Health requirements
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ALL required health papers must accompany the cattle and be available for inspection upon arrival. Cattle will not be health tested on the facility grounds for the purposes of showing. NEAB-SS staff, with assistance from the Official Veterinarian, will check all papers. Animals will not be allowed on the grounds until health papers have been verified.
Cattle without health papers:
1) Will be placed in a quarantine area until proper health papers are presented OR
2) Will be required to leave the grounds
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Identification Requirements
All cattle attending NEAB-SS must have official individual identification regardless of age. Acceptable forms of animal identification are: a USDA AIN 840 tag (RFID or visual), a Canadian CCIA RFID 124 tag, or a manufacturer-coded 900, 982 or 985-series RFID tag.*NOTE: Manufacturer coded RFID tags were discontinued as official ID by USDA starting in 2015. However, tags applied before March 11, 2015 will be recognized for the life of the animal.
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Requirements for All Cattle
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Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. You must have a current Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI, also known as a health certificate) issued within 30 days of arrival at fairgrounds, signed by an accredited veterinarian, with animals individually identified. This certificate must be presented upon arrival of cattle to the fairgrounds.
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Identification. Each animal must be officially identified via a USDA 840 tag (RFID or visual) or a Canadian AIN RFID 124 tag. There is no age or sexual status exemption for the ID requirement.
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TB and Brucellosis testing is not required for animals from TB-Accredited and Brucellosis-Free States and
in-state animals. Current brucellosis and TB status in the exhibitor’s state can be obtained from the state
veterinarian’s office in each state. If the exhibitor’s state is not TB-Accredited or Brucellosis-Free, then the
exhibitor must call the Massachusetts Division of Animal Health for entry requirements (617-626-1795). All
animals must be free of visual evidence of the following diseases and conditions: foot rot, mange,
pinkeye, ringworm, warts, cowpox and open or draining wounds. -
While not required, it is strongly recommended that all cattle be currently vaccinated for rabies.
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Note: The Big E is requiring RFID official identification tags for all cattle entering the Big E Fairgrounds
premises in 2020. Other fairs may add this requirement. Contact fair office with questions.​
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Drug Usage
Cattle at the show may only be treated with USDA-licensed FDA-approved drugs. Withdrawal time periods must be strictly observed. Extra label use of all drugs must be under the direction of a licensed veterinarian.