Nebraska Scrapie Eradication Program: What Sheep and Goat Producers Need to Know
July 12, 2026
If you raise sheep or goats in Nebraska, scrapie regulations touch nearly every aspect of how you buy, sell, move, and document your animals. Failing to understand these rules can result in quarantined livestock, refused entry at state lines, or penalties from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
This guide walks you through the Scrapie Eradication Program as it applies to Nebraska producers — covering official identification, flock registration, recordkeeping, movement rules, reporting obligations, and the voluntary certification pathway available to you.
What Is Scrapie and Why It Is Regulated in Nebraska
Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. There is no cure or treatment, and infected animals do not recover. Because the disease spreads through direct animal contact and contaminated environments, undetected cases in a single flock can affect producers across an entire region.
The presence of classical scrapie in the U.S. sheep and goat population affects the industry economically through production losses, lost exports, and increased production and disposal costs. Public health concerns related to the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to humans have also resulted in efforts to eradicate all TSEs in food-producing animals.
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. In the United States, scrapie has primarily been reported in black-face meat breeds and their crosses. Nebraska producers who raise these breeds carry a heightened responsibility to participate fully in eradication efforts.
Since 2002, the prevalence of scrapie has decreased significantly through existing eradication efforts, largely a result of effective slaughter surveillance. Since slaughter surveillance started in FY 2003, the percent of cull sheep found positive at slaughter — once adjusted for face color — has decreased 99 percent. However, it is likely there are still farms with cases of scrapie, and one of the most difficult aspects of an eradication program is finding the last few cases of the disease.
Nebraska producers play a direct role in closing that gap. You can learn more about how Nebraska regulates other livestock-related diseases, such as the requirements covered under brucellosis laws in Nebraska, to understand how the state approaches multi-disease livestock regulation.
Nebraska’s Role in the National Scrapie Eradication Program
Surveillance for scrapie in the United States is conducted through the National Scrapie Eradication Program (NSEP), a cooperative State-Federal-industry program. Nebraska participates as a full partner in this effort, administering state-level requirements that align with and sometimes exceed the federal baseline.
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 apply to Nebraska producers depending on your operation type and goals.
In the program, the definition of a Consistent State applies to states conducting an active state scrapie control program that meets certain requirements. The current list of Consistent States includes all 50 states, including Nebraska. This designation matters because Consistent State status determines what movement restrictions apply when you ship animals across state lines.
A Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on March 25, 2019. APHIS believes the Final Rule results in a more effective disease eradication program, with a more flexible approach to disease investigations and affected flock management, and more consistent animal identification and recordkeeping requirements between sheep and goats.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) oversees state-level enforcement, while USDA APHIS Veterinary Services provides federal oversight and support. You can contact the NDA’s Animal and Plant Health Protection division at (402) 471-2351 or the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services office in Lincoln, NE at (402) 434-2302 for guidance specific to your operation.
Official Animal Identification Requirements in Nebraska
The purpose of identifying sheep and goats is to enable traceback of scrapie-positive animals to their flock or herd of origin, and to trace animals out of infected flocks. Without reliable identification, investigations stall and disease spreads undetected.
Which Animals Must Be Identified
The animals listed below are required by federal and/or state regulations to be identified as part of the National Scrapie Eradication Program before they enter interstate commerce or if ownership changes. In Nebraska, the following categories must carry official ID:
- 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 — those whose owners decline to comply with or violate the scrapie control program.
- All sexually intact goats that are registered, used for exhibition, used for milking, or have resided on the same premises with sheep.
- All intact feeder sheep sold at an unrestricted sale. An unrestricted sale is one in which breeding, feeding, and slaughter sheep are sold the same day. All Nebraska sheep markets currently operate as unrestricted sales, meaning all ewe and ram lambs sold at these sales must be identified regardless of age, unless they are nursing their dam.
Approved Identification Devices
Producers should consider the different devices available — including metal or plastic tags, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and RFID implants (with restrictions on the use of implants) — and choose what works best for them.
Tattoos may be used as the sole form of official ID for sheep or goats as long as they are accompanied by registration papers from a USDA-approved breed registry and the animals are not moving to slaughter or through a livestock market. Both the registry flock ID and the letter for the birth year with individual ID must be printed on the registration paper.
840 RFID microchip implants can be used as the sole form of official ID for sheep or goats that are not moving to slaughter or through a livestock market, if the implant is located in the lower ear or web of the tail. When properly applied in either of these locations, the implants do not move.
Scrapie tags do not expire — they are good for the animal’s lifetime. If you acquire a sheep or goat that already has a scrapie tag in its ear, you do not need to add one of your tags. In a traceback investigation, that tag would lead to its original owner, whose records would then lead to you.
