Carol J. Elkins
Mon, 23 May 2005 13:00:47 -0700
At 03:30 PM 5/23/2005 -0400, you wrote:
I'm selling some sheep that'll be moving across state lines. What kind of tag is the scrapie tag exactly? (Up until now, I haven't tagged anyone, as they didn't go anywhere.)Is it a special USDA numbering system? or is it any number tag? or what?
Diane, good for you for wanting to comply with what is now Federal Law. I may not like the law, but it is a law nevertheless and responsible sheep breeders should comply.
Scrapie tags are special tags approved by the USDA. They are available only from approved vendors. The tag contains the USDA emblem, your presmises/flock ID number, and, if you choose, the animal's ID number. They are free to you, but you need to 1) get signed up with the USDA and 2) order the tags. To get signed up with the USDA, begin by reading the information at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahps/scrapie/eradicate.html specifically the "How to Comply" link. Call 866-873-2824 for details.
For blackbelly ears, I strongly recommend the 2X tags available at Premier because they do not rip. Under no circumstances should you try tagging a blackbelly under the age of 3 months with a scrapie tag. The law does not require you to tag the animal until it is of breeding age, so this should not be a problem. Contact Premier at 800-282-6631 and order the 2X tags shown at http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=532&cat_id=103
Are they pretty easy to 'install'. Does the sheep bleed quite a bit? Does it seem to hurt alot? How do you restrain them for tagging?
Yes and no. You need to get the hang of the applicator. You might want to sacrifice a couple of tags by practicing on a sheep of paper or light cardboard first. Better to spend a few cents' worth of tags than to permanently damage a sheep's ear.
In addition, you need to ensure that you place the tag between the two horizontal bloodveins that run along the bottom of the ear. If you accidentally punch through a blood vein, there will be lots of blood. The Premier catalog used to have an illustration of the proper placement of the tag. You can read also see an illustration in the Powerpoint presentation I gave at last year's BBSAI workshop at http://www.blackbellysheep.org/articles/recordkeeping_and_tagging.pdf (page 20 has the illustration).
Yes it will hurt, but they get over it within seconds.Plan on one person holding the sheep flat on the ground, allowing the person doing the tagging to concentrate on positioning the tag in the correct place on the ear. As soon as you pierce the ear, the sheep is going to buck and toss its head. If you don't go with the flow here, you can rip the ear. I simply let go of the applicator, and as soon as the sheep quiets down, I calmly remove the applicator with no damage.
Hope this helps. Carol _______________________________________________ This message is from the Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info mailing list Visit the list's homepage at Blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info