Department of livestock revises brands policy

On April 4, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) will implement an updated policy for recording, transferring, and rerecording of brands.

The policy was developed by a committee of state legislators, representatives of industry organizations, members of the Board of Livestock, and MDOL staff in response to the industry’s requests for increased availability of 2-character brands. Major changes include additional acceptable characters, more lenient format guidelines, and the elimination of over 40% of regional character conflicts.

“The new Brand Policy will greatly increase the options for recording a livestock brand in the state of Montana,” said Brands Administrator Ethan Wilfore. “The development of the policy is also a great example of cooperative work done by different branches of government and industry organizations in the state.”

The “Department of Livestock Policy for Recording, Transferring, and Rerecording of Brands” is available to view on the website at http://www.liv.gov

The mission of the Montana Department of Livestock is to control and eradicate animal diseases, prevent the transmission of animal diseases to humans, and to protect the livestock industry from theft and predatory animals. For more information on the MDOL, visit http://www.liv.mt.gov.