Enrollment Requirements. Herd owners who enroll in the Trichomoniasis Herd Certification Program shall sign a herd agreement with the commission and maintain the herd in accordance with the herd agreement and following conditions:
  (1) All non-virgin breeding bulls shall be tested annually for Tritrichomonas foetus for three consecutive years as required by the herd agreement.
  (2) During the three year inception period, all non-virgin breeding bulls that are sold, leased, gifted, exchanged or otherwise change possession shall be tested for Tritrichomonas foetus within 30 days prior to such change in possession. The test must be completed and test results known prior to the time a bull(s) is physically transferred to the receiving premises or herd.
  (3) Negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls will be identified with official identification.
  (4) All slaughter bulls removed from the herd must be tested for Tritrichomonas foetus. The test may be performed at a slaughter facility if prior arrangement with a certified veterinarian and an appropriate agreement with the slaughter facility management is made.
  (5) Bovine females added to a certified herd shall not originate from a known Tritrichomonas foetus infected herd. Female herd additions must originate from a certified Tritrichomonas foetus free herd or qualify in one of the following categories:
    (A) calf at side and no exposure to other than known negative Tritrichomonas foetus bulls;
    (B) checked by an accredited veterinarian, at least 120 days pregnant and so recorded;
    (C) virgin; or
    (D) heifers exposed as virgins only to known negative Tritrichomonas foetus infected bulls and not yet 120 days pregnant.
  (6) Records must be maintained for all tests including all non-virgin bulls entering the herd and made available for inspection by a designated accredited veterinarian or state animal health official.
  (7) All non-virgin bulls shall be tested for Tritrichomonas foetus every two years after the initial three year inception period to maintain certification status.
  (8) Herd premises must have perimeter fencing adequate to prevent ingress or egress of cattle.
  (9) All bulls originating from a Trichomoniasis Certified Free Herd that is maintained in accordance with this section and the herd agreement are exempt from the testing requirement found in §38.2 of this chapter (relating to General Requirements).

Source Note: The provisions of this §38.8 adopted to be effective July 13, 2010, 35 TexReg 6062; amended to be effective August 14, 2011, 36 TexReg 5090; amended to be effective October 9, 2014, 39 TexReg 7911; amended to be effective December 27, 2022, 47 TexReg 8525