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TITLE 4AGRICULTURE
PART 3TEXAS FEED AND FERTILIZER CONTROL SERVICE/OFFICE OF THE TEXAS STATE CHEMIST
CHAPTER 61COMMERCIAL FEED RULES
SUBCHAPTER CLABELING
RULE §61.22Labeling of Commercial Feed

Commercial feed shall be labeled with the information prescribed in the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act (Act) and this chapter on the principal display panel of the product with the following general format, unless otherwise specifically provided.

  (1) Purpose Statement

    (A) A statement of purpose shall contain the specific species and animal class(es) for which the feed is intended. The purpose statement may be excluded from the label if the product name includes a description of the species and animal class(es) for which the product is intended.

    (B) The manufacturer shall have flexibility in describing in more specific and common language the defined animal class, specie and purpose while being consistent with the category of animal class defined in this subparagraph which may include, but is not limited to including, the weight range(s), sex or ages of the animal(s) for which the feed is manufactured.

      (i) Poultry

        (I) Layers--chickens that are grown to produce eggs for food, i.e., table eggs:

          (-a-) Starting/Growing--from day of hatch to approximately ten weeks of age;

          (-b-) Finisher--from approximately ten weeks of age to time first egg is produced. (Approximately 20 weeks of age);

          (-c-) Laying--from time first egg is laid throughout the time of egg production;

          (-d-) Breeders--chickens that produce fertile eggs for hatch replacement layers to produce eggs for food, table eggs, from time first egg is laid throughout their productive cycle.

        (II) Broilers--chickens that are grown for human food:

          (-a-) Starting/Growing--from day of hatch to approximately five weeks of age;

          (-b-) Finisher--from approximately five weeks of age to market (42 to 52 days);

          (-c-) Breeders--hybrid strains of chickens whose offspring are grown for human food (broilers), any age and either sex.

        (III) Broilers, Breeders--chickens whose offspring are grown for human food (broilers):

          (-a-) Starting/Growing--from day of hatch until approximately ten weeks of age;

          (-b-) Finishing--from approximately ten weeks of age to time first egg is produced, approximately 20 weeks of age;

          (-c-) Laying--fertile egg producing chickens (broilers/roasters) from day of first egg throughout the time fertile eggs are produced.

        (IV) Turkeys:

          (-a-) Starting/Growing--turkeys that are grown for human food from day of hatch to approximately 13 weeks of age (males);

          (-b-) Finisher--turkeys that are grown for human food, females from approximately 17 weeks of age; males from 16 weeks of age to 20 weeks of age, (or desired market weight);

          (-c-) Laying--female turkeys that are producing eggs; from time first egg is produced, throughout the time they are producing eggs;

          (-d-) Breeder--turkeys that are grown to produce fertile eggs, from day of hatch to time first egg is produced (approximately 30 weeks of age), both sexes.

        (V) Ducks:

          (-a-) Starter--0 to 3 weeks of age;

          (-b-) Grower--3 to 6 weeks of age;

          (-c-) Finisher--6 weeks to market;

          (-d-) Breeder Developer--8 to 19 weeks of age;

          (-e-) Breeder--22 weeks to end of lay.

        (VI) Geese:

          (-a-) Starter--0 to 4 weeks of age;

          (-b-) Grower--4 to 8 weeks of age;

          (-c-) Finisher--8 weeks to market;

          (-d-) Breeder Developer--10 to 22 weeks of age;

          (-e-) Breeder--22 weeks to end of lay.

      (ii) Swine.

        (I) Pre-Starter--2 to 11 pounds;

        (II) Starter--11 to 44 pounds;

        (III) Grower--44 to 110 pounds;

        (IV) Finisher--110 to 242 pounds (market);

        (V) Gilts, Sows and Adult Boars;

        (VI) Lactating Gilts and Sows.

      (iii) Beef Cattle.

        (I) Calves (birth to weaning);

        (II) Cattle on Pasture (may be specific as to production stage, i.e., stocker, feeder, replacement heifers, brood cows, bulls, etc.);

        (III) Feedlot Cattle.

      (iv) Dairy Cattle.

        (I) Veal Milk Replacer--milk replacer to be fed for veal production;

        (II) Herd Milk Replacer--milk replacer to be fed for herd replacement;

        (III) Starter--approximately 3 days to 3 months;

        (IV) Growing Heifers, Bulls, and Dairy Beef:

          (-a-) Grower 1--3 months to 12 months of age;

          (-b-) Grower 2--more than 12 months of age;

        (V) Lactating Dairy Cattle;

        (VI) Non-Lactating Dairy Cattle.

      (v) Fish

        (I) Trout;

        (II) Catfish;

        (III) Species other than trout or catfish.

      (vi) Rabbit.

        (I) Grower--4 to 12 weeks of age;

        (II) Breeder--12 weeks of age and over.

      (vii) Equine.

        (I) Foal;

        (II) Mare;

        (III) Breeding;

        (IV) Maintenance.

      (viii) Goat and Sheep.

        (I) Starter;

        (II) Grower;

        (III) Finisher;

        (IV) Breeder;

        (V) Lactating.

    (C) The purpose statement may be excluded from the label if the product name includes a description of the specie(s) and animal class(es) for which the product is intended.

    (D) A purpose statement of a premix limited to use in the further manufacture of commercial feed may exclude the animal class and species and state "For the Manufacture of Commercial Feed" if the nutrients contained in the premix are guaranteed an sufficient for formulation into various animal species feeds.

    (E) The purpose statement of single purpose ingredients blend limited to use in the further manufacture of commercial feed, such as a blend of animal protein products, milk products, fat products, roughage products or molasses products may exclude the animal class and species and state "For Further Manufacturing of Feed" if the label guarantees of the nutrients contained in the single purpose nutrient blend are sufficient to provide for formulation into various animal species feeds.

    (F) The purpose statement of a product shall include a statement of enzyme functionality if enzyme activity is represented in any manner.

    (G) The statement of purpose for single ingredient feeds shall be stated as "Single Ingredient Feed" or "Feed Ingredient". The manufacturer of a single ingredient feed or feed ingredient shall have flexibility in describing in more specific and common language the intended use of the feed ingredient dependent on species and class.

  (2) Product name and brand name, if any.

    (A) The brand and product name shall be appropriate for the intended use of the feed and must not be misleading. If the name indicates the feed is made for a specific use, the character of the feed must conform therewith.

    (B) The word "protein" shall not be permitted in the product name of a feed that contains non-protein nitrogen.

    (C) The word "vitamin," or a contraction thereof, or any word suggesting vitamin, shall be used only in the name of a feed which is represented to be a vitamin supplement and which is labeled with the minimum content of each vitamin declared, as specified in paragraph (9)(E) of this section.

    (D) The term "mineralized" shall not be used in the name of a feed, except for when contained in the expression "trace mineralized salt." When this phrase is displayed on the label, the product must contain significant amounts of trace minerals which are recognized as essential for animal nutrition.

    (E) The term "meat" or "meat by-products" shall be qualified on the label to designate the type of animal from which the meat or meat by-products are derived unless the meat or meat by-products are from cattle, swine, sheep, and goats.

    (F) When the product name or brand name of a feed carries a percentage value, it shall be understood to signify the protein and/or equivalent protein of the feed content only, even though such percentage value is not explicitly modified by the word "protein." Other percentage values are permitted in the product name or brand name of a feed if such percentages are followed by a proper description and conform with good labeling practices.

    (G) Digital numbers shall not be used in the product name or brand name of a feed in such a manner as to be misleading or confusing to a consumer.

Cont'd...

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