Michigan’s Scrapie Eradication Program: What Sheep and Goat Owners Must Know

If you raise sheep or goats in Michigan, scrapie regulations are not optional — they apply to your flock regardless of size, and non-compliance can affect your ability to sell, move, or exhibit animals. Michigan is one of only a handful of states where even low-risk commercial goats are subject to stricter-than-federal identification rules, which means understanding the full scope of the program is essential before you transport a single animal off your property.

This guide walks you through every layer of Michigan’s scrapie eradication obligations: what the disease is and why it is regulated, how the state fits into the national program, what identification and recordkeeping you need, how movement rules work both in-state and across state lines, what happens when a case is suspected, and how voluntary certification can benefit your operation.

What Is Scrapie and Why It Is Regulated in Michigan

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. The degenerative disease has no cure or treatment. Because infected animals can appear healthy for years while still spreading the disease, detection and traceability are the only tools available to limit its reach.

First recognized as a disease of sheep in Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe more than 250 years ago, scrapie has been reported throughout the world. Michigan has a notable place in U.S. scrapie history: the first confirmed U.S. case was identified in a flock in Michigan in 1947, and it is believed that the flock became infected through the import of British-origin sheep via Canada.

There are two types of scrapie — classical and nonclassical. Nonclassical scrapie, also referred to as atypical or Nor98-like scrapie, appears to occur sporadically and has been found in sheep of all common genotypes and goats. It is either not transmissible or poorly transmissible under natural conditions. Because of this, the scrapie eradication program focuses on classical scrapie.

There is currently no epidemiological evidence that scrapie is a zoonotic disease. Consuming or working with sheep, goats, or their products does not appear to cause scrapie in humans. Even so, the disease creates serious economic and trade consequences for producers, which is why federal and state governments regulate it aggressively.

Michigan’s Role in the National Scrapie Eradication Program

The National Scrapie Eradication Program has two major components: a regulatory eradication program called the Accelerated Scrapie Eradication Program (ASEP) and a voluntary certification program called the Scrapie Flock Certification Program (SFCP). Both operate under the authority of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and both apply to Michigan producers.

In 2000, the USDA made a commitment to eradicate scrapie from the United States. The Accelerated Scrapie Eradication Program was established through an emergency declaration by the Secretary of Agriculture, and the program was put into regulation in September 2001. Since then, the results have been significant: the National Scrapie Eradication Program has reduced the prevalence of scrapie in adult sheep sampled at slaughter by over 99 percent.

Michigan is recognized as a “Consistent State,” meaning it conducts an active state scrapie control program that meets federal requirements. The designation applies to states conducting an active state scrapie program that is consistent with federal requirements, and that list is referenced when addressing interstate movement restrictions for sheep and goats. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) serves as the state-level enforcement partner alongside USDA APHIS.

Michigan is one of only five states — alongside California, Colorado, Illinois, and Maryland — where the definition of a “low-risk commercial goat” does not apply. This means that commercial goats in Michigan that would be exempt from official identification requirements in most other states are still required to be officially identified here. If you raise fiber or meat goats that are not registered or exhibited, you cannot assume the federal low-risk exemption applies to your animals in Michigan.

Official Animal Identification Requirements in Michigan

In Michigan, all sheep and goats must be identified with official identification (ID) approved by the national scrapie program to move off a farm. This requirement applies to every animal leaving your property — whether you are selling, transporting to a fair, moving to another farm you own, or sending animals to slaughter through certain channels.

According to Michigan State University Extension, all goats in Michigan must have scrapie identification, which consists of either a USDA scrapie ear tag or a registration tattoo. Michigan is not a scrapie-free state, and this identification is a MDARD requirement any time a goat leaves its home property for any reason.

There are several approved forms of official ID under the program:

• Official eartags: Each scrapie tag carries the flock ID, the production number, and an official U.S. shield. Blue tags — metal or plastic — may only be used in animals intended for slaughter.
• Tattoos: A scrapie tattoo must be legible and include both the scrapie flock ID and the unique herd management number. Tattoos can be placed in the ear, tail web, or flank.
• Registry tattoos for goats: If your goat is registered, a registration tattoo may serve as official identification. If it is not registered, an official USDA scrapie tag must be placed in the ear or tail web. For goats, legible official registry tattoos must be recorded in a goat purebred registry association’s book, and official documentation must accompany the animals.
• RFID/microchips: Use of microchips is strongly discouraged, and there are many requirements to use a microchip as the sole official ID. Contact the USDA Michigan office before relying on this option.

To obtain official tags, you first need a flock or premises ID number assigned by APHIS or the State. To request official sheep and goat tags, a flock or premises ID, or both, call 1-866-USDA-Tag (866-873-2824). The National Scrapie Eradication Program provides up to 100 plastic flock ID tags free of charge to first-time participants in the sheep and goat identification program until available funds are expended. Additional tags beyond the initial free allotment can be purchased from approved manufacturers.

