Alpacas and the National Animal Identification System

If you plan to have an alpaca farm or own alpacas already, then you should know about the National Animal Identification System or NAIS.

What is NAIS?

The National Animal Identification System is the USDA's plan to let the government track births, deaths, co-mingling, and all movements of all livestock. This system becomes mandatory in January 2009!

The Animals covered under this plan are horses, cattle, goats, poultry, sheep, swine, alpacas, llamas, bison, deer, and elk.

You must register your premises with the government and each animal a small farm owns must obtain a unique identification number for tracking. Large producers only have to use one ID for thousands of animals.

You must report any movement of your animal to the government within 24 hours or face fines or possibly confiscation. This includes notifying them when you buy or sell, a trip to the vet, going to breed or bringing in a stud, taking your alpacas to shows.

The USDA claims the national animal identification system will prevent disease and stop terrorists.

NAIS impacts alpaca ranching in the following ways:

• It will increase costs - Annual fees to register, tag costs, filing fees, fines, etc.
• Loss of Freedom - In the name of the Patriot Act, the government will be able to invade your home and take your property without warrants or legal appeal should you fail to register or report your animals movement.
• Consumers loose - Higher prices for this unnecessary system will increase the price of animals and their fleece that will be passed on to consumers. Loss of choice when small farmers go out of business due to increased cost.

Will the national animal identification system prevent disease or a terrorist attack? Not likely.

First of all, terrorists will not strike small farms. They want to strike large targets. If only large farms exist because small farms have gone out of business, then that makes it easier for terrorists. And they would attack someplace that they can poison the food to take out a large amount of people. Killing some animals would not accomplish that.

Second, it will not prevent disease. There are already programs in place to handle disease outbreaks.

For example, foot and mouth disease can possibly affect alpacas. Right now it is not an issue in this country. Animals from countries with FMD have been banned from entering the United States.

Rather than concentrating on tracking alpacas, they should continue the ban and any farm with alpacas should practice biosecurity.

Biosecurity consists of not allowing foreign visitors or someone recently back from traveling to a foreign country on your property or in contact with your animals unless they have been checked out. Have they been in an FMD area? They should have been back in the U.S. for at least 5 days before coming to your ranch. Have these visitors wear disposable boots and/or use bleach or vinegar to disinfect boots.

Tracking an animal will not prevent disease. That should be the goal. Prevent infected animals from coming to shows by having all animals tested for certain diseases (which is usually required already), vaccinate, if available, practice bio-security, and stay in communication with your vet and animal community.

Become informed. Let your representatives know how you feel about this issue. Read both sides of the arguments. Decide what is best for this country and you.

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