USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact - Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - webmaster@usaha.org



For immediate release:

UPDATE ON NON-AMBULATORY ANIMAL STUDY PRESENTED TO USAHA ANIMAL
WELFARE COMMITTEE

        GREENSBORO, N.C., Oct. 27, 2004 - How are animals that can't walk handled on farms
and at markets and slaughter plants?

     Members of the USAHA Committee on Animal Welfare heard an update on a study
aimed at getting answers to this question at their meeting here this week.  The study, mandated
by the 2002 Farm Bill, is being carried out by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS),
livestock producers, and livestock market operators.  It will provide the first statistically reliable
estimates of the number of non-ambulatory cattle, goats, horses, pigs and sheep in the United
States as well as providing insight as to how these animals are handled on farms and at markets.

     The study defines non-ambulatory adult livestock as animals that cannot stand or walk for
any reason, with no minimum length of time, and non-ambulatory young livestock as animals
that cannot stand or walk for at least 12 hours.

     In January 2004, NASS enumerators interviewed some 400,000 beef and dairy cattle
producers across the United States to determine the number of and disposition of non-ambulatory
cattle and calves.  This interview will be repeated in January 2005 and results will be published
in the spring.

     During April 2005, a detailed on-farm questionnaire will be administered to a sample of
dairy operations in major dairy states that had non-ambulatory cattle in 2004.  As a means of
comparison, the questionnaire will also be administered to a sample of dairy operations that did
not have non-ambulatory cattle in 2004.  Results will be published in late 2005.

     Finally, in January 2005 and January 2006, NASS enumerators will interview U.S.
producers regarding the number and disposition of non-ambulatory sheep and goats.  Both results
will be published in the spring of 2006.

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