Stockmen don't cotton to livestock registration

For Rob Alexander, a cow-calf rancher in Elbert County, Colo., the program could be just another drain on his already wafer-thin profit margin."I have to buy this new tool to put a tag in the ear, and then I have to buy new software to scan the tags," he said. "Will it make my life more complicated? Yes. Am I excited about that? No. To the producer who's on the short end of the stick, this smells like a rat, because most of the burden is going to be on us."Alexander, who hasn't registered his ranch, is a Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Foundation board member and wonders how the program will affect rodeos and the contractors that provide rodeo stock. He's also curious about its impact on county and state fairs; his daughter shows 4-H calves.

Joel Franz of Burlington, Colo., a cattle rancher for 50 years, is like many of his friends. He hasn't signed up his ranch and takes issue with a voluntary program he said pushes registration through 4-Hers and with bribes. Some states offer cash to register, he said."There is no law that says it has to be done," he said. "Not by anybody."

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