This is all new to me, so don't know exactly where this falls in the bureaucracy. Maybe somebody else could explain. Anyway, just got wind of recommendations from the National Scrapie Oversight Board of a proposed program implementation plan (the Draft Scrapie Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules) to be enacted by APHIS (who is this???). The purpose is to be able to trace scrapie infected and exposed sheep and goats in the U.S. The proposed rule (Scrapie in Sheep and Goats: Interstate Movement Restriction and Indemnity Program) would require that breeding sheep and goats over 18 months in interstate commerce be identified. As I read it, there is a federal program that calls for state compliance (all 50 states have agreed), which would involve identification and presumeably state registration of all breeding stock.

This all sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare and seems to have serious potential for interfering with the way small scale breeders and homesteaders operate! Does anyone know more details?

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), March 26, 2001

Answers

Groan......I don't have details, but I shudder to learn more... I'll see if I can dig anything else up later today. This is getting so discouraging....

-- sheepish (WA) (rborgo@gte.net), March 26, 2001.

a quick search came up with this. Jack http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

-- jack (atl.jack@mailexcite.com), March 26, 2001.

You need to be in contact with your state Animal Health Commission. Aphis rules are federal, and each state will be dealing with this seperatly. Well applying the rules. Here in Texas since goats are part of sheepandgoats :) we will be complying with our identification tattos in the ears or tail through ADGA. Boer goats will be indentified through their tattoo's or you can also choose to use the number given to you by Texas, using ear tags or freeze branding. I am going to choose a flank tattoo, inside the flank, which will have the state of Texas initial followed by my number. Because this is already a done deal, you will have no choice if you want to show out of state, sell out of state or sell export, I am putting in for my number as soon as we hear about it, I don't want to end up with TX870987 and have to tattoo that many numbers, prefer instead to have the TX with a very low number. It will be more paperwork, but will really be just part of my registration process, keeping the numbers with the animals registration numbers. It really is for your own safeguard. Say you run an animal through an auction, you send in the animals Scrapie numbers and say sold, it is up to the next buyer to register her with your numbers, read from the tattoo or tag. Say she dies and is diagnosed with scrapies, because you have sent in your paperwork which predates the disease death by 90 days, you will not be quaranteened, the owner will. Of course it is just more government crap, government crap caused by the sheep owners not clearing up Scapies on their own. The Goverment has to step in at this point because without a certificate stating that the animals comes from a scrapie free area (which we can't get right now) the US export of sheep is dead in the water, and even though this disease is a moot point in Goats, because we are classified with them we have no choice but to comply with the archaic rules. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 26, 2001.

I haven't heard anything at all about this in Idaho.... But, would imagine another red-tape parade... I can see the reasoning, but just can't grasp the entire scope.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 26, 2001.

Oh my. Why just breeding goats over 18 months? And how in the world could one tell at all the auctions here is it IS over 18 months old? They run hundreds thru these auctions, and most are young ones, but there is never even a birth date that come with any. Maybe 1 in 100 are registered. This only applies to taking a goat across state lines, and also every breeding herd be registered?

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), March 27, 2001.

I believe you need certain health certificates before you can take most livestock across state lines.

For example, TN is now a Brucellosis-free state, which basically means any cattle bought in TN can be shipped to another state without further testing (i.e., livestock auction no longer takes blood samples). However, any cattle from a non-Brucellosis-free state being brought into TN must be tested first. (Brucellosis is basically a cattle disease which causes abortions.)

A couple of years ago I got a call from a Dr. ? at the TN Dept. of Ag. He said they had found out someone had shipped a load of cows from TX to TN without the proper testing and I had bought four of them. Would I kindly get them up for testing. I said they were in my farthest pasture and I would have to get up the entire herd to sort them out, so he needed to bring a couple of helpers with him. I also said all four had calved normally. A couple of days later he called back to say they were now satisified they didn't have Bruc.

I'm told in CA, you need a permit to transport livestock even within the state. Any of you CA people know anything further on this?

Apparently the USDA is attempting to eliminate certain livestock diseases, such as Bruc. and scrapie, on a state-by-state basis, which makes sense.

Argentina does this with F&MD. In only certain areas is F&MD endemic so those areas are basically quarantined. Livestock can only be sold and consumed locally. The rest of the country is considered to be F&MD-free - at least until the current outbreak with they voluntarily stopped the export of meat.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), March 27, 2001.

Thanks for the responses, I guess this has been in the works for a long time! It took me by surprise when I read about the rules because we generally buy and sell sheep one at a time, transport and sell across state lines, and were totally oblivious to any restrictions. How easy it is to break the law (?) without even knowing the law exists!

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), March 27, 2001.

David, obviously just because of shear numbers of folks, a pretty good chance you could get away with this. Problem comes in the fines and quaranteens and the confiscation of the livestock if you get caught. And the biggest problem we have seen is not at border checks, it is the cop driving down the road spotting a big ole goat in the back of your truck, and wanting to see it, asking questions and then asking for health certificates. Even in Texas when using a stock trailer from Lousianna we were stopped just south of Houston. In Michigan right now, animals leaving the state must be quaranteened which means for what ever reason this is going on, you simply can't afford to buy stock from them. Since most shipping of quality kids and pups is done via the airlines, you have to have all your paperwork in order to be able to ship. We have to have health certificates for all travel and to some instate shows, because out of state goats will be thier. Your vet will know the regualtions. We still at this point are just under "free from visible signs of disease" on the health certificate for goats in Texas. No TB or Bruc. tests unless they are exported. You can forget trying to get goats in and out of Canada, same thing after April, the quaranteen which makes the testing and quaranteen more expensive than the stock. Semen in routinely snuck in though. Once your Animal Health Commission starts enforcing these regulations in your state, it will simply stop all auction barn, sales to other farms with scrapie numbers, showing and any health certificates. This obviously isn't going to hurt you if all your customers are private butcher buyers or just barter, but for all sales of a business nature, it simply doesn't make sense not to just find out all the information and join. Being a hard ass on this one would very simply put me out of business. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 27, 2001.

If HMD get into this country one will wonder why the government did not take measure sooner. There will be no end to the crying of Foul. I'd rather wrap up the problems in a little red tape than not have any control.

-- Henderson (redgate@echoweb.net), April 01, 2001.

It was mentioned that one needed a health record for shipping to different states. Well, horses, maybe. We had to have records traveling through Ky. especially with our horses. Now, I have just shipped a couple of culled ewes on a truck to Texas and when the driver was coming back on his way to Ft. Smith, I had a couple more ewes to cull (just weaned) and shipped to Arkansas. I did not have health records and even birth dates, you would have to check their teeth. Without a blood test, how does one suspect scrapie. I raise sullfolk/hamp crosses which I thought were the big names for that disease. Wouldn't know what to look for.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), April 02, 2001.

Its a Health Certificate. A vet makes an inspection of the animal, running whatever blood tests are needed to ship to which ever state. And yes not everyone is going to be caught. I just think everyone needs to be aware of this, since times will be changing so very quickly with all of this. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 03, 2001.