Community Livestock Sales

Persons who wish to operate or conduct a community sale of livestock must obtain a permit prior to the start of the sale. All animals must be inspected by the official veterinarian on the day of the sale. Livestock which are brought from out of state must meet the Minnesota importation requirements. Animals showing clinical signs of infectious, contagious, or communicable disease will be denied entry to the sale. Sale premises must be well-constructed and maintained in good repair and in a clean and sanitary condition.

An official veterinarian must be present at each sale, except for sales that only handle poultry or ratites originating in Minnesota. Poultry, ratites or hatching eggs originating from other states or being sold and transported to other states, are not allowed to be sold without an official veterinarian present.

Always check with sale management for additional requirements.

• Inspect all livestock and prohibit the sale of animals showing signs of infectious, contagious or communicable disease.
• Examine import documentation for animals originating from another state and ensure livestock meet Minnesota’s import requirements.
• Ensure all livestock are tested as required by the Board.
• Ensure all livestock are identified before the sale, apply official ear tags to unidentified livestock.
• Maintain tagging records and submit copies to the Board within five (5) days of the completion of the sale.
• Write certificates of veterinary inspection (CVIs) for exportation of livestock.

• Retain the services of an official veterinarian.
• Ensure no livestock are sold until they have been inspected by the official veterinarian and found free from clinical signs of infectious, contagious or communicable disease.
• Submit proper import paperwork and test charts for all animals to the official veterinarian for approval prior to being sold.
• Ensure all livestock are identified and tested, as required by the Board, before the sale.
• Confirm livestock sold to persons in other states leave the sale with a certificate of veterinary inspection.
• Maintain livestock records as described by the Board and submit copies to the Board within five (5) days of the completion of the sale.

Breeding cattle must be officially identified prior to being offered for sale. Breeding cattle means all cattle except:

• Heifers of beef breed less than 18 months of age maintained for feeding purposes.
• Bulls under 10 months of age maintained for feeding purposes.
• Steers and spayed heifers.

Sheep and goats must be officially identified before being commingled with other sheep or goats offered for sale.

Community sales are permitted public sales of livestock or poultry where two or more persons come together to offer for sale livestock or poultry for purposes other than immediate slaughter.

All poultry and ratites, except baby poultry, must be individually identified with a leg or wing band with a number on the band. The band may also include other letters such as names/initials. Young poultry that are too small to band can be sold as a group if the Hatchery Permit number or National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) number is written on the cage, box or enclosure.

All turkeys, chickens, waterfowl, game birds, ratites and hatching eggs must be accompanied by a certificate or test chart approved by the Board to show compliance with the following requirement:

• Pullorum-typhoid – originate from a hatchery or breeding flock that is classified S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean under the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP); or be negative to a pullorum-typhoid test within 30 days prior to being offered for sale.

If a test chart is used, the band number on the bird must match the test chart. Please see the community sales document for these changes.

For questions related to poultry sale requirements, please contact the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory at 320-231-5170 or poultry@state.mn.us.

Breeding and feeding swine must be officially identified prior to being offered for sale.

Permit needed for all community livestock sales, including horse sales

• An annual permit may be issued to a sale manager who holds regularly scheduled livestock sales throughout the year at a specified location.
• A permit may be issued for a single community sale upon receipt of a completed application which specifies the date and the location of the sale.

State equine import requirements apply

• Negative Coggin’s test dated within the previous 12 months.
• Certificate of veterinary inspection dated within the previous 30 days.

Official veterinarian for the event must be available examine all horses prior to sale as well as issue certificates of veterinary inspection for horses moving interstate after departing the sale.