LANDER - The federal government has agreed to give a Daniel-area rancher more time to decide whether he'll slaughter all of his breeding cattle from his brucellosis-infected herd, the state veterinarian said Wednesday.

There are stipulations built into the extension, which will affect the ultimate slaughter deadline, but it should give the rancher until late September or early October to "depopulate" his herd, said State Veterinarian Walt Cook.

If the rancher, whose identity is protected by state law, fails to slaughter his breeding animals by the new deadline, the entire state will lose its brucellosis-free market status for cattle.

See Thursday's Star-Tribune for more on this story.