# How to take a tag off...



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

How do you get ear tags off without causing a lot of pain? I have one on my wether and I HATE those things!
Is it better to leave it? Or is it ok to take it out?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What kind of tag is it? If it is a scrapies tag, that should not be removed.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

hmmm.... I don't know....I'll have to look that up...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you do take it off, just some snippers should do it.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

It looks like this one....do scrapie tags look like this? I have no idea what "scrapies" is....lol....so much to learn!


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

Looks like a scrapies tag to me


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Darn it!! Does he really need it? He's a 4 year old wether buddy for my Pygmy buck....we're not gonna breed or eat him!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It's up to your state. Here I could remove it off a wether as long as it was kept with the animals paperwork. If I ever sold the animal, I would have to include it and an explaination, in the animals paperwork. Non-breeding animals in pet homes are required to have one in Oregon. 
The hard part though is that there is a stainless steel pin running through the tag. They weren't meant to be removed easily.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

*sigh*....I just found the Ag law for scrapie in NYS

Here it is:
So who in your herd needs to be officially identified? Initially all castrated male goats 
regardless of age were exempt. This is no longer true. Essentially all mature goats moving interstate 
need to be officially identified. If you are taking the goat to a local livestock auction, this is 
considered interstate transport by both NY Ag & Markets and USDA. This is because auctions 
accept consignments from other states without health papers. Keep in mind that if you are taking a 
registered animal to a local auction without including her registration papers in the sale, she will need an 
official identification beyond just her tattoos. Any goat going to a county or state fair is required to be 
USDA officially identified. In addition, any goat that is going to a private show or sale, where out of 
state sheep or goats will also be attending, must be USDA officially identified. Please remember all 
goats sold for breeding or as pets require USDA official identification upon change of ownership.

End quote

That stinks! I just don't like the looks of it. I can see if you have a business, but for a backyard wether??

But....I don't want to break the law, or cause trouble for anyone. I don't know how I would but ....man, that sucks. :sigh:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

So, certify him and tattoo him. That's what I do. Here http://www.adga.org/index.php?optio...dentification&catid=63:registration&Itemid=86

Then he has a cerification paper and permanent ID satisfying all requirments.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Thanks goathiker....the site is down for 48 hours....is it expensive?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It's under $15.00 and straightforward, really easy to do.


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

This thread was great info for me too. I just bought a buck that has a tag and I also hate the thing. I'm going to remove it and tattoo him, he'll be so much cuter. Now if they made the tags cute with a little bling that might be different.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

You must get the certification to make it legal Kat, especially on a breeding age buck. Washington may still accept scapies tattoes in which case you put his original scrapies tag number in his ear. You'll need to look it up to be sure though, a buck is much different then a wether.
You may need to retag him if you ever sell him.

No matter what, the old tag cannot be thrown away. It must stay with the animals paperwork.


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks, goathiker! Good to know! Can you tell from this photo is its a scrapies tattoo or not? And is it just scrapies that can't be tattooed or all tags? I'm being lazy too, I should look it up. Would ADAG.org have info on that?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Does the tag have a sheild and then say WA followed by a number? (assuming you bought him in WA) It could be one of the older scrapies tags. I'll look up WA laws for you, I already have them for hiking.


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

I'll have to check in the morning. I'll get back with his ID. I did buy him in WA. just today in fact.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Sounds good. I'll be back tomorrow about 11:00 am. Will look that stuff up tonight.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Awww, he's cute! I'll try to get a pic of Bookers tag tomorrow...


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

That looks like a Scrapie tag to me.
That's the same style tag they had on my market lambs a few years back.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If your goat is a Boer goat, you won't be able to get an ID and everything through ADGA.


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## neubunny (Nov 7, 2012)

I like the little silver tag -- I've seen them on a few older goats before. 
Whyever did they switch? The larger plastic tags just seem so much uglier and so much more likely to cause problems (catching, tearing out, etc).


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cost.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

ksalvagno said:


> If your goat is a Boer goat, you won't be able to get an ID and everything through ADGA.


Ugh....lol...didn't think of that! Yeah, he's a 4 year old Boer wether...is there some other place to get an ID for him?


