Livestock Biosecurity Requirements in New Mexico Every Producer Should Know

New Mexico’s livestock industry has operated on western rangeland for over 400 years, and protecting that legacy depends on one critical layer of defense: biosecurity. A single disease introduction — whether foot-and-mouth, brucellosis, or vesicular stomatitis — can trigger statewide movement restrictions, economic losses, and federal intervention within days.

If you raise cattle, sheep, goats, horses, swine, poultry, or other livestock in New Mexico, you are subject to a layered set of state and federal biosecurity obligations. This guide walks you through every major requirement — from premises registration and animal identification to dead animal disposal — so you can stay compliant and keep your operation protected.

What Is Livestock Biosecurity and Why It Matters in New Mexico

Livestock biosecurity is the set of management practices designed to prevent disease-causing organisms from entering, spreading within, or leaving your operation. Biosecurity practices and procedures reduce transmission of disease-causing organisms (pathogens) between and within farms. At the farm level, this breaks down into two distinct categories: external and internal biosecurity.

External biosecurity refers to procedures and practices that reduce the transmission of pathogens from sources off of your farm, including the management of routine visitors such as the milk truck, feed deliveries, custom harvesters, borrowed equipment, and bought or leased animals. Internal biosecurity refers to procedures and practices on the farm to prevent transmission of pathogens between areas of your farm — most harmful diseases within a farm transfer from older animals to younger animals.

New Mexico presents unique biosecurity challenges. The state periodically experiences incidents of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV), an important vector-borne viral disease that affects multiple species of animals. The state also shares a long international border with Mexico, creating elevated exposure risk for diseases such as bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis. The NMLB’s mission is to protect the integrity of New Mexico’s livestock industry, with a team of about sixty full-time inspectors and another sixty full and part-time deputies continuously patrolling and performing inspections around the state.

A foreign animal disease outbreak in the United States could have a severe, profound, and long-lasting negative impact on agriculture and the general economy — negative effects will be felt locally by livestock and associated industries, and nationally through loss of international trade, product availability, and subsequent price changes. Understanding your biosecurity obligations in New Mexico is not just a regulatory formality — it is a direct investment in your operation’s survival.

Premises Registration and Identification Requirements in New Mexico

Premises registration and animal identification are the foundation of New Mexico’s disease traceability system. The scope of 21.30.2 NMAC covers all owners, transporters, or handlers of livestock in the state of New Mexico and those that apply to bring livestock into the state for any reason. Under New Mexico law, “livestock or animal” means cattle, sheep, swine, bison, goats, horses, mules, asses, poultry, ratites, camelids, and farmed cervidae.

Animal identification requirements differ by species. For cattle operations, cattle are still required to have a New Mexico registered brand. Sheep and goats destined for show or exhibition are exempt from paint, chalk, or fire brand regulations, provided they are identified with a permanent official identification device approved by USDA for use in the scrapie program. Exhibition livestock, including sheep, goats, cattle, and swine, may be identified with an official EID tag as an accepted means of identification.

For sheep and goat owners specifically, all owners of sheep and goats in New Mexico are required to have a wool/hair brand registered in the office of the NMLB, and the brand may be applied by means of paint, chalk, hot iron, tattoo, or eartags. Additionally, earmarks may be used as a means of identification, and if used, the earmark must be recorded in conjunction with the recorded brand.

All sheep and goats being moved, transported, driven, or otherwise transferred from one premises to another, or all of those presented for or requiring inspection, shall be required to bear a recorded means of identification. For horses, pursuant to Section 77-9-42 NMSA 1978, all horses, mules, or asses must be accompanied by a brand certificate.

For out-of-state livestock entering New Mexico, all horses, mules, asses, cattle, and bison entering New Mexico from another state must have an entry permit. You can obtain entry permits online through the NMLB’s portal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or by calling (800) 432-6889. A health certificate or other approved NMLB document from the state of origin and a New Mexico entry permit are required on all shipments of cattle entering New Mexico. If you operate in other states and need to understand how trailer and transport rules intersect with these identification requirements, resources on livestock trailer requirements in Nevada and livestock trailer requirements in Pennsylvania provide useful comparative context.

Biosecurity Plan Requirements in New Mexico

While New Mexico does not mandate a single standardized biosecurity plan form for all routine livestock operations, the NMLB and NMDA strongly expect producers to maintain documented, site-specific protocols — especially during disease alerts or movement restriction events. Each site-specific biosecurity plan should be distributed to everyone who has access to the facility.

In order to develop a comprehensive, effective biosecurity plan, it is necessary to understand how each disease of concern is spread and how susceptible animals are exposed. Each disease has transmission pathways based on the nature of the pathogenic agent, and diseases may be spread between animals, and between animals and humans (zoonotic disease), in a variety of ways.

