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Ear tags are considered a permanent form of identification for livestock, including goats. They help farmers tell animals apart, contribute to better record keeping, are easy to put in, relatively painless to the animal, and satisfy United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements.
Scrapie Tag Information
In order to comply with federal regulations, both goat and sheep farmers must affix an official Scrapie tag to each animal before they are moved from the farm at which they were born.
The Scrapie tag identifies the Flock ID or Premise ID of the producer. If you need to obtain a number, or need to be reminded of what your number is, you can call 1-866-USDA-Tag (866-873-2824). In the event of a disease outbreak, official Scrapie tags can be used for contact tracing.
Producers can order tags in a color, shape, and number sequence specific to their farm, as long as they are approved by the national standard. There are several manufacturers that you can choose to order from. There are metal tags available, but the plastic ones are much more popular. Make sure when you order tags, that you purchase a tagger that is compatible!
The type that I have chosen for my farm are called Q- Flex 1.5 in “spearmint.” I raise Boers and Nubians, both of which have long ears, so I chose the tag shape that matches their ear (long and skinny). I order them from Premier 1 and they ship and arrive quickly. I use their Allflex universal ear tagging applicator, which is heavy duty and gets the job done. I chose spearmint because I like the color and it is easy to read. When choosing a color, consider the contrast and note that blue is not an option because it is reserved by the USDA.
If you don’t want your animals ear tagged, the only alternative is tattooing. An official registration tattoo satisfies the USDA requirement as well. To read my article on tattooing a goat for registration, click here.
Steps for Ear Tagging a Goat
- Separate your tags into two pieces (female and male) and confirm that they have identical numbers
- Load the tag pieces into the tag applicator. The male piece slides over the pin and the female piece fits under the spring.
- Depress the tag applicator just enough to make sure the pointed tip of the male tag piece will line up properly with the hole in the female tag piece, do not push down all the way!
- Restrain the animal you want to tag.
- Inspect the inner ear, look for any warts, signs of trauma or abnormalities. Make note of the location of the blood vessels/ nerves and mentally note where you want the ear tag to go
- At the desired location, place the ear between the male and female ear tag pieces of the tag applicator. Depress the tagger firmly, clamping the pieces together.
- Slide the tagging applicator off and check your work (there is usually no bleeding and the animal gets right back to its normal activity)
Mother, farmer, author, and teacher by trade… She loves tending to things and watching them grow!