2010 Livestock Brand Renewal Information
BRAND RENEWAL PROCESS BEGINS
LIVESTOCK OWNERS URGED TO USE THE EASE OF THE
INTERNET TO HELP PROTECT THEIR ANIMALS
Salt Lake City – Utah cowboys can be among the first in the nation to use the Internet to renew or apply for a livestock brand or earmark. The traditional 5-year renewal cycle for livestock brands is currently under way. This ritual has been part of the Utah West since the 1860’s.
Utah’s 20,000 brand owners will be receiving brand renewal notices in the U.S. mail during 2010. They have the option of renewing via the postal service, or going on-line to renew (at no extra cost) at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food’s (UDAF) web site: http://ag.utah.gov.
Owners of cattle, sheep and horses are required by law to renew their brand or ear marking every five years. The UDAF is currently sending out renewal notices to registered brand owners throughout the state. Included with the notices will be a PIN number to give owners the option of completing the renewal process on-line. Owners can renew any time this year.
Because of the tremendous number of brands in Utah, a renewal schedule has been established this year to help streamline the process. Livestock owners in Cache, Box Elder, Rich, and Weber Counties will receive notices in March; Owners in Summit, Morgan, Davis, and Salt Lake Counties will receive notices in April; Owners in Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, and Juab Counties will receive notices in May; Owners in Carbon, Duchesne, Uintah, and Daggett will receive notices in June; Owners in Millard, Sanpete, Sevier, Beaver, and Piute Counties will receive notices in July; Owners in Emery, Grand, San Juan, and Wayne Counties will receive notices in August; and owners in Iron, Washington, Garfield, Kane Counties, and out of state owners will receive notices in September.
Livestock owners who do not receive a notice, or misplaced their notice, should contact Arlene at the UDAF at: (801) 538-7137 or email at: athatcher@utah.gov.
If a brand expires it becomes available for someone else to claim. Under Utah law, any livestock that grazes on open range must be identified through a brand. It is also unlawful to brand livestock with unregistered brands or earmarks.
Last year the UDAF returned 2,184 head of lost cattle, sheep and horses to their owners. The value of those returned animals is put at $1,563,000.
“Keeping your brand current can save owners thousands of dollars and prevent any confusion of ownership should the animal wonder away,” Menlove said. “This is an excellent time for livestock owners to update the information on their brand recording and avoid the $50 dollar transfer fee that is traditionally charged at other times,” said Animal Industry Director, Terry Menlove.
Those who renew will receive a new wallet-sized ID card and a larger certificate for their records. Hardbound brand books or a CD of all Utah registered brands will be available for purchase following the renewal year.
Aside from the on-line registration service, the UDAF web page contains a listing of every registered brand and earmark in the state. Visit: http://webapp.ag.utah.gov/brandWebApplication/
Brands that are not renewed by March of 2011 become available for ownership by other livestock owners.
Posted: March, 2010