Owners of livestock brands in Hawaii have until Dec. 31 to re-register their brands with the state Department of Agriculture or risk losing their rights to their brands.
Hawaii law requires owners of livestock in the state to register their brand to secure its validity and individuality. While it is not mandatory to use brands in Hawaii, it is mandatory for owners using brands to register them every five years. The registration fee is $10.
Between 2016 and 2020 there were 726 registered brands in the state.
Typically, cattle are branded prior to one year of age so owners have a permanent and unique identification on their animals that traces them back to their ownership. In Hawaii, there are about 1,100 cattle operations ranging from herds of about 25,000 head of cattle to those with just a few head.
For more information and applications, brand owners should contact the Animal Disease Control Branch at (808) 483-7106 or email hdoa.ldc@hawaii.gov. To obtain a brand registration form, visit http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/files/2012/12/DC29.pdf
