The livestock brand remains an important tool for protecting cattle. For Colorado producers the Colorado Department of Agriculture's Brand Inspection Division reminds cattle producers that the brand assessment fee for the five-year assessment period beginning Jan. 1, 2017 is due and needs to be paid by June 30.

The $300 fee is good for the five-year period and payments are due by 5 p.m. on June 30; send to Brand Inspection Division, 305 Interlocken Parkway, Broomfield, CO 80021. Postmarks cannot be considered; payments received after the 5 p.m. deadline will be subject to late fees. And you could be subject to a forfeiture of your brand.

As Chris Whitney, CDA's brand commissioner, explains, "Livestock inspection has been an integral part of Colorado’s agricultural history for over 150 years. Inspection serves several purposes, including verifying ownership, deterring theft, facilitating the return of stolen or missing livestock, facilitating commerce, protecting livestock owners and financial institutions, and creating an accurate record of livestock movements in the event of disease outbreaks."

The Brand Inspection Division has a mission to protect the livestock industry from loss by theft, straying or illegal butchering. The mission includes several responsibilities, including:

• preventing the theft of livestock, returning stolen or missing livestock, and investigating reports of both
•  inspecting livestock and verifying ownership prior to a change of ownership, transport over 75 miles within Colorado, transport out of Colorado, transport to sale and transport to slaughter
• licensing public livestock markets or sale barns, and inspecting livestock consignments before sale
• licensing certified feedlots and administering the certified feedlot program
• licensing and inspecting alternative livestock (domestic elk and fallow deer) and alternative livestock facilities
• recording and administering Colorado’s approximately 32,750 registered livestock brands

According to CDA, brand inspectors covered 1.1 million miles and inspected about 3.8 million head of livestock during 2016.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture