(a) Test Requirements. All Texas origin bulls sold,
leased, gifted, exchanged or otherwise changing possession for breeding
purposes in the State of Texas shall meet the following testing or
certification requirements prior to sale or change of ownership in
the state:
(1) Be certified as virgin, by the breeder or his representative,
on and accompanied by a breeder's certificate of virgin status; or
(2) If from a herd of unknown status (a herd that has
not had a whole herd test), be tested negative on three consecutive
culture tests conducted not less than seven days apart or one PCR
test conducted within 60 days of sale or movement, be held separate
from all female cattle since the test sample was collected, and be
accompanied by a Trichomoniasis test record showing the negative test
results.
(b) Identification of Bulls. All bulls certified as
virgin bulls shall be identified by an official identification device
or method on the breeder's certification of virgin status. All bulls
tested for Trichomoniasis shall be officially identified at the time
the initial test sample is collected. That official identification
shall be recorded on the test documents prior to submittal.
(c) Confirmatory Test. The owner of any bull which
tests positive for Trichomoniasis may request in writing to the TAHC
Region Director, within five days of the positive test, that the commission
allow a confirmatory test be performed on the positive bull. The confirmatory
test must be conducted within 30 days after the date of the original
test.
(1) If the confirmatory test is positive, the bull
will be classified as infected with Trichomoniasis.
(2) If the confirmatory test is negative, the bull
shall be retested in not less than seven days to determine its disease
status.
(3) If the confirmatory test reveals that the bull
is only infected with fecal trichomonads, the test may be considered
negative.
(d) Untested Bulls. Bulls presented for sale without
a breeder's certification of virgin status for registered breeding
cattle or a Trichomoniasis test record showing negative test results
may:
(1) Be sold for movement only directly to slaughter;
or
(2) Be sold for movement to a Trichomoniasis certified
facility and then moved to slaughter or transported back to a livestock
market under permit, issued by commission personnel, to be sold in
accordance with this chapter; or
(3) Be sold and moved under a Hold Order to such place
as specified by the commission for testing to change status from a
slaughter bull. Such bulls shall be officially individually identified
with a permanent form of identification prior to movement, move to
the designated location on a movement permit, and be held in isolation
from female cattle at the designated location where the bull shall
undergo three consecutive culture tests at least seven days apart
or one PCR test. Testing shall be conducted within seven days of the
purchase date. If the results of any test are positive, all bulls
in the herd of origin of the positive bull shall be placed under hold
order and tested as provided by subsection (e) of this section. The
positive bull shall be classified as infected and be permitted for
movement only directly to slaughter or to a livestock market for sale
directly to slaughter; or
(4) Be sold and moved to another physical location
under permit issued by commission personnel, and then to a livestock
market or location to be resold within seven days from the date of
issuance. The bull cannot be commingled with female cattle during
the seven days.
(e) Herd of Origin or Unit Testing.
(1) All bulls that are part of a herd of origin from
which a bull is sold in accordance with subsection (d)(3) of this
section and is found to be infected with Trichomoniasis shall be placed
under hold order and officially tested for Trichomoniasis.
(2) All bulls that are part of a unit of origin, as
epidemiologically determined by the commission, from which a bull
becomes separated and that bull is found to be positive for Trichomoniasis
shall be placed under a hold order and officially tested for Trichomoniasis.
All bulls that are part of the unit on which the separated positive
bull was located, as epidemiologically determined by the commission,
shall also be placed under hold order and officially tested for Trichomoniasis.
(3) Officially tested, as used in this subsection,
requires at a minimum three official culture tests conducted not less
than seven days apart, or one official PCR test. If the results of
any test that are required by this subsection are positive, the herd
shall be tested as provided by §38.3 of this chapter (relating
to Infected Herds).
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Source Note: The provisions of this §38.2 adopted to be effective January 1, 2010, 34 TexReg 1977; amended to be effective November 2, 2010, 35 TexReg 9687; amended to be effective February 5, 2013, 38 TexReg 494; amended to be effective February 4, 2014, 39 TexReg 484; amended to be effective October 9, 2014, 39 TexReg 7911; amended to be effective October 6, 2019, 44 TexReg 5611; amended to be effective December 27, 2022, 47 TexReg 8525 |