Key things for Market Operators to know about the Scrapie 

Final Rule and the revised NSEP Standards (NSEPS):

This is a summary. The 

rule and the program 

standards should be 

referred to for full context.

The Scrapie Final Rule and the revised 

NSEPS are effective April 24th, 30 days after 

publication

General ID and Movement

• Federal ID and recordkeeping requirements are now the same for sheep and

goats; however, the allowed state exemptions for consistent states for sheep and goats in

intrastate commerce in part 79.6 didn’t change.

• We clarified what is considered interstate commerce to include animals sold, disposed

of, acquired, exhibited, transported, received for transportation, offered for sale or

transportation, loaded, unloaded, or otherwise handled in interstate commerce or

commingled with such animals or loaded or unloaded at a premises or animal concentration

point (including premises that exhibit animals) where animals are received that have been in 

interstate commerce or from which animals are moved in interstate commerce. So this puts 

most sheep and goats that are moving under the federal requirements.

• Sheep or goats moving in slaughter channels or moving without official ID must 

have an owner/hauler statement with group/lot identification. We are working on 

getting a template for an owner/hauler statement posted. Owners can provide the required 

information without using our template. The following is what needs to be on an owner/

hauler statement:

o The name, address, and phone number of the owner and, if different, the hauler;

o The date the animals were moved;

o The flock identification number or PIN assigned to the flock or premises of the

animals;

o If moving individually unidentified animals or other animals required to move with a

group/lot identification number, the group/lot identification number and any

information required to officially identify the animals;

o The number of animals;

o The species, breed, and class of animals. If breed is unknown, for sheep the face color

and for goats the type (milk, fiber, or meat) must be recorded instead; and

o The name and address of point of origin, if different from the owner’s address, and

the destination name and address.

o For animals in slaughter channels the destination must be a slaughter establishment,

restricted animal sale, restricted livestock facility, terminal feedlot to which the

animals are being moved, or an individual for personnel consumption and must

include a statement that the animals are in slaughter channels.

o Signature of owner or hauler

• An example Owner/Hauler Statement is on the next page for sheep/goats deliver to a

market by the owner of the flock of origin (if not delivered by the owner, the hauler and 

flock of origin information would also need to be included)
 

Sample owner statement:

Bob Doe

123 East ST 

Wood, MI 12345

876-987-0987

4-19-19

MI3187, Lot MI3187-041919-1 

10 Blackface cull ewes, 6 meat 

nannies

Happy Valley livestock

4787 Free Ln.

Tree, MI 46678

These animals are in slaughter 

channels

Bob Doe 

There is no change 

to when 

There is no 

change to when 

an ICVI is 

required

o Compliance agreements are allowed by the

rule, so if a deviation is agreed to with a

market, dealer or slaughter plant to enhance

animal traceability it must be formalized in a

compliance agreement. One of the main

purposes of a compliance agreement is to keep

a market, dealer or slaughter plant form getting

a warning or penalty as a result of an IES

investigation where the market, dealer or

slaughter plant assisted VS in identifying the

violation and the seller or buyer is primarily at

fault.

o Multiple tags: rule limits the number of

official tags similar to part 86 that can be

applied to an animal (i.e. one RFID, one Flock

ID, and one other type of tag if it was applied

first unless a pair set was used with the same

ID number)

o Backtag use as the only official ID has been

further limited to direct to slaughter only for

earless animals and when agreed to by the

SAHO and AVIC in a market or compliance

agreement mature buck goats determined too

dangerous to eartag. For some markets it may

also be desirable to develop a sole source group

lot system with markets handling rank

slaughter buck goats to address safety concerns

NSEPS pg. 54.

o Tattoo or EID use as official ID. Changed

to require a tag for movements to slaughter or

through a livestock market without transfer of

registration papers.

o Slaughter channels has been limited to: any

animal that is sold, transferred, or moved

either directly to or through a restricted animal

sale or restricted livestock facility to an official

slaughter establishment that is under Food

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

jurisdiction per the Federal Meat Inspection

Act (FMIA) or under State inspection that FSIS

has recognized as at least equal to Federal

inspection or to a custom exempt slaughter

establishment as defined by FSIS (9 CFR 303.1)

for immediate slaughter or to an individual for

immediate slaughter for personal use or to a

terminal feedlot.
 Any sheep or goat arriving at or leaving a market that doesn’t meet the requirements to move as a

breeding animal must be accompanied by an owner/hauler statement provided by the seller and

buyer. Markets must keep copies or the information in the statement. Markets may find it more

efficient to include the required information on their intake sheets and bills of sale rather than

retaining copies of the statements.

 If an owner doesn’t provide the statement as required the market is in compliance if they collect and

record the required information from the seller/buyer

 Any sheep or goat (excluding wethers under 18 months of age) arriving at market without official ID

must have an owner/hauler statement and if sold unrestricted at any age or at over 18 months of age

for slaughter must be officially identified by the market.

 Slaughter lots of animals that are all from the same breeding flock that are over 18 months may move

through a slaughter only sale with group lot ID rather than eartags if buyer agrees to maintain the lot

as group through slaughter; this or back tags are probably the best way to address mature range buck

goats moving direct to slaughter.

 Slaughter lots of animals that are from different or the same breeding flock that will be slaughtered at

under 18 months may move through a slaughter only sale with group lot ID rather than eartags if

buyer provides an owner/hauler statement listing the recognized slaughter establishment, a slaughter

only sale, an individual for immediate slaughter for personal use or the terminal feedlot to which the

animals will be moved.

 Sheep and goats that are individually officially identified do not require an owner hauler statement

unless they don’t meet the requirement to move as breeding animals. For example if they cross a state

line without an ICVI because they are moving for slaughter or feeding for slaughter or to a restricted

sale they need an owner hauler statement indicating they are in slaughter channels.

 Sheep and goats (excluding wethers) not moving with a slaughter animal owner hauler statement that

are going out-of-state require an ICVI.

 Owners can move non-slaughter sheep/goats from out-of-state without an ICVI or official ID only to

a federally approved market (if they don’t have official ID they must have an owner/hauler

statement and be tagged by the market). An ICVI and official ID is required to move such animals

interstate to a non-federally approved market.

 The rule acknowledges a State’s right to limit the types of tags that may be applied by markets and

others who don’t own breeding flocks to slaughter only tags as was requested by a state in the

comments to the rule.

 Markets may only use backtags as official ID for direct to slaughter movements of earless animals and

when agreed to by the SAHO and AVIC in a market or compliance agreement mature buck goats

determined too dangerous to eartag. Other uses of back tags for direct to slaughter movements may

be approved on a case by case basis by AVIC, SAHO and commodity staff were traceability can be

maintained. Markets are encourage to continue to use backtags as secondary ID.

 Sheep or goats that are only identified with an official tattoo or electronic implanted ID must be

eartagged if moved through a market unless it is a special breeding stock sale where the tattoos and

EIDs will be documented.

 Under the rule VS may require a market to submit tagging records to VS. This will only be use when a

compliance issue has been identified or to do a record inspection when onsite inspection is

impractical. Burden to the market will be considered when making such requests.

Markets