Your biosecurity plan should address the following core operational areas:

• Animal movement onto and off the premises
• Isolation procedures for new or returning animals
• Visitor, vehicle, and equipment access controls
• Cleaning and disinfection (C&D) protocols
• Wildlife and pest exclusion strategies
• Dead animal disposal procedures
• Disease reporting contacts and procedures

Your veterinarian is one of the only people you work with that can comment on your entire system and how everything works together. They have specific biosecurity training that can help you develop a plan that targets your most significant transmission risks. Writing down a specific protocol and set of practices is essential — you, your employees, and everyone else that visits your farm needs to have something they can reference.

Biosecurity protocols will be based on the species and/or mixture of species to be protected, types of diseases, economic value of the animals, intended purpose and susceptibility of the animals, practicality, and facility layout. This means a large commercial cattle feedlot will have a more complex plan than a small goat operation — but both need documented procedures. For comparison, see how neighboring states approach formal documentation requirements in resources on livestock disease reporting in Colorado and livestock disease reporting in California.

Under New Mexico’s exotic pests and foreign animal disease rules (21.30.4 NMAC), the state veterinarian may stop movement of certain livestock because of the possibility those livestock are diseased or exposed to a contagious disease, even before the disease has been confirmed. Certain diseases and conditions are considered to be of significant economic impact and, when discovered or diagnosed, are to be immediately reported to the NMLB’s state veterinarian. Having a written plan in place before a disease event dramatically speeds your ability to respond and maintain movement permits.

Animal Isolation and Movement Control Requirements in New Mexico

Controlling how and when animals move onto, within, and off your premises is one of the most effective biosecurity measures available. Animals, whether showing signs of disease or not, may be the most recognizable entity to move disease between populations. Examples of sound animal management practices include isolation of new additions — in some cases, a 30-day isolation before commingling — and all-in/all-out management of groups of animals.

New Mexico regulations impose strict movement controls whenever disease risk is identified. Physical boundaries may be established by order of the NMLB or a duly authorized agent for the purpose of controlling the movement of livestock to prevent the spread of disease, and orders of restricted movement are imposed when animals may be exposed or affected by a contagious or infectious disease. Animals under quarantine shall not be removed from the quarantine unless granted permission by the board or its authorized representative.

When importing cattle into New Mexico, upon arrival at destination, the owner or agent must notify the NMLB inspector in order to make arrangements for inspection of the shipments prior to commingling with other cattle or release to pasture. The inspection is for the purpose of determining that the shipment has met all applicable import requirements, including but not necessarily limited to scabies dipping, brucellosis testing, tuberculosis testing, and brand regulations.

For sheep and goats entering New Mexico, all sheep and goats entering the state must be accompanied by a permit previously procured from the NMLB office in Albuquerque or from an officer of the board specifically authorized to issue entrance permits. Sheep and goats entering the state must also be accompanied by an official health certificate issued by a state inspector of the state of origin, a USDA inspector, or a recognized and accredited veterinarian attesting the animals are apparently free from symptoms of infectious or contagious disease.

For horses specifically, any horse six months of age or older being brought into New Mexico is required to have a negative AGID or ELISA test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) within 12 months of entry, except for nursing foals accompanying EIA test-negative dams. If the NMLB has reason to believe that any area or region contains a health risk from dangerous and contagious diseases that could affect livestock, the board may designate that area or region as one from which movement of livestock to New Mexico or within New Mexico is prohibited. That determination may be made by the director in consultation with the state veterinarian and then ratified at the next board meeting.

You can also find relevant cross-state movement compliance context in resources covering livestock trailer requirements in Wisconsin and brand inspection requirements in Washington.

Visitor, Vehicle, and Equipment Sanitation Rules in New Mexico

People, vehicles, and equipment are among the most common pathways for disease to enter or leave a livestock premises. Operational biosecurity pertains to procedures conducted on the premises, as well as the management of people, animals, supplies, equipment, vehicles, and other items related to disease control. New Mexico regulations and NMLB biosecurity guidelines place significant emphasis on controlling these entry points.

Under the state’s exotic pests and foreign animal disease regulations (21.30.4 NMAC), vehicles transporting livestock subject to disease restrictions must meet specific decontamination standards. Animals may be required to be sponged down with vinegar or a solution of glacial acetic acid and water, with hooves or feet cleaned and disinfected with a four percent sodium carbonate solution to ensure hooves are free of dirt, manure, and debris. Transportation vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected with an approved disinfectant.

Best practices for visitor and vehicle management on your New Mexico livestock operation include:

1. Maintain a visitor log — Record the name, date, time, and premises visited most recently by every non-household person entering animal areas.
2. Establish a vehicle entry protocol — Require all vehicles entering livestock areas to pass through a tire wash or be sprayed with an approved disinfectant before entry.
3. Provide dedicated footwear or boot covers — Keep disposable boot covers or a disinfectant footbath at every barn entrance for visitors and service personnel.
4. Restrict access to animal housing areas — Limit access to personnel with a legitimate operational need and brief all visitors on your biosecurity protocols before entry.
5. Dedicate equipment where possible — Avoid sharing needles, halters, feed scoops, and other equipment between animal groups or with neighboring operations.
6. Clean and disinfect shared equipment — Any borrowed or returned equipment must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before use on your premises.

