Education

1. CLTS tags (approved CCIA tags) - beef cattle, bison and sheep in Canada must carry an approved Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) tag before they leave their farm of origin. Each approved tag has its own number, which begins with 124 for Canada. An electronic reader scans that number from the chip inside the tag, so every weight, treatment and note you record is tied to the one animal. AgriEID readers read these HDX and FDX-B tags.

The list of approved tags is on the CCIA website here, and tags are ordered through the CCIA web store here.

If you have any questions about the program and how it works, call CCIA client support on 1-877-909-2333 or email info@canadaid.ca.

2. The Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) - the CLTS is the national database, run by CCIA, where tags and animal events are recorded for traceability and disease response. Events include birth dates, move-in, tag replacement, cross-reference (a new tag on an animal that already had one), export, retired and disposed. What you have to report, and how soon, depends on your operation: for example, a cross-reference event has to be reported within 30 days of the new tag being applied. CCIA sets out the requirements for producers here.

Updated federal traceability rules have been proposed, including reporting cattle that move in within seven days. Check with CCIA, or with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency here, for what applies to your operation today.

3. Reporting with your AgriEID reader - scan a group with your AgriEID reader, then save the tag numbers to your phone as a CSV file with the free AgriEID Link app. The CLTS takes reports through its website, the CLTS MOBO mobile app or a spreadsheet upload. Step-by-step guides for each are in the CLTS Resource Centre here, and you log in to your CLTS account here.

4. Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle - free from the National Farm Animal Care Council here

5. Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep - free from the National Farm Animal Care Council here

6. Beef Cattle Research Council - free guides, calculators and record keeping resources for Canadian producers here

7. Verified Beef Production Plus - Canada's on-farm food safety, animal care and environmental program for beef producers here