Ridgetop
Herd Master
Only need transport slips for cattle here in California. Sheep, hogs, goats, poultry, and equines can move throughout the state with no accompanying paperwork, unless there is some type of epidemic. In the case of epidemic, either none of that species is allowed to enter other counties, you have to have vet health certificates, or there is a self imposed quarantine to avoid contracting the disease and bringing it home.
Some years ago, there was an outbreak of one of the horse diseases suddenly popping up in several states. I forget which one but it is one of the fatal ones with no vaccine. It was traced to a show in Las Vegas. The contestants had returned home bringing the disease with them. Outbreaks started appearing around several states and quite a few valuable horses died. People were warned not to take their horses to shows. Events were cancelled. Many of us stopped trail riding because we might come into contact with infected horses. Six months later attendance was half of normal at Bishop Mule Days. Many Mule days contestants come from as far as Kentucky, and didn't want to take a chance on getting the disease and bringing it back to their barns.
The only reason for a paperwork trail on livestock, other than sales receipts, is to track disease. Most of us quarantine new arrivals for a couple of weeks anyway, but some just turn the new animals in with the flock. Without a health certificate, you could be bringing in anything. That does not mean that the flock the new animal comes from is diseased, but your animals might not be resistant to something that doesn't bother the newcomer. Self imposed quarantine of new livestock is a good safety measure, while the health tests required to transport animals across state lines help to protect the industry.
There is a reason USDA regulations do not allow a downed animal at a kill facility to be put into the food chain. Unless it is a broken limb, you don't know what disease the downed animal could have.
Some years ago, there was an outbreak of one of the horse diseases suddenly popping up in several states. I forget which one but it is one of the fatal ones with no vaccine. It was traced to a show in Las Vegas. The contestants had returned home bringing the disease with them. Outbreaks started appearing around several states and quite a few valuable horses died. People were warned not to take their horses to shows. Events were cancelled. Many of us stopped trail riding because we might come into contact with infected horses. Six months later attendance was half of normal at Bishop Mule Days. Many Mule days contestants come from as far as Kentucky, and didn't want to take a chance on getting the disease and bringing it back to their barns.
The only reason for a paperwork trail on livestock, other than sales receipts, is to track disease. Most of us quarantine new arrivals for a couple of weeks anyway, but some just turn the new animals in with the flock. Without a health certificate, you could be bringing in anything. That does not mean that the flock the new animal comes from is diseased, but your animals might not be resistant to something that doesn't bother the newcomer. Self imposed quarantine of new livestock is a good safety measure, while the health tests required to transport animals across state lines help to protect the industry.
There is a reason USDA regulations do not allow a downed animal at a kill facility to be put into the food chain. Unless it is a broken limb, you don't know what disease the downed animal could have.
