Jennifer Reynolds, USDA Animal Health Technician

When you have picked out your fair goat or sheep project, make sure the breeder has officially identified the sheep or goat before it leaves the farm. The most common form of official ID is a scrapie tag that will have a U.S. shield on the tag and will start with a state abbreviation according to the premises where the animal was born (flock/herd of origin). Other forms of official identification can be found in our USDA Official ID Types Handout . Always make sure the exhibition you are showing the sheep or goat at accepts the form of official ID you are using. If you are using official tattoos or 840-approved microchips for official identification, remember that tattoos must be legible, you must have your corresponding paperwork in the form of a registration paper or owner statement, and microchips should be in the correct location. You should arrange for a microchip reader to be available at ID check time at the fair. The important thing to remember about official ID is that it cannot be duplicated and it’s unlawful to remove. There is no reason why a sheep or goat should have two scrapie tags – it only needs one which identifies it to the flock of birth. 

Scrapie is an incurable, fatal, degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, the same class of disease as BSE, otherwise known as Mad Cow Disease. Sheep and goats are exposed to scrapie at birth if they are born into an infected flock and may not show signs or symptoms of the disease until 2-5 years of age. This is why flock of birth/flock of origin identification is so important. You can learn more about scrapie and disease resistant genotypes for sheep on the USDA Scrapie website page. If you are a sheep or goat producer and have not yet signed up for scrapie ID and live in Ohio, please call our Ohio USDA APHIS VS office at 614-856-4745 to get a scrapie flock identification number assigned. 

Published in the Ohio Animal Health Newsletter – July 2024