FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, April 28, 2008

For more information contact:
Bill Clary

(502) 564-4696

ID TAGS REQUIRED TO SELL SHEEP AND GOATS STARTING JULY 1

FRANKFORT, Ky. — State Veterinarian Robert C. Stout reminds Kentucky producers that new rules for identifying sheep and goats take effect July 1.

As of that date, all sheep and goats must be identified with a scrapie animal identification ear tag or other official individual animal identification prior to being unloaded at the point of sale. The rule has been adopted so Kentucky can maintain its status as a scrapie consistent state with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, meaning the Commonwealth has met guidelines set forth by USDA to control and eradicate scrapie.

“Sheep and goats mean millions of dollars to Kentucky farmers from the sale of animals for meat and value-added products such as wool,” Dr. Stout said. “We must do all we can to maintain Kentucky’s scrapie consistent status to protect our animals and our markets.”

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture encourages producers to obtain scrapie ear tags as soon as possible. USDA provides tags free of charge at this time. Tags take three to four weeks to arrive after they are ordered. To order tags, call the USDA office in Frankfort at 502-848-2040.

Animals originating from states other than Kentucky must be identified with their state’s scrapie tag prior to entering Kentucky.

Sales of Kentucky sheep and goats totaled an estimated $20 million in 2007. Kentucky is in the top five states in number of goats at 81,400 as of Jan. 1, a 10 percent increase over the 2007 inventory. Kentucky’s sheep numbers stayed the same at 37,000.

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is among a number of diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). A 2002-2003 USDA study estimated the prevalence of scrapie in mature sheep in the U.S. at 0.2 percent. The presence of scrapie in the U.S. prevents the export of breeding stock, semen and embryos to many other countries.

For more information, contact the Office of the State Veterinarian at (502) 564-3956.

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