The National Scrapie Eradication Program: Questions and Answers
January 15, 2004
Jan. 2004 -- The following scrapie question-and-answer piece is the eighth such column to appear in Sheep Industry News. It is being brought to you by the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, which oversees the National Scrapie Eradication Program. If you have a program-related question you?d like answered, please e-mail it to Sheep Industry News Editor Laura Gerhard at lgerhard@sheepusa.org, fax it to her attention at (303) 771-8200 or write: ASI; Attn: Laura Gerhard, 9785 S. Maroon Circle, Suite 360, Centennial, CO 80112-2692.
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Q: I identify my sheep with the official scrapie plastic swivel eartags that I ordered a few years ago. With the type of fencing I have, they get pulled out a lot. What should I do?
A: Last year APHIS switched to a mini-flap tag that has better retention rates. Producers having problems with the old swivel tags can order new tags by calling toll free 1-866-USDA-TAG (873-2824).
Q: I am a sheep producer and understand the importance of scrapie as a disease of sheep and goats. However, the details of the program seem complicated, and I would like the opportunity to gain more information and understanding of the eradication program in a setting that allows discussion, producer input and clarification through questions. Are there any opportunities for producer education in such a setting?
A: Yes, there will be such opportunities. There will be a producer-oriented workshop from 1:00 to 5:00 PM on Wednesday Jan. 21, 2004, at the ASI/NLFA 2004 convention in Sacramento, Calif. Similar workshops are being planned for other areas of the country (East and Midwest) at times and places to be announced.
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