Premises should have defined lines of separation between clean and dirty zones. This zoning concept — sometimes called a “line of separation” — is a core principle in NMLB biosecurity guidance and in USDA APHIS FAD PReP/NAHEMS guidelines applicable to New Mexico producers. USDA also recommends enhanced biosecurity for individuals that frequently move between dairy premises, such as milk haulers, veterinarians, feed trucks, and artificial insemination technicians, as well as on-farm disease management practices and mitigations for wildlife and birds.

Wildlife and Pest Control Obligations in New Mexico

New Mexico’s diverse landscape — spanning desert, grassland, and mountain ecosystems — means your livestock operation shares territory with a wide variety of wildlife species that can serve as disease reservoirs or vectors. Controlling wildlife and pest access to your animals and their feed is both a biosecurity best practice and, in specific disease scenarios, a regulatory obligation.

Past incidents of horses with ear ticks, some leading to fatal neurologic disease, after return home from exhibitions in New Mexico have been reported. Horse show management should ensure that all horse stalls and surrounding areas are treated with acaricides before exhibition horses arrive on the show grounds. This same principle applies to your home premises — tick and insect control is critical for preventing vector-borne diseases including VSV and equine piroplasmosis.

Carcass and manure disposal should be done in a manner that prevents attraction of wildlife, scavengers, and pets. Wildlife access to feed storage, water sources, and animal housing areas must be actively managed. Key wildlife and pest control measures for New Mexico livestock operations include:

• Fencing and exclusion barriers — Use perimeter fencing designed to prevent deer, javelina, coyotes, and feral hogs from accessing pastures and feed storage areas. Livestock guardian dogs can also serve as an effective deterrent against predators that may carry disease.
• Feed and water security — Store all supplemental feed in sealed, wildlife-proof containers. Cover water troughs when not in active use to prevent contamination from wild birds and rodents.
• Rodent control programs — Implement ongoing rodent management around feed storage buildings and animal housing, as rodents are known carriers of multiple pathogens affecting livestock.
• Bird exclusion — Screen ventilation openings in poultry and swine facilities to prevent contact with wild birds, particularly given ongoing HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) risks.
• Vector monitoring — Monitor for biting insects, ticks, and flies, especially during warm months when VSV activity is highest in New Mexico. During periods of viral activity, biting flies are more likely to pick up and transmit the virus from an infected animal.

The NMLB’s State Veterinarian office collaborates with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and USDA APHIS on wildlife-related disease surveillance. The NMLB is also the office of the State Veterinarian, whose team collaborates with various government and private sector partners to ensure that the state remains free of diseases. If you observe unusual wildlife mortality near your livestock, report it promptly to the NMLB or NMDA, as it may indicate a disease event requiring investigation.

Dead Animal Disposal Requirements in New Mexico

Proper disposal of livestock carcasses is one of the most critical — and most regulated — components of your biosecurity program. Livestock deaths may or may not be due to disease, but are a biosecurity risk for the rest of the herd or flock. The handling and disposal procedures for carcasses should avoid exposing the rest of the livestock population.

In New Mexico, routine dead animal disposal is governed by state environmental and agricultural rules, while mass mortality events fall under the New Mexico Large Animal Mass Mortality Carcass Management Plan, administered by the NMDA in coordination with the NMLB. Regardless of the cause of animal mortality, biosecurity practices should be followed. Response personnel should always adhere to the biosecurity requirements of the premises where disposal operations are taking place. On-site disposal methods are ideal to minimize biosecurity concerns, but may not be possible at every site.

Approved disposal methods for routine livestock mortality in New Mexico include the following options, each with site-specific conditions:

It is preferable that carcasses are disposed of immediately after depopulation or mortality. Delays in disposal increase the risk of scavenger access, pathogen spread, and environmental contamination. When selecting a disposal site or method, consider all groundwater pathways, locate the site away from neighbors and out of sight, downwind from neighboring homes, and away from environmentally sensitive areas.

During a declared animal health emergency or mass mortality event, the NMDA assumes primary coordination authority. All operations and activities undertaken by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture in response to mass mortality incidents or depopulation events will be conducted using the incident command, unified command, and National Incident Management Systems (NIMS). The NMLB maintains a 40-foot CP4000HD air curtain incinerator for use in mass mortality scenarios.

Understanding disease reporting obligations is closely linked to your dead animal disposal duties. Producers in neighboring states can compare approaches through resources on livestock disease reporting in Florida, livestock disease reporting in Illinois, and other New Mexico animal regulatory requirements. If you operate across state lines, reviewing the rules in adjacent states ensures you are compliant at both ends of any transport.

Staying current with NMLB updates is essential. During the 2025 Legislative Session, the NMLB was approved to increase the maximum amount that may be charged for inspections, brand actions, and administrative fees, with the board adopting new fees scheduled to become effective January 1, 2026. Regulatory changes like these can affect your compliance costs and operational planning, so monitoring the NMLB’s “What’s New” page and signing up for email updates is strongly recommended.