To evaluate individual animals you will need individual identification of animals. Each animal will need a tag, tattoo, neck chain, ear notches or electronic chip so that you or anyone else can identify it. Due to the nature of goats it is wise to use at least 2 forms of identification in case one is lost. Currently, if you show goats or have purebred/registered goats that you sell or you have sheep mixed with your goats then they are required to have a scrapie tag.

National Scrapie Eradication Program

Scrapie is a very rare disease in goats; however, it is commonly reported in sheep in the U.S. Because of these factors goats are part of the National Scrapie Eradication Program (NSEP). The good news is that because of the low level of disease in goats the regulatory requirements are less than those for sheep. You will need to determine what requirements you must fulfill with your goats.

There is an excellent web site (http://www.animalagriculture.org/scrapie/Scrapie.htm) that details all the information you will need to meet the NSEP requirements.

The first step is to determine if you need to identify your goats. In general, this will only be necessary if you are showing sexually intact does and bucks (wethers are exempt), or plan to sell breeding stock that are registered goats or have goats that have been raised in contact with sheep. See the chart to the right. (Click on the figure for a larger view.)

The second step is to obtain a premise/flock number. Eventually, this will be the same as your National Animal Identification System Number. Call 866-USDA-TAG to obtain your premise/flock number.

The third step is to determine which approved ID system will work best for you. In general you can use tags supplied by the program or official custom made tags or if you have registered goats with tattoos or chips you can probably use them with some modifications. Check with your state and federal veterinarians to make sure you are in compliance.

The fourth step is to set up a record system that lists each goat. You will be required to retain ID records for 5 years. The records don’t need to be detailed but they do need to include births, deaths, and movements of animals.

The fifth step is to make sure that every animal that leaves your farm and requires a tag has one in their ear.

The sixth step is to remember that all breeding animals and sexually intact goats moving across state lines must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) which was issued in the last 30 days. In addition to verifying scrapie identification requirements have been met, the goats may also have to be tested for diseases such as Tuberculosis and Brucellosis. Results can take up to a week to obtain so make sure you plan ahead. Individual states can have requirements that are more stringent then the federal requirements listed above. When you contact your veterinarian to obtain a CVI make sure you tell him/her where the animals will be traveling, their age, sex, registry status, and purpose of movement. Your veterinarian will contact the state veterinary office of your destination and determine what tests and requirements must be fulfilled.

National Animal Identification System

In the near future you will be required to have your farm and animals enrolled in the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Recent cases of BSE in cattle have made it critically obvious that the U.S. needs a uniform system of animal identification that will allow regulatory agencies to track the movements of animals quickly and efficiently. The NAIS is being put into place to accomplish those goals. Under this system every facility that handles animals (farms, ranches, livestock shows, livestock sales, veterinary offices, etc.) will have a unique 7 character premises identification number. These numbers began to be issued in 2005.

Once the premise identification is in place, 15 character Animal Identification Numbers (AIN) and 13 character group/lot numbers will be distributed. Animals that are normally moved and marketed as a group (poultry, feeder pigs, etc.) will have a group number. All other animals will have an individual AIN. The program will determine suitable ID systems, such as tags or implants, for each animal species. The program will eliminate redundancy in identification numbers so that an animal’s AIN number will be the same as its registry number or the same as its scrapie number, etc. It is the stated goal of this program that in the event of disease exposure all exposed animals will be tracked within 48 hours.

Naturally, certain individuals are nervous about the program and see it as an invasion of their privacy. The USDA has guaranteed that the only information the system will track is the location of the animal and any movements that occur during its life.

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