Tennessee Scrapie Eradication Program: What Sheep and Goat Producers Need to Know

If you raise sheep or goats in Tennessee, the Scrapie Eradication Program is one of the most important regulatory frameworks you need to understand. Scrapie is a fatal, incurable disease that has no treatment — and the only way to protect your flock, your neighbors’ flocks, and the broader livestock industry is through strict identification, recordkeeping, and movement compliance.

Tennessee producers play a direct role in a national effort to eliminate the last remaining cases of scrapie in the United States. Whether you run a small backyard herd or a large commercial operation, this guide walks you through every layer of your obligations — from tagging your animals to reporting a suspect case — so you can stay compliant and keep your animals moving freely.

What Is Scrapie and Why It Is Regulated in Tennessee

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It belongs to the same family of diseases as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and chronic wasting disease in deer. Once an animal is infected, there is no cure and no recovery.

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 the black-face meat breeds and their crosses.

Although there is no evidence that scrapie poses a risk to human health, there is no cure or treatment for the disease in livestock at this time. However, the economic stakes are significant. 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.

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

Tennessee’s regulation of scrapie is driven both by federal mandate and by the state’s obligation to protect a significant livestock sector. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) works in coordination with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to enforce identification, movement, and reporting rules that apply to every sheep and goat producer in the state — regardless of flock size.

Tennessee’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. Tennessee is an active participant in this effort, with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture serving as the state-level enforcement and coordination arm of the program.

The National Scrapie Eradication Program, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has reduced the prevalence of scrapie in adult sheep sampled at slaughter by over 99 percent. That progress is a direct result of producer participation in tagging, recordkeeping, and reporting across all participating states, including Tennessee.

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). Tennessee producers can participate in both.

The program’s goals are to eradicate classical scrapie from the United States and to meet World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) criteria for disease freedom. Reaching that goal depends on producers in every state — including Tennessee — continuing to identify their animals, maintain accurate records, and report suspect cases.

Tennessee also has a specific obligation under the federal framework: in September 2001, the scrapie regulations were revised to require the official identification of sheep and goats not in slaughter channels and any sheep over 18 months of age in interstate commerce with some exceptions. In addition, the revision required 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. Tennessee complies with these federal minimums, which is what allows your animals to move across state lines with fewer barriers. You can find more about Tennessee’s broader animal regulation framework and other livestock-related rules through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Official Animal Identification Requirements in Tennessee

Official identification is the foundation of the entire scrapie eradication effort. All sheep and goats must have official ID when moving off their premises of origin. In Tennessee, this requirement applies to intrastate movement as well as interstate movement.

Tennessee follows the minimum federal requirement for sheep and goat identification. Other states may have more stringent requirements. This means that while your animals may be compliant for movement within Tennessee, you should always verify the destination state’s rules before shipping animals out of state.

Accepted Forms of Official Identification

Tennessee recognizes several approved forms of official ID for sheep and goats. Each method must meet APHIS standards for tamper-resistance and traceability.

• Flock ID Eartags: Flock ID tag numbers are the producer’s flock ID assigned by APHIS or the state, followed by an individual animal number. These are the most common form of ID used in Tennessee.
• Metal Serial Tags: Metal serial tag numbers have the state postal abbreviation, two letters followed by four numbers.
• RFID / Electronic ID: Electronic ID (microchip) with the number recorded by the registry, accompanied by registration papers and a reader; the ear must be tattooed with an “E” for ear implant or “ET” to designate a tail implant. Earless goats may be tagged in the tail fold. Unregistered animals can now be microchipped but they must be from a flock registered with the Scrapie Database, tattooed with the flock ID, have the E or ET tattoo, and be accompanied by an ICVI or Owner Hauler Statement listing the implant number as well as a reader.
• Registry Tattoos: Registered animals may be identified with a registration tattoo instead of a tag, as long as the animal is accompanied by a copy of the registration certificate issued by an approved registry listing the current owner or the registration certificate and a completed transfer of ownership form dated within 60 days that lists the current owner. If the registry you use is not approved, you can still use your tattoos if you provide your tattoo prefix and registry to APHIS for inclusion in your flock record.
• Blue Meat Tags: If there is no owner statement to verify the flock of birth and/or flock of origin, animals must be tagged with a blue meat tag and go directly to slaughter.

How to Order Official Tags in Tennessee

Call the USDA Office to order Scrapie Tags at (615) 781-5314 (in Tennessee) or 1-866-USDA-TAG, which routes you to the proper state by telephone prefix. You can also order sheep and goat tags online through the APHIS website.

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 discontinued the availability of no-cost metal tags for producers on August 31, 2019.

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.

Flock Registration and Recordkeeping Requirements in Tennessee

Before you can legally tag your animals or order official identification, you need a flock or premises ID number. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has initiated the scrapie eradication program, and part of the program is to allow traceability of animals back to infected farms.

To register your flock and obtain a flock ID, contact the USDA APHIS office at 1-866-USDA-TAG (1-866-873-2824) or the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at (615) 339-5455. Your flock ID is unique to you and stays with your operation for as long as you own sheep or goats.

What Records You Must Keep

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.

Records must be kept for 5 years after the animal is sold or otherwise disposed of. Ideally, producers should keep records in an electronic format, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

When you apply official ID to an animal, your records must include:

• The flock ID number of the flock of origin
• The name and address of the person applying the tag
• The official ID number applied to each animal
• The date the ID was applied
• The species, breed, sex, and approximate age of the animal
• The destination of the animal when it leaves your premises

All small ruminants leaving your farm are required to be tagged and records of sales must be kept. This applies whether you are selling to a neighbor, consigning to a livestock market, or shipping to another state. Tennessee’s broader wildlife and livestock traceability landscape reflects how seriously the state takes animal movement documentation across all species.

Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules for Sheep and Goats in Tennessee

Movement rules are among the most detailed and consequential aspects of the Scrapie Eradication Program. Whether you are moving animals within Tennessee or shipping them to another state, you need to understand exactly what documentation and identification is required.

Intrastate Movement (Within Tennessee)

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture requires official identification for goats that are transported within the state. This change creates consistency with surrounding states and with the USDA’s Traceability and Scrapie rule, allowing for traceability and easier interstate movement of goats.

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, are exempt from the individual ID requirement. However, because Tennessee requires official ID for intrastate movement, this federal exemption does not eliminate your tagging obligation within the state.

Interstate Movement (Leaving Tennessee)

Tags and health certificates or owner/shipper statements are required to move animals across state lines. Specifically, you will need:

1. Official individual ID on every animal (eartag, RFID, or approved tattoo)
2. Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) issued by an accredited veterinarian
3. Owner/Hauler Statement in some cases, particularly for groups moving directly to slaughter

If you are crossing state lines, you also need an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) for your animals. The ICVI must be issued by an accredited veterinarian and must include the animal’s tag number.

Some states have identification requirements that are stricter than federal requirements, so the exceptions listed under federal rules do not apply in all states. For information on each state’s ID and movement requirements, contact the State Veterinarian’s office.

Exemptions From Individual ID Requirements

There are limited exemptions from the individual ID requirement. All sheep and goats must have official ID when moving off their premises of origin, except sheep or goats moving with a group ID and owner/hauler statement. This includes sheep and goats under 18 months of age in slaughter channels, and sheep and goats of any age shipped directly to a slaughter establishment or a federally approved market that has agreed to act as an agent for the owner to apply official ID when all the animals in a section of a truck are from the same flock of origin.

Additionally, castrated sheep or goats under 18 months of age are also exempt from the individual ID requirement under federal rules.

Reporting, Testing, and Quarantine Requirements in Tennessee

Identifying scrapie suspects and reporting them quickly is one of the most critical responsibilities you have as a Tennessee sheep or goat producer. The program cannot succeed — and the U.S. cannot achieve scrapie-free status — without active on-farm surveillance.

When to Report a Suspect Animal

Contact your State Veterinarian or the USDA Veterinary Services Office for your state if your sheep or goat, older than 12 months, exhibits clinical signs of scrapie. Common clinical signs include:

• Incoordination or stumbling gait
• Severe, continuous rubbing or scratching against objects
• Unexplained weight loss or wasting
• Behavioral changes or heightened sensitivity to noise or touch
• Teeth grinding or lip smacking

This involves testing sheep and goats that are showing signs suspect of scrapie, but also testing those mature animals that may be incubating the disease. Even animals that appear healthy can be tested if they are over 18 months of age and are found dead, euthanized, or culled.

The Role of Accredited Veterinarians

The 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. When requested by the producer, accredited veterinarians can apply official eartags, collect and submit samples for official genotype testing, scrapie testing on obex, lymph node, third-eyelid lymphoid tissue, or rectal lymphoid tissue, and issue Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for interstate movement.

Quarantine and Flock Designations

The scrapie regulations change the risk groups and categories established for individual animals and for flocks, increase the use of genetic testing as a means of assigning risk levels to animals, reduce movement restrictions for animals found to be genetically less susceptible or resistant to scrapie, and simplify, reduce, or remove certain recordkeeping requirements. APHIS designated scrapie epidemiologists have more alternatives and flexibility when testing animals to determine flock designations under the regulations.

When a flock is placed under quarantine, movement of animals off the premises is restricted until the investigation is complete and the flock’s status is resolved. APHIS provides assistance to owners of exposed and infected flocks or herds that participate in cleanup plans, including 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.

Understanding how disease reporting intersects with other state animal regulations is important for any Tennessee livestock owner. The state’s animal regulatory environment is broad, and staying informed about rules that apply to your specific operation is always worthwhile. You can also review wildlife health considerations in Tennessee if your operation is near areas with significant wild ruminant populations.

Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) in Tennessee

Beyond the mandatory identification and reporting requirements, Tennessee producers have the opportunity to voluntarily enroll in the Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) — a program that can significantly improve the marketability of your animals and open doors to export markets.

What the SFCP Is

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. Any sheep or goat owner or manager may apply to participate in the SFCP.

The overall objective of the SFCP 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 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.

What Participation Requires

The SFCP is a voluntary program that was started in 1992 to identify flocks that have been free of clinical evidence of scrapie over specified time periods, with the ultimate objective of a participating flock becoming certified as having negligible risk for scrapie. Any flock owner may apply to enter the SFCP. Participants in the program follow specified reporting, recordkeeping, access, and sampling requirements.

As a participant, you 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 ensure that proper tissue samples are collected and submitted for diagnostic purposes.
• Officially identify all animals in accordance with SFCP standards for your chosen category
• Maintain records in accordance with SFCP standards
• Allow annual flock inspections and inventory reconciliation
• Limit acquisition of breeding females to animals from flocks of equal or higher SFCP status

How to Apply for the SFCP in Tennessee

To apply for the SFCP, complete VS Form 5-22 (Application for the Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program) and submit it to your local USDA Veterinary Services office. You can also contact the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health division for guidance on enrollment. Once enrolled, your flock’s status will be listed in the USDA APHIS SFCP public database, where buyers can verify your certification status before purchasing animals.

For the most current program standards, visit the USDA APHIS National Scrapie Eradication Program page, which is updated regularly. You should also review the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s sheep and goat identification requirements page for state-specific guidance and contact information.

Tennessee sheep and goat producers who want to stay current on all aspects of animal health regulation in the state can also review resources on native wildlife and white-tailed deer populations in Tennessee, since wild ruminants and domestic livestock can sometimes share pasture boundaries — making biosecurity awareness all the more important.

The Scrapie Eradication Program in Tennessee is not a burden to be managed — it is a framework that protects your investment, your neighbors’ flocks, and the long-term viability of the sheep and goat industry in the state. By tagging your animals, registering your flock, maintaining accurate records, and reporting suspect cases promptly, you are doing your part to help the United States reach the finish line on scrapie eradication.