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

That silver one looks like a gov't issued tag (scrapies). They make them for cattle too and are used on heifers who are vaccinated for brucellosis (calfhood), and in bulls that have been tested for trichomoniasis.

The plastic tags should say US on one side and the other side will start with the states abbreviation and then a number, so my tags would be OK12300001 for example, the 123 is the premises number and the 1 is the goats number. If it is a scrapie tag, all of mine say "Unlawful to Remove".


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Hmm, I'll have to go out and take a closer look...


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Ok it says.... NY104897 1039
Then on the back, the same and this UNLAWFUL TO REMOVE 

It doesn't really hurt anything I guess....it's just he's a pet for us...and that makes him look like a number in a big herd...seems silly, I know to be annoyed by it....BUT I AM :hair:

So, can I get a Boer wether an ID from somewhere??


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

You can get a Boer certified through the ADGA ID certification program. It doesn't matter the breed or cross of them. Read the instructions.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

ksalvagno said:


> If your goat is a Boer goat, you won't be able to get an ID and everything through ADGA.


 Absoulutly not true. The program is for any goat not registerable.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Ok, I'll try it...thanks...


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## adriHart (Nov 1, 2012)

goathiker said:


> It's up to your state. Here I could remove it off a wether as long as it was kept with the animals paperwork. If I ever sold the animal, I would have to include it and an explaination, in the animals paperwork. Non-breeding animals in pet homes are required to have one in Oregon.
> The hard part though is that there is a stainless steel pin running through the tag. They weren't meant to be removed easily.


Hey goathiker, I live in Oregon also but I don't have tags on any of my family could you elaborate...the first 2 does I got from an auction (yes I know better now). I took 1 to the vet for hoof rot and she had a tag in her ear the vet told me I could cut it out. I've since sold this animal so I'm not too worried about her, but now I am wondering about the rest of my animals. what are the tags you were speaking of? just going off of what you said it sounds like my wethers need to have tags?


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## adriHart (Nov 1, 2012)

neubunny said:


> I like the little silver tag -- I've seen them on a few older goats before.
> Whyever did they switch? The larger plastic tags just seem so much uglier and so much more likely to cause problems (catching, tearing out, etc).


 I had a rather small NubianxBoer doe that had 1 of those plastic tags and had about half an inch size gaping hole just from normal wear and tear a believe.it was feel fine just look like it has been stretched over time.poor thing looked terrible with it.


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

How do I find out if it's a scrapies tag and what does it mean?

His tag ID# is WAAC2975. I didn't look on the back. I'll go look right now and be back with info.

I attempted to search the ADAG site but got nowwhere.


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

The back only reads WA US


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

I found a link about scrapies and learned in WA you can't remove the ID. Still learning about scrapies.

http://www.eradicatescrapie.org/


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## TwistedKat (Dec 28, 2012)

Also, just found this link if you need to check for scrapies in your state.
http://scrapietag.aphis.usda.gov/reports/notifystate.php


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

That first one is a good link. It's interesting how the states all made more of the program in different ways. No wonder it's confusing to everyone it's not the same anywhere.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

adriHart said:


> Hey goathiker, I live in Oregon also but I don't have tags on any of my family could you elaborate...the first 2 does I got from an auction (yes I know better now). I took 1 to the vet for hoof rot and she had a tag in her ear the vet told me I could cut it out. I've since sold this animal so I'm not too worried about her, but now I am wondering about the rest of my animals. what are the tags you were speaking of? just going off of what you said it sounds like my wethers need to have tags?


 Your wethers only need tags if you are going to show them or sell them for meat at a public sale. Oregon is very easy to get along with on these regulations, they do only what they have to get along with the department of Agriculture.
None of my wethers have tags. They do have tattooes and ID certificates to make it easier to cross state lines with them. One state in particular likes to be a pain.


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## adriHart (Nov 1, 2012)

Thank you for sharing your information. I got worried for a minute there. My three wethers were bought before the bug really bit me and I started wanting to milk  now they are my best pets and I can't think of having to let them go to make room for more productive animals.


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