North Dakota cattle producers will be able to keep using a state-based program to verify the age and source of their animals.

The North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association (NDBCIA) recently voted to continue the CalfAID program.

The association, North Dakota State University’s Dickinson Research Extension Center and Dickinson State University collaborated to create CalfAID. The U.S. Department of Agriculture certified it as a process verified program (PVP) in 2005. CalfAID provides third-party verification of the source and age of cattle.

PVPs allow the suppliers of agricultural products or services to assure customers that they can provide consistently high-quality products or services. Age and source verification are particularly beneficial when selling cattle for the export market. Japan, for example, isn’t buying beef from U.S. cattle more than 20 months old because of concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

“CalfAID’s continuation is good news for cattle producers because it allows them to increase the value of their calves,” says Karl Hoppe, area livestock specialist at NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center. “Some meat packing plants are paying a premium of $25 to $30 per head for cattle that are age and source verified.”

Dickinson Research Extension Center director Kris Ringwall, who helped form CalfAID, has called it a solid program that meets the cattle industry’s need to provide age and source verification.

Because age and source verification requires cattle to be tracked back to their time and place of birth, as well as identified through electronic or visually read ear tags, a complete and accurate calving book is a must, according to Hoppe.

The NDBCIA, which developed a calving book for producers, says keeping one is important because:

• It provides an inventory of cows in the herd and the calves produced.
• It’s a written record of calf identification and birth dates.
• Cattle identification, in conjunction with calving and weaning information, will allow producers to evaluate cow productivity and herd reproduction.
• It contains details of health care, bull turnout dates and breeding records of animals in the herd.

To help producers track herd inventories and evaluate profitability, herd reproduction and calf performance, the NDBCIA provides a computer-based recordkeeping and analysis program called CHAPS, or Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software. The association also provides a program called Dataline to track cattle and collect data on postweaning feedlot and carcass quality.

CalfAID is the only North Dakota-based PVP. NDSU was the first U.S. university to receive PVP certification, according to Ringwall.

Producers who want to verify the age and source of their cattle need to follow these steps:

• Individually identify calves at birth either electronically or visually.
• Complete a calving book.
• Enroll the herd in a USDA PVP, such as CalfAID, or a quality systems assessment (QSA) program.
• Submit the completed calving book (photocopies or digital photos are OK) to the PVP or QSA program as required.
• Obtain a verification document from the program for marketing purposes.

CalfAID is one of seven USDA-approved PVPs for beef cattle.

For more information or to enroll in CalfAID, go to http://www.chaps2000.com/calfaid/calfaid.htm. Calving books are available from county Extension offices or the NDBCIA office at 1041 State Ave., Dickinson, ND 58601; by calling (701) 483-2348, ext. 105; or e-mailing ndsu.chaps@ndsu.edu.

NDSU Agriculture Communication