Virginia Administrative Code › Title 2 - AGRICULTURE › Agency 5 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES › Chapter 206 - REGULATION FOR SCRAPIE ERADICATION › Section 2VAC5-206-20 - Identification of sheep and goats in commerce

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
Each animal is required to be officially identified as to its
				  flock of origin and for any animal born after January 1, 2002, to its flock of
				  birth if not the same as its flock of origin, prior to change of ownership or
				  exhibition.
No person shall apply an official USDA tag or premises
				  identification number or brand or official registry tattoo to an animal that
				  did not originate on the premises to which the number has been officially
				  assigned. No person may remove or tamper with any means of identification
				  required to be on sheep or goats.
Any sheep or goat that is bartered, leased, traded, loaned,
				  sold, exhibited, or otherwise moved from one management to another shall be
				  deemed to have undergone a change of ownership for the purpose of this
				  regulation. The buyer, seller, and any dealer or market operator shall keep a
				  record of all changes of ownership for a minimum of five years. Any sheep or
				  goat that loses its identification, that was applied at its flock of origin for
				  exhibition or change of ownership, shall be identified by the person in control
				  or possession of the animal prior to its commingling with any other animals.
				  The buyer, seller, and any dealer or market operator shall be equally
				  responsible for maintaining the required record, which shall be made available
				  on request by the State Veterinarian or his designee.
Any out-of-state sheep or goats that are offered for sale in
				  an approved Virginia livestock market that have not previously been identified
				  must be (i) identified with an official USDA tag on arrival and prior to
				  commingling with any other sheep or goats with all information recorded as
				  required for change of ownership or meet the importation requirements; or (ii)
				  returned to the state of origin.
Animals required to be officially identified include:
1. All breeding sheep and goats that are not
				in slaughter channels except low-risk commercial goats.
2. All sexually intact animals for
				exhibition.
3. All sheep over 18
				months of age, including wethers, and those in slaughter channels unless moving
				as a group described below.
4. All
				exposed and high-risk animals including all low-risk exposed animals,
				genetically susceptible exposed animals, genetically less susceptible exposed
				animals, and genetically resistant exposed sheep.
5. All suspect and test-positive
				animals.
6.Animals from noncompliant
				flocks.
7. Breeding goats, except
				low-risk commercial goats.
8. All
				scrapie positive, suspect, high-risk, or animals of any age and of any sexually
				intact exposed animal of more than one year of age or, any sexually intact
				exposed animal of less than one year of age upon change of ownership (except
				for exposed animals moving in slaughter channels at less than one year of
				age).
Animals not required to be officially identified
				  include:
1. Slaughter sheep (sheep in
				slaughter channels) under 18 months (Note: If a sexually intact sheep is sold
				at an unrestricted sale (any sale that is not a slaughter or feeding for
				slaughter sale), it must be identified.).
2. Slaughter goats (goats in slaughter
				channels).
3. Low-risk commercial
				goats.
4. Castrated goats that are
				not suspect, high risk, exposed to scrapie, or test positive.
5. Animals shipped directly to an approved
				slaughter facility if the animals were kept as a group on the same premises on
				which they were born or used for breeding purposes and were not commingled with
				animals from another premises at any time, including throughout the feeding,
				marketing, and slaughter process. The shipment must be accompanied by an owner
				statement that includes the owner's name, signature, address, and phone number,
				date the animals left the flock of origin, the premises identification number
				assigned to the premises, the number of animals, the premises portion of the
				premises identification if premises identification is used, and a statement
				that the animals were either born or were used for breeding purposes on the
				premises to which the premises identification is assigned.
6. Wethers for exhibition and wethers under
				18 months of age.
7. Animals moved
				for grazing or similar management reasons whenever the animals are moved from a
				premises owned or leased by the owner of the animals to another premise owned
				or leased by the owner of the animals.
Registered sheep and goats identified with official tattoos
				  and carry the registration papers in the name of the current owner with them to
				  a registered sheep or goat sale or exhibition or that transfer the registration
				  by private treaty would not be required to apply tags for exhibition or sale of
				  a registered goat sale animal. The purchaser at such sale must carry the
				  registration papers and a completed application for registration in the name of
				  the new owner when leaving the sale. Alternatively, legible official tattoo
				  numbers assigned to the flock in the National Scrapie Database may be used in
				  conjunction with an individual number unique within the flock.
Any goat or sheep undergoing a change of ownership (including
				  exhibition and/or importation into the state) not having an official
				  identification shall be quarantined until the requirements of this regulation
				  are met.
In order to simplify identification requirements, livestock
				  markets or sale/show managers may require that all animals be identified with
				  official USDA tags.
Statutory Authority
§§ 3.2-6001, 3.2-6002 and 3.2-6004 of the Code of
					 Virginia.