Oregon Senate Looks At Allowing Lay People To Check For Cattle Pregnancy

On Tuesday, Oregon lawmakers took public comments on legislation that would allow individuals to verify whether cattle are pregnant, even if they don’t hold a valid veterinary license.  Harney County rancher Rusty Inglis says Senate Bill 1539 brings a welcome change to the statutes affecting livestock producers in rural counties.

“There is a known shortage of veterinarians in this state, large animal vets," Inglis told lawmakers this week.  "And that's the problem we're running into today. I have neighbors in Harney County, on the south end, that cannot even get a vet to come clear down to the south end to do preg testing.”

The Lack Of Vets Will Become A Bigger Issue In The Coming Years

The Oregon Farm Bureau has thrown its support behind SB 1539.  

The OFB’s Ryan Krabill said it’s an issue of accessibility to large animal vets in underserved areas.  And the strain the Oregon ranching community is currently facing is while the national herd is the smallest its been in a generation.

“And so, we are going to see the growth and increase of that herd in the near term," Krabill said.  "And that is going to put a special pressure on some of this livestock reproduction expertise that is out there and available to us.”

Without A Veterinarian, Things Can Be Missed

The Executive Director of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association voiced opposition to SB 1539, expressing concerns about needed training and potential disease identification. 

Click Here to learn more about SB 1539.

Click Here to submit written comments.  Comments will be accepted until 1 p.m. Thursday February 5th.

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