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Participation Requirements
The following is a summary of the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ ENROLLED CATTLE Program (SDCEC) participation requirements for producers. Detailed information is made available to producers during SDCEC education and training sessions.
Animal Origin, Breed, Sex and Age
- Cattle must be born, raised and *finished in South Dakota.
- Brahman influenced breeds are not eligible.
- Only steers and heifers are eligible.
- Finished cattle must be less than 24 months of age at the time of harvest.
Production and Management
- Participants are required to have an official USDA Premises Number that uniquely identifies each premise.
AIB Premises Registration - Producers must successfully complete South Dakota Beef Quality Assurance/Critical Management Plan Program (BQA/CMP) training.
- Production, management and health records must be maintained according to the South Dakota BQA/CMP program standards.
- Individual birthdates must be collected on all eligible cattle to be enrolled.
- *Cattle must be fed a ration comprised of at least 50% corn and/or distiller's grain for a minimum of 100 days immediately prior to harvest.
- Enrolled cattle must not be fed any feed products containing food processing wastes, restaurant food wastes, dried animal or poultry litter, dried or processed animal waste, or any ruminant tissues prohibited from use in ruminant livestock feeds pursuant to the 1997 Feed Ban.
Animal Identification and Enrollment
- Cattle must be fitted with an "ISO approved," tamperproof Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) electronic ear tag in their left ear. Tags must be applied at the place of origin prior to enrollment in the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ ENROLLED CATTLE program.
- Cattle must be enrolled in the program by their original owner or producer in first physical possession of the animal prior to any change in ownership, removal from their original premises of birth, or upon weaning; whichever occurs first.
- Individual animal information must be collected and electronically submitted to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture to be recorded in the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Data Management System. This can be accomplished by working with a participating data management company by following the instructions on the Enrolling Cattle/Managing Transfers link above.
- Electronic compliance data can be submitted to the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Data Management System through a variety of methods, including electronic upload of data from third party data management companies or independent collection.
- Producers who independently collect compliance data must submit information via a template available through the South Dakota Department of Agriculture or by clicking on the Enrolling Cattle/Managing Transfers link above.
- Required compliance data includes:
1. RFID Number
2. SDC Number
3. Premises Number
4. Birth Date
5. Date into Premises
6. Date out of Premises
7. Retag (from & to)
8. Expired (died) - Optional data includes:
1. Visual Tag Number
2. Sex
3. Breed
4. Sire ID
5. Dam ID
6. Alternative ID (brand, tattoo, bangs ID)
7. Group ID
- Transfers of ownership and/or physical possession of enrolled cattle must be recorded in the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Data Management System at or prior to the actual transfer. or by clicking on the Enrolling Cattle/Managing Transfers link above.
- Every licensed producer who transfers ownership or physical possession to another licensed producer must warrant that the cattle are, on the date of the transfer, in full compliance will all requirements of the program. Official warrants can only be issued by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.
- Licensed producers receiving enrolled cattle must update individual animal records in the SOUTH DAKOTA CERTIFIED™ Data Management System within 7 days of receiving the animals.
