# Scrapies tag for 4h



## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

So my wether either needs to have a tag in his ear or needs some sort of way to identify him. They said a tattoo wouldn't work since adga doesn't register wethers. Is there another way I can do it so I don't have to put a tag in his ear? I really want to show him, but if the only way is to put a tag in his ear I wont.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Call ADGA. I think there is a way to just get a paper on him without being fully registered. Then you could tattoo him and have the ADGA paper.


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I'm pretty sure you can get him registered at Pedigree International. I read somewhere that that's where most people register their pack wethers so that they can get a scrapie tag since he can't be registered with ADGA.


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

Why don't you want to put a tag in his ear?


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

call usda if you have an adga herd number they will add the abreviation of your state to the front of the tatoo and that is your scrapie id for the right ear then you can add a letter year and number to the left ear tatoo. call the usda for your area and tell them you need a scrapie tatoo id for your farm. they will do it over the phone and send you an email if you ask them to. for example madff1 would be massachusetts deerfield farm 1 and the left ear might be c38 meaning the goat was born in 2012 and it was the 38th kid to be born or enter your herd. hope this helps cause we just went through this ourselves.


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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

Thank you guys so much. I don't want to put a tag in his ear because he is my baby boy, I would feel really bad about it and it would make him less cute to me. plus I want to do a lot of stuff with him and Im afraid it might get ripped out or get tugged on or something. I mean like when we wear ear rings and we accidentally yank on it, it REALLY hurts and if that happened to him Id feel bad about it :/ (hope that analogy kind of helped you understand what I meant) Thanks again for the help.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Emzi00 said:


> Thank you guys so much. I don't want to put a tag in his ear because he is my baby boy, I would feel really bad about it and it would make him less cute to me. plus I want to do a lot of stuff with him and Im afraid it might get ripped out or get tugged on or something. I mean like when we wear ear rings and we accidentally yank on it, it REALLY hurts and if that happened to him Id feel bad about it :/ (hope that analogy kind of helped you understand what I meant) Thanks again for the help.


It doesn't make them any less cute  And most never have an issue with them. My kids have boer/boer %'s, and we've never had any issues with them tearing out their tags. We have one that has broken the inside of the tag # off though, but her ear is just fine. 
Sure, they are like earrings, and look like them too, but if you place them in the right area, then they are typically not an issue. There's of course that oddball who gets themselves in trouble, but we've not had it happen.

Or... what about tattooing the scrapie information into his ear? I have heard that some places allow this. 
Otherwise like the other's said, I'd contact the breed registry and explain your situation and see if they have any kind of papers that you can file to get an ID # on your wether.


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

First of all, is he a dairy or meat wether? If he is meat, then his sire must be registered with ABGA or USBGA otherwise you can't register him. No registration=no tattoo. If both dam and sire are registered then you shouldn't have a problem. But if it's for scrapies, then it has to be a tag. The tags aren't that big really. And IMO tattooing hurts more than tagging and tattoos can wear off after many years. If he is a dairy wether and you have ADGA herd number, call the USDA and ask about having that as your scrapie herd id. Personally, I hate this (scrapie identification in general). Goats don't get scrapie all that often. Sheep is more of what you need to be worried about. That is part of the reason I won't show my doe (Boer X) because of this stupid scrapie identification.


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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

He's a dairy wether. I tattooed his sister and she was over it real fast. I would think it would hurt either way, tattooing and tagging. As long as you do the tattoo right then it shouldn't fade. If it does fade some you can shine a flashlight to see the holes. I believe judges do the flashlight thing, read it somewhere. But for me I'd rather him not have to have it.


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## Lydia_the_goat (Jun 16, 2013)

Im in 4-h too. I didnt want to tag my babies either. But this year i got mine from a different breeder and he did them for us when they were only 2 months old and they didnt even cry! I know it seems cruel but they get used to it. It is necessary to show and all of mine enjoy being shown and so do I!!!


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

I am in 4H and showed a LaMancha/Boer wether last year. He didn't have much ear, so I called the extension office and explained that I couldn't/wouldn't put the tag in his ear, and would it be alright if I attached it to his collar. I did, and it was all good. The fella who was checking in the animals was surprised, but when he saw that I had the tag, even though it wasn't in his ear, he was perfectly fine with it.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

Incidentally, I agree with you that I don't want to tag my goats. I have only one who has an ear tag, and she came with it.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Tattoo or microchip if you don't want to tag.


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## MrKamir (Nov 2, 2009)

Have you considered microchiping. Some of mine have microchips. Make sure the chips can be read with the reader used at shows. You can get your own reader but they are pretty expensive.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Most shows that allow microchipping require you to bring your own reader. Its not realistic is price for me or I would do it. 

Most goats don't have any issue with tags. Mine never have but today while teaching a lamb camp of the sheep popped her tag out by catching it on the fence. She slit it a little bit then the rest can through the hole that was left. I worry more about actually tagging them. Like we have required state fair tags and the people tagging are NOT careful. 3 wethers and ewe that I know of ripped the tag out during tagging because the people wouldn't hold them and left them in the scale. I was mad and they weren't evenan mine


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I use ADGA to get ID for all my pack boys. ADGA will give an ID certificate for any goat regardless of breed or sex. I use the form below, check buck and write wethered behind the choices, I attach a note that says that this is an ID for a wether. You then simply use your ADGA tattoo for him. It costs $12.00 far members.
http://www.adga.org/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=89&func=fileinfo&id=26


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