The purpose of identifying sheep and goats is to enable trace back of scrapie-positive animals to their flock or herd of origin, and to trace animals out of infected flocks. The following animals are required to be identified with official scrapie tags when a change of ownership occurs:

• All breeding sheep regardless of age.
• All sheep over 18 months of age.
• All sexually intact sheep and goats for exhibition.
• All sheep determined by a state or federal official to be scrapie-positive, exposed, suspect, or high risk animals.
• All sheep and goats from non-compliant flocks (flocks whose owners decline to comply with the provisions of the scrapie control program, or who violate its provisions).
• All sexually intact goats that are: (a) registered; (b) are used for exhibition; (c) are used for milking; or (d) have resided on the same premises with sheep.
• All intact feeder sheep sold at an unrestricted sale.*

*An unrestricted sale at a livestock market is one in which breeding, feeding and slaughter sheep are sold the same day. Currently, all Nebraska sheep markets are operating as unrestricted sales. All ewe and ram lambs sold at these unrestricted sales will need to be identified regardless of age, unless they are nursing their dam. This also applies to goats for feeding, which have commingled with sheep.

All persons who buy, sell or otherwise deal in the ownership or acquisition of sheep and/or goats are required to maintain records on their animals for a period of five years. Persons selling or buying sheep or goats must record the following information:

• The number of animals sold or purchased;
• The identification of the animals sold or purchased;
• The date of sale or purchase;
• Name, address and phone number of the person to whom animals were sold, or from whom animals were purchased; and
• Species, breed or class of animals sold or purchased.