How to Obtain Official Tags
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. Producers will need to purchase the compatible applicator from the tag manufacturer.
APHIS is working with sheep and goat organizations to encourage the use of electronic identification to improve the nation’s ability to quickly trace exposed and diseased animals in the event of an outbreak. No-cost metal tags for producers were discontinued on August 31, 2019.
To request official sheep and goat tags, a flock or premises ID, or both, call 1-866-USDA-Tag (866-873-2824). This number has a telephone tree that will gather information to route you to the correct APHIS Veterinary Services or state office.
Flock Registration and Recordkeeping Requirements in Nebraska
Before you can obtain official scrapie tags, you need a flock or premises identification number. This number ties your animals’ tags directly to your operation, enabling rapid traceback in the event of a disease investigation.
Getting Your Flock ID
Flock ID tag numbers consist of the producer’s flock ID assigned by APHIS or the state, followed by an individual animal number. A flock or premises ID is required to order tags from approved manufacturers. A national premises ID is also required to purchase official 840 RFID tags or implantable devices.
To be assigned a Scrapie Flock ID number in Nebraska, contact USDA APHIS Veterinary Services, District 5 (which covers Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming) at the Lincoln, NE field office: 5940 South 58th St, Lincoln, NE 68516, Phone: (402) 434-2302.
Recordkeeping Requirements
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. This applies to producers, dealers, and livestock market operators alike.
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; the name, address, and phone number of the person to whom animals were sold or from whom animals were purchased; and the species, breed, or class of animals sold or purchased.
You must also retain a copy of any certificate or owner/hauler statement required for movement of the animals purchased, sold, or otherwise transferred.
Nebraska producers raising other regulated livestock may also want to review beekeeping laws in Nebraska and exotic pets legal in Nebraska for a broader picture of the state’s animal ownership regulatory framework.
Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules for Sheep and Goats in Nebraska
Movement rules are among the most detailed components of the scrapie program. Whether you are shipping animals across state lines or moving them within Nebraska, specific identification and documentation requirements apply.
Interstate Movement
All sheep and goats must have official ID when moving off their premises of origin, with limited exceptions. Some states have ID requirements that are stricter than federal requirements, so the exceptions listed below do not apply in all states. For information on each state’s ID and movement requirements, contact the State Veterinarian’s office.
When moving animals into Nebraska from another state, all goats imported into Nebraska must have official identification as defined under 9 C.F.R. §§ 79.1 and 79.2(a)(2) pursuant to the Scrapie Eradication Program. A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is also typically required for goats entering the state.
Failing to comply with scrapie identification requirements or importing goats without proper documentation can result in penalties from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Animals lacking required identification may be quarantined or refused entry into the state.
Exceptions to the ID Requirement
Federal regulations provide several narrow exceptions where official individual ID is not required for movement. These include:
- Castrated sheep or goats under 18 months of age.
- 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. The premises must be recorded in the National Scrapie Database as additional flock premises, and commingling must not occur with unidentified animals born in another flock.
- Sheep or goats moving within a state that have only resided on premises and in flocks in the same state, where the animals and premises are owned by persons who do not engage in the interstate commerce of sheep or goats, and where the sheep or goats are of a class exempted from official ID by the state while in intrastate commerce.
- Animals shipped directly to slaughter under a group ID and owner/hauler statement, subject to specific conditions.
Intrastate Movement and Sales
States are required 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. Nebraska enforces this requirement at the point of sale.
An unrestricted sale at a livestock market is one in which breeding, feeding, and slaughter sheep and goats are sold the same day. All sexually intact sheep and goats sold at an unrestricted sale must be identified unless they are lambs nursing their dams.
Livestock markets can designate sales as slaughter or feed-for-slaughter only sales — known as restricted sales. Sexually intact sheep and goats under 18 months of age which are sold at such restricted sales do not need to be identified. However, buyers at restricted sales will be required to sign a statement indicating where the sheep will be slaughtered or fed. Currently, all Nebraska sheep and goat markets are operating as unrestricted sales.
Reporting, Testing, and Quarantine Requirements in Nebraska
Timely reporting of suspect animals is essential to the success of scrapie eradication. Nebraska producers, veterinarians, and livestock dealers all share responsibility for identifying and reporting animals that may be infected.
When to Report
If you have an adult sheep or goat exhibiting signs of scrapie — such as incoordination, severe continuous rubbing, or other neurologic signs — or an adult animal dies, is euthanized, or is being culled (even if you know the cause of death), contact your local state or USDA APHIS Veterinary Services veterinarian, or call 866-536-7593 right away.
Submission of samples from sheep and goats over 18 months of age found dead or euthanized on your farm is extremely important. Without this cooperation, the U.S. will not be able to declare itself free of scrapie, costing the sheep and goat industries approximately $10 to $20 million annually.
