# How do I scrapie tag a La Mancha?



## jodief100 (Jun 4, 2010)

My vet woudln't give me health papers for an exhibition until all my goast were scrapie tagged.  Got all the Boars, kikos, spanish and the Nubian but I couldn't tag the La Mancha.  So poor Jasmine has to stay at home.  I was planning on "freshening" her with my boar buck so any male offspring will have value on the meat market.  I need to find out how to tag a goat with no ears?


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## ()relics (Jun 4, 2010)

I am speaking from the laws as they apply here in Indiana.....If your animal is a papered/registered animal with corresponding tattoo that matches its paperwork it does not need to be ear tagged, if when it is moved it is accompanied by said paperwork.  If the animal is not registered, does not have a tattoo that matches its paperwork, or has no/not enough ear to hold a tag it can be tagged OR tattooed in its tail web with its assigned scrapie number.


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## cmjust0 (Jun 4, 2010)

In Kentucky, the rules used to be that no goat could be sold -- to anyone, at public sale or through private treaty -- without having a scrapie ID tag in its ear..  Personally, I think it was mostly just a way to push NAIS at a state level because the state had the scrapie tags and wouldn't issue them unless you filled out an NAIS premises ID form..

As you might imagine, some dairy breeders took exception to being forced to tag their dairy goats...and probably also to participate in NAIS...but mostly because a big ugly scrapie tag is a bit unsightly for that type of animal.  

Not to mention unnecessary, given the fact that most were already tattooed.

So....two years and a lot of rule-ignoring later...the rule itself was changed to also allow animals to be identified either by a scrapie tag "or other official ID eartag/tattoo" before sale.  The rules on whether or not it applied to private transfer also got a little more vague, as the new wording specifically mentioned something about "before being unloaded at the point of sale."

Uhhhh...what about if someone comes to my farm, buys my goats, and then loads them up?  Sounds legal to me, since they were never technically unloaded at the point of sale!  

Anyway...I don't think it can really be much different from state to state, either, as Kentucky supposedly set their rules in place in order to maintain their status as a "Scrapie Consistent State" under USDA guidelines..  In other words, if tattoos serve the purpose in Kentucky, they should work wherever you are, too.

Research it for your state..  If your state accepts tattoos as IDs, and your goats are tattooed...and you show your vet...he/she probably wouldn't have much choice but to issue the health papers.


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## jodief100 (Jun 7, 2010)

I am in Kentucky so the advice for KY was very much appreciated.  I do not have the means to tattoo and really don't want to buy one since I am a meat goat breeder.  I only have the two milk goats for my occasional orphan and household use.  The show was a PR event for the Northern Kentucky Goat Producers Association.  We rarely go to shows.  My concern is when I take my animals to the livestock auction or the processor.  If I do not have the ability to tag any of her offspring, this is bad for business.  

I can tag in the tail web?  It seems a little thick through there to do it.  The only tattoo equipment I have seen is a clamp type mechanism.  It could get the tail?  Does anyone have any photos of either process?

I do appreciate the help so far; I am a little ignorant on this and need some more help.
Thank you, please keep the advice coming.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 7, 2010)

Jodie, can't you ask your vet to tattoo the goat?


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## Ariel301 (Jun 9, 2010)

We raise LaManchas and we use a tattoo on the underside of the tail. If I had eared goats, I would probably choose to do that on them too, because it looks nicer than ear tags and there is no worry of having the tags ripped out by accident.

You may be able to borrow a tattoo kit from someone if your vet doesn't have one. Look around for a dairy goat breeder or someone else with LaManchas.


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