# Lost scrapie tag



## Ruus (Jun 1, 2013)

One of my girls lost her scrapie tag this afternoon, and I was wondering if I legally had to replace it if she doesn't leave my farm? She wasn't born on my farm, so it's not my flock ID#, and her number is also on a metal tag on her neck chain. I've tried looking on the Kentucky dept. of ag websites, but they just say animals must be tagged before leaving the farm where they were born, it doesn't say what to do if they lose the tag but aren't going to leave the farm they were sold to. I'd really rather not replace it if I don't have to, she's always sticking her head in everything and would just rip it out again and mess up her ear worse.


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## purplequeenvt (Jun 1, 2013)

If you aren't in the Scrapie program that requires a yearly inspection and accounting of your sheep and this sheep is not going to leave your farm, then no, you do not need to replace it. If you ARE in the program requiring inspection, then you'll need to record her old number and make note of her new one.


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## secuono (Jun 2, 2013)

Is that the 'volunteer' program that requires inspection?

I know the regular/common one doesn't require squat until the animal leaves your property. I never replace or put in a tag until the night before they are sold. 
Tags seriously ruin ears, I don't get why goats can have a tat but not sheep. Mine are wool sheep, but no wool in the ears....


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## Ruus (Jun 2, 2013)

Yes, that's why I don't want to replace it. I've seen too many sheep with shredded ears. She only had a tag because I bought her from someone else's farm. I was relieved that this one came out relatively cleanly, the whole tag just slid through the hole and spread it a little bit, it didn't split her whole ear.


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## purplequeenvt (Jun 2, 2013)

secuono said:
			
		

> Is that the 'volunteer' program that requires inspection?
> 
> I know the regular/common one doesn't require squat until the animal leaves your property. I never replace or put in a tag until the night before they are sold.
> Tags seriously ruin ears, I don't get why goats can have a tat but not sheep. Mine are wool sheep, but no wool in the ears....


Yes, I believe that it is the volunteer program. 

If you only have a handful of sheep, then not having ear tags is fine. It's when you have 10, 20, 30, etc sheep that the tags become essential. You need to be able to tell from a distance who is who and you can't do that with a tattoo.


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