Canada has put into place a National ID tag system to track livestock to their home farms. It's been in the works for several years. This is a good thing in my opinion, but sheesh its going to take some getting use to! I tag all my animals anyhow, so the cost should be no biggie. EXCEPT these tags don't have usable managment numbers........... and they're PINK!!!!!!!!!! Oh well :haha:
Ross, I just received my Scrapie tags and tagger (like an allflex, only bigger)...this is about the same as national ID, since each farm has it's own number; the tags are white and numbered sequentially, so thanks for the new eartags!! I'm still going to use the little Roto-Tags for the first three months though, since I own about 600 of those little guys.
I use Rototags too if they stay in the flock. All lambs get a Ketchum curl lock steel tag. These pink tags are ketchum tags and could have replaced my Ketchum tags with their lamb numbers. I'll have to see if there's room and I'm allowed to put a managment number in. By the thousand they're only .29 cents so cost is not a factor. They may just get one as they leave. I'm hoping for improvements so I'm holding off buying tags until I absolutely have to!
The scrapie tags are provided to US growers for FREE and come with the applicator. They are the Premier small swivel tag. When I bought tags last year I bought Premier small swivel tags just so I could use the FREE applicator. I hadn't had to tag in prior years because I was able to identify each individual lamb because each one was unique in looks and I didn't have so many that I couldn't keep track of them. Once I switched to using the dorset ram most of my lambs are white and I can't tell them apart! And, I have a bunch more born now than I used to. (And I said I was going to reduce the flock. Yeah, right! :haha: )
A PS to my last post.... I do have some problems with the swivel tags getting caught on the fences and pulling out or tearing the lambs ears, (ouch). Does anyone use a tag that this doesn't happen with?
All tags snag, I find the Dalton Rototag has been the best. They all have a back up Ketchum Curl lock and some lose both. I just gotta add this, Canadian Govt. gives us free tags..... BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA Not in my lifetime
What is the process to enter a flock into the national (US) scrapie program? Theres a mandatory program, and a voluntary one, right? Mandatory gives free applicators and tags? Do I have to pay to have blood tests done on all my sheep? I'm using tattoos for now on my light colored sheep, but the lincolns (which are nearly all silver with black faces) and the merino ewe and her lincoln cross ram lamb (both brown) have dark ears and a tattoo wouldn't show up. I like the fact that tattoos are permament and can't snag, but I'd use free tags if I had them, in addition. How can they have a manditory scrapie program if not all flocks are participating (how can it be called manditory?) Thanks, Leah
I am not sure there is a mandatory scrapie program. I know by a certain date all sheep & goats were to be tagged if going through an auction. They are also supposed to be tagged if selling to individuals, but how are they enforcing that??I am in the volunteer program & got 100 tags free. I think you could get up to 1000 free, but I don't sell that many & most of mine are tattooed & do not need the tags. I mainly have goats. I have a few Jacob sheep. You need to call the State Board of Animal Health in your state to find out the info. They will give you a premise ID # & a flock #.
This website has information and link to scrapie info: http://www.shaltzfarm.com/scrapie.html <snip> "Although the current federal scrapie program, the Volunteer Scrapie Certification Program, places no emphasis on resistant genetics, the proposed program which is expected to become law does. For your own copy of the proposed rules, see the snail mail address below. A copy is available online in PDF format on the federal scrapie site. Be aware that it's 112 pages and takes quite a while to download. Sending for a free hard copy might be easier. To get your own copy of the way the federal scrapie rules will be implemented when the time comes, snail mail to: Dr. Diane Sutton National Scrapie Program Coordinator 4700 River Road Unit 43 Riverdale, MD 20737-1231 or call 301 734 6954 " http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahps/scrapie/ shepmom (not logged in)
