other forms of identification, such as implants.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has also adopted an option to allow for the integration of supplemental identification methods or technologies into the identification tag, such as radiofrequency identification and biometrics. For cattle, APHIS supports integrating radiofrequency identification into the ear tag.