Farm-Raised Deer Herd Status Programs

​​​CWD Herd Status Program

The Wisconsin Chronic Wasting Herd Status Program is a voluntary program designed to determine the CWD status of captive farm-raised deer.  Appropriate enrollment in the CWD Herd Status Program allows your herd to move live farm-raised deer in the state, and an additional Interstate Certification allows your herd to move out of state for movements that require USDA Certified Status. See more about this Program below.​

To enroll in the CWD HS Program, you must submit to DATCP:

• An application to register your herd and pay applicable fees, if you have not already.
• An application to enroll your registered herd in the CWD HS Program, free of charge.
• A completed herd census of all the deer and the two individual IDs of each deer in the herd. The census must be performed within 30 days of application.
• A physical inventory of all deer conducted by your herd veterinarian verifying the herd census information.
• A veterinarian's statement that they have established a client-patient relationship and no deer show signs of CWD.​

​To remain in the CWD HS Program, you must:

• ​Identify all farm-raised deer in the herd before they are 12 months old with two individual IDs.
• Perform CWD testing​ on farm-raised deer 12 months or older.
• Call the herd veterinarian within 24 hours if you see signs of CWD.
• Complete and send to DATCP an annual census that identifies all deer added to or removed (including by escape) from the herd since the last census.
• Complete a physical inventory with your herd veterinarian every three years.
• Submit a veterinarian’s statement that they have maintained a valid client-patient relationship and that there have been no CWD signs or positive results in the past year.
• Report all escapes and returns to DATCP and to your local DNR warden within 24 hours.
• Create and maintain complete herd records​ for each FRD​
  
• Maintain separation from diseased wild cervids if your herd is within 5 miles of at least two wild deer found or killed that have tested positive for CWD. (Access DATCP Home Deer Farm Frequently Asked Questions "Does my herd need to be double-fenced?)​
  

Interstate CWD Certification

For interstate (out of the state) movement of live cervids that require USDA CWD Certified Status, your herd must have WI Interstate Certification. This is an optional, free Certification for herds enrolled in the WI Herd Status Program. To be approved and maintain Interstate Certification, additional requirements may include a yearly fence inspection, testing of animals sent to slaughter under the same ownership, and more. To learn more about the Interstate Certification or apply, please contact the CWD Program Manager at claire.mathias@wisconsin.gov.

Interstate Certification is not required for instate movement. Herds with Interstate Certification should review Interstate Certification standards for adding animals. List of Certified H​erds.

Herd Additions

To add deer to your enrolled herd, you must comply with applicable movement regulations​ for in-state movement ​or imported deer. If you add deer from a herd that is not enrolled in the CWD HS Program, your herd will lose all CWD status.​ 

If more than one farm-raised deer herd or bovine will be located on the same premises, the herds may need to be medically separated.

​Record Keeping

Owners of a herd enrolled in the CWD HS program must keep all records for at least five years and must make them available to DATCP for inspection and copying upon request. See the record keeping requirements​. 

Identification Requirements

Farm-raised deer in the CWD HS Program that are 12 months of age or older must have two individual identifications (IDs) – one official, and the second either official or unique to the herd. At least one of the identifications must be visible. Live farm-raised deer of any age leaving your farm must have these two individual IDs.

Documents

• Census instructions
• Census form
  
• Physical herd inventory form
  
• CWD Herd Status application
  

CWD Sampler Certification

Owners and veterinarians who choose to pay the sampler certification fee using a credit card should choose the online option below. To pay the fee using a check or money order, fill out the appropriate paper application below, print, and mail with your payment.

• Online sampler certification for owners and veterinarians (credit card)
• Paper application (check or money order):
  • Owner sampler
  • Veterinarian sampler​
    

List of certified CWD samplers​

Tuberculosis Herd Status Program

For qualified tuberculosis-free herd status: 

All captive cervids in the herd, 12 months of age or older, and any animals under 12 months of age that are not natural additions, must be administered one official test for tuberculosis (TB) within a seven-month period with results indicating no evidence of bovine TB. The qualified herd status remains in effect for 12 months following the qualifying test. 

For accredited tuberculosis-free herd status: 

All captive cervids in the herd, 12 months of age or older, and any animals under 12 months of age that are not natural additions, must pass two official tests for TB conducted at a nine- to 15-month interval with no evidence of bovine TB. To maintain status as an accredited herd, the herd must test negative to an official TB test within 33 to 39 months from the anniversary date of the second consecutive test with no evidence of TB disclosed (that is, the test on which the herd was recognized as accredited or the accrediting test). 

Additional individual animal testing may be necessary to maintain status of a TB-accredited herd when animals moving into the herd originate from non-accredited herds.

For herds applying for certified status based on the purchase of farm-raised deer from a certified herd: 

Applicants must apply for status no later than 90 days after the applicant first acquires the farm-raised deer from the prior certified herd. The anniversary date of the purchased herd will be the same as the seller’s.

Every application for TB herd status must include a nonrefundable $240 fee for three-year status. A copy of the whole herd TB test results must accompany the application.​

DATCP maintains a list of USDA-approved cervid TB accredited veterinarians who are authorized to collect samples for cervid TB serologic tests.​

Brucellosis Herd Status Program

For initial certification: 

All sexually intact cervids in the herd, 6 months of age or older, must have two consecutive negative tests 9 to 15 months apart. The anniversary date will be the initial test sample date or, if herd status is based on purchased animals, the anniversary date will be the same as the seller’s. 

For continuous certification:

All test-eligible animals (sexually intact, 12 months of age or older) in the herd must have a negative test between 33 and 39 months of the previous anniversary date. Additional individual animal testing may be necessary to maintain status of a brucellosis free certified herd when animals moving into the herd originate from non-certified herds.

For herds applying for certified status based on the purchase of farm-raised deer from a certified herd:

Applicants must apply for status not later than 90 days after the applicant first acquires the farm-raised deer from the prior certified herd.​

Every application ​for certification​ must include a non-refundable $240 fee for three-year certification. A copy of the whole herd brucellosis test results must accompany this application.​​​