Flock Registration and Recordkeeping Requirements in Michigan

Before you can obtain official scrapie tags, your operation must be registered with a flock or premises ID number. The scrapie eradication program pre-dates the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) Program. As a result, there have been changes in the premises ID numbers that may be assigned by states and APHIS for sheep and goat premises to now include PINs and LIDs. Contact USDA APHIS or MDARD to confirm which type of premises ID is current for your situation.

Producers are required to follow federal and state regulations for officially identifying their sheep and goats. Producers must also keep herd records showing what new animals were added and what animals left the herd or flock. These records are the backbone of the traceback system that makes disease containment possible.

Under federal program standards, your records must include:

• The official identification number of each animal (the complete number on the USDA tag, official tattoo, or approved RFID device)
• The date each animal was acquired or left the premises
• The source or destination of each animal
• Copies of any certificates or owner/hauler statements required for movement

Records of tags, and other ID and sale records, must be kept for five years. Producers should consider the different devices available — including RFID tags, RFID implants, metal tags, or plastic tags — and choose what works best for them. Ideally, producers should keep records in an electronic format, such as a spreadsheet.

Using another producer’s tags defeats the purpose of the scrapie tag program and is a violation of program rules. Tags are issued to a specific premises and are non-transferable. If you no longer need tags, they should be destroyed or returned to the APHIS Veterinary Services District Field Office for your state.

For more information on Michigan’s agricultural animal regulations, you may also find the guide to exotic pets that are legal in Michigan useful for understanding the broader framework of how MDARD regulates animal ownership across species.

Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules for Sheep and Goats in Michigan

Movement rules under the scrapie program operate on two levels: within Michigan (intrastate) and across state lines (interstate). Both carry compliance obligations, and Michigan’s intrastate rules are more restrictive than what federal law requires in most other states.

Intrastate Movement Within Michigan

The revised scrapie regulations require states to implement and enforce official identification of most sheep and goats on change of ownership intrastate in order to move sheep and goats interstate with minimal restrictions. In Michigan, this means that any change of ownership — even a sale to a neighbor down the road — triggers the official ID requirement.

Some states have identification requirements that are stricter than federal requirements, so the exceptions listed below do not apply in all states. In Michigan specifically, the low-risk commercial goat exemption does not apply, which means all goats must be officially identified before leaving their premises of origin, regardless of their purpose.

There are a limited number of intrastate movement exemptions under federal rules, including:

• Sheep or goats moved for grazing or similar management reasons without a change of ownership, when moved from a premises owned or leased by the owner to another premises owned or leased by the same owner — provided those premises are recorded in the National Scrapie Database as additional flock premises and commingling does not occur with unidentified animals from another flock.
• Castrated sheep or goats under 18 months of age.

Because Michigan’s rules are stricter than the federal baseline, you should confirm any exemption directly with MDARD before relying on it.

Interstate Movement Into and Out of Michigan

When transporting goats across state lines or bringing goats into Michigan from another state, a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is required. This applies to sheep as well. The CVI must be completed by an accredited veterinarian and must document the official ID of each animal being moved.

The scrapie regulations require the official identification of sheep and goats not in slaughter channels (except low-risk commercial goats) and any sheep over 18 months of age in interstate commerce, with some exceptions. Animals moving directly to a federally inspected slaughter facility may qualify for a group ID and owner/hauler statement in some circumstances, but breeding animals must always be individually identified prior to or at the time of sale.

Registry tattoos are allowed as official identification when the sheep or goat is legibly tattooed and accompanied by a copy of their registration certificate in the name of the current owner, or a copy of a completed application for transfer of ownership dated within 60 days of the change in ownership, or when accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection that lists the flocks of origin and birth, the registry, and the registry tattoo.

Reporting, Testing, and Quarantine Requirements in Michigan

When scrapie is suspected in a Michigan flock, the response is swift and structured. Both MDARD and USDA APHIS are involved, and the producer has specific legal obligations from the moment an animal shows clinical signs.

Recognizing and Reporting Suspect Animals

Control of scrapie is complicated because the disease has an extremely long incubation period without clinical signs. Clinical signs, when they do appear, include progressive weight loss, behavioral changes, wool loss, and incoordination. If you observe these signs in a sheep or goat — especially in animals over two years old — you are required to report to MDARD or your accredited veterinarian promptly.

Scrapie is a reportable disease in Michigan. Once a suspect animal is identified, APHIS and MDARD will work together to investigate the flock. If an affected, suspect, or scrapie-positive animal dies or is destroyed, tissues must be submitted for diagnostic testing to a laboratory authorized by the Administrator, and the carcass must be completely destroyed.

Flock Quarantine and Flock Plans

When a flock is confirmed positive or designated as a source flock, a quarantine is placed on the premises. Quarantines of these flocks are released only upon completion of a flock plan and agreement by the owner to participate in a post-exposure monitoring and management plan as defined in 9 CFR part 54.

The scrapie regulations address risk groups and categories for individual animals and flocks, increase the use of genetic testing as a means of assigning risk levels to animals, and reduce movement restrictions for animals found to be genetically less susceptible or resistant to scrapie. This means that genetic testing of your flock — particularly for scrapie-resistant genotypes — can directly affect the movement restrictions placed on your animals if a positive case is confirmed nearby.

Indemnity for Destroyed Animals

The scrapie regulations reinstate an indemnification program for sheep and goats that owners agree to destroy. Owners of destroyed high-risk animals and animals diagnosed as scrapie positive by an approved live-animal test are eligible for indemnity payments. The definition of high-risk animal has been updated, which changes the types of animals eligible for indemnity and provides higher indemnity for certain pregnant ewes and does and early maturing ewes and does. Contact your USDA APHIS Veterinary Services office for current indemnity rates and eligibility details.

Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) in Michigan

Beyond the mandatory compliance requirements, Michigan sheep and goat producers have access to a voluntary program that can improve the marketability of their animals and reduce long-term disease risk: the Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP).

What the SFCP Is and Who Can Join

The SFCP is designed to monitor flocks for scrapie and to certify flocks that have met all requirements of the Export category of the program as scrapie-free. The SFCP is a voluntary program open to all sheep and goat producers in the United States. The overall objective is to minimize the scrapie risk of participating flocks and herds, thereby improving the marketability of animals from participating flocks and contributing to the national scrapie eradication program.

The SFCP has two categories: Export and Select. The Export category has two statuses — Export Monitored and Export Certified — and the Select category has one status: Select Monitored.

Export Category

The objective of the Export category is to certify participating flocks and herds as scrapie-free establishments through limiting the acquisition of does and ewes from flocks of the same or higher status, annual inspections including reconciliation of the animal inventory, official individual animal identification requirements, recordkeeping requirements, and animal sampling requirements.

To maintain scrapie-free status, flock owners may not obtain ewes or does from nonparticipating flocks or from flocks with lower status. Flock owners who do not comply with this requirement will have their flock’s status date adjusted to reflect the addition of the lowest-category animal.

Animals from “Export Certified” flocks meet the World Organization for Animal Health’s standards to be recognized as free of disease. To achieve Export Certified status, a flock must gain a minimum of seven years in status and sample 30 mature animals. This sampling minimum may be achieved through slaughter, necropsy, and live animal testing.

Select Category

The objective of the SFCP is to monitor participating flocks for evidence of scrapie; for flocks in the Export category, the program provides a way to be recognized as negligible scrapie risk as an Export Certified flock. Depending on the level of participation, this monitoring is achieved through animal sampling and/or annual inspections.

For producers who want lower-intensity participation, the Select Monitored category offers a starting point. There are no inspections in this category, although an in-person orientation is offered upon enrollment. Participants agree to sample at least one mature animal every one to three years, depending on flock size. APHIS monitors compliance with the sampling requirement through a national sampling database.

Application and Ongoing Obligations

The State Scrapie Flock Certification Board reviews applications and approves admissions to the program. Sheep or goat producers applying for the Select category are only required to submit the application for enrollment using VS Form 5-22. Sheep and goat producers applying for the Export category are required to submit a complete application package.

Once enrolled, all SFCP participants share a set of core obligations. Tissues from scrapie suspect animals, animals suspected of other neurologic and chronic debilitating illnesses, and any other animal required by the program standards must be submitted to an official laboratory in accordance with SFCP standards. You must also notify the State Scrapie Certification Board and/or the Veterinary Services Area Office within 30 days of any action resulting in a change in status or status date — such as the acquisition of or commingling with nonparticipating animals or embryos, or animals with a lower status.

Flock inspections must be scheduled every 11 to 13 months, and an inventory of animals in the flock — including official ID, species, breed or type, sex, and age of each animal — must be maintained.

To start the enrollment process or verify the current status of a Michigan flock, contact the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services office for Michigan or visit the APHIS SFCP public database. For complete program standards and forms, visit the APHIS scrapie program page. For state-level enforcement contacts and Michigan-specific requirements, consult the MDARD scrapie information page. You can also review the MSU Extension guidance on scrapie identification for practical producer-focused explanations of the rules.

Staying current with Michigan’s scrapie eradication requirements protects your animals, your business, and the broader sheep and goat industry. Whether you are a small hobby farm with a few animals or a large commercial operation, the same core rules apply — official ID, accurate records, proper movement documentation, and prompt reporting when disease is suspected. For producers interested in wildlife and other animals regulated in Michigan, you may also find resources on types of snakes in Michigan and types of frogs in Michigan useful for understanding the full range of species subject to state oversight.