Testing
Finding and eliminating the last cases of scrapie involves testing sheep and goats that are showing signs suspect of scrapie, but also testing those mature animals that may be incubating the disease. Testing is conducted through USDA APHIS Veterinary Services and must be performed at an official laboratory using APHIS-approved diagnostic methods.
Accredited veterinarians play an integral role in the eradication of scrapie. Accreditation standards require reporting of live or dead scrapie suspects to state and federal authorities. In addition to this critical role, accredited veterinarians are the producers’ primary source of education about all aspects of the program, including identification, recordkeeping, and movement requirements.
Quarantine and Indemnity
When a flock is designated as scrapie-positive, exposed, or a source flock, a quarantine is placed on the premises. Movement of animals off a quarantined premises is restricted and requires prior approval from state or federal animal health officials.
APHIS provides the following assistance to owners of exposed and infected flocks or herds that participate in cleanup plans, including owners of exposed animals that have been sold out of infected and source flocks: indemnity for high-risk, suspect, and scrapie-positive sheep and exposed goats that owners agree to destroy; and genetic testing of sheep for scrapie susceptibility.
Until a more sensitive, cost-effective live-animal test is available, the risk of scrapie introduction can be substantially reduced by maintaining a closed ewe flock; by acquiring female animals only from certified free flocks, zones, or countries; and/or by acquiring ewes that are genetically resistant or less susceptible.
Nebraska producers who manage multiple regulated species may also find it useful to review roadkill laws in Nebraska and raccoon ownership laws in Nebraska for a broader understanding of how the state handles animal-related regulations.
Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) in Nebraska
The Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (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. Participation is voluntary, but it carries meaningful benefits for producers who want to improve marketability, facilitate exports, or demonstrate a commitment to disease-free production.
Who Can Participate
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 herds and contributing to the national scrapie eradication program.
Program Categories and Statuses
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.
The two categories differ significantly in their requirements and the benefits they provide:
| Category | Status Available | Inspections | Sampling Requirement | Certification Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select | Select Monitored | None required | 1 mature animal per 1–3 years (flock-size dependent) | No certified status available |
| Export | Export Monitored / Export Certified | Annual (every 11–13 months) | Higher sampling minimums apply | Export Certified after 7 years and 30 mature animals sampled |
Select Category Requirements
The objective of the Select category is to enhance scrapie surveillance by increasing the reporting of animals with clinical signs of scrapie and submission of samples for scrapie testing. Select flocks are required to submit samples from at least one mature animal for scrapie testing every 1–3 years, depending on the size of the flock or herd. Participating flocks do not advance to a certified status.
There are no inspections in the Select 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 and publishes the date on which the last animal was sampled on its public website.
Export Category Requirements
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.
Animals from Export Certified flocks meet the World Organization for Animal Health’s standards to be recognized as free of disease. In order 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.
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.
Enrollment and Ongoing Obligations
SFCP participants agree to report scrapie suspect animals and animals suspected of other neurologic and chronic debilitating illnesses to a State Animal Health Official, Veterinary Services representative, or an accredited veterinarian, and to ensure that proper tissue samples are collected and submitted for diagnostic purposes.
Participants must 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 and/or commingling with nonparticipating animals or embryos, animals or embryos with a lower status or status date, or use of sheep or goat milk, colostrum, or products derived therefrom.
Participants must schedule a flock inspection every 11–13 months if enrolled in the Export category. Any sheep or goat owner or manager may apply to participate in the SFCP. To enroll, submit USDA VS Form 5-22 to your USDA APHIS Veterinary Services area office. For Nebraska, contact the Lincoln field office at (402) 434-2302.
Nebraska’s livestock regulatory environment extends well beyond scrapie. If you work with a variety of animals on your property, you may also want to explore resources on types of snakes in Nebraska, venomous animals in Nebraska, and pheasant hunting season in Nebraska to stay informed about the full scope of Nebraska’s animal-related regulations and wildlife.
Conclusion
The Scrapie Eradication Program in Nebraska is built on three pillars: reliable animal identification, thorough recordkeeping, and active disease surveillance. As a sheep or goat producer in the state, your compliance with official ID requirements, five-year record retention, movement documentation, and timely reporting of suspect animals directly supports the national goal of declaring the United States scrapie-free.
If you are considering taking your operation to the next level, enrolling in the Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program — whether in the Select or Export category — offers a documented pathway to demonstrate your flock’s health status and improve your animals’ marketability. Contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at (402) 471-2351 or USDA APHIS Veterinary Services in Lincoln at (402) 434-2302 to get started with flock registration, tag requests, or SFCP enrollment.