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

If you raise sheep or goats in Wyoming, scrapie compliance is not optional — it is a legal requirement enforced at both the state and federal level. Scrapie is a fatal neurological disease that has no cure, and the rules governing identification, movement, recordkeeping, and flock certification exist to protect your animals, your neighbors’ flocks, and Wyoming’s livestock economy as a whole.

This guide walks you through every layer of Wyoming’s scrapie program: what the disease is, how the state participates in the national eradication effort, what official identification you must apply to your animals, how to register your flock, what the movement rules look like for both in-state and out-of-state travel, what happens when a case is suspected, and how the voluntary Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program can benefit your operation.

What Is Scrapie and Why It Is Regulated in Wyoming

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. There is no treatment and no recovery — once clinical signs appear, the outcome is always death. There is no cure or treatment for scrapie.

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. This is a particularly important consideration for Wyoming producers, where black-faced and crossbred meat sheep are common on ranches across the state.

The presence of classical scrapie in the U.S. sheep and goat population affects 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 resulted in efforts to eradicate all TSEs in food-producing animals.

There are two forms of the disease. Nonclassical scrapie, also referred to as atypical, Nor98, or Nor98-like scrapie, appears to occur sporadically and has occurred in sheep of all the 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.

Wyoming’s regulatory framework for scrapie is built around preventing spread, tracing exposed animals, and ultimately achieving disease-free status. 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. Wyoming producers play a direct role in reaching that goal through compliance with identification, movement, and reporting requirements discussed throughout this guide. You can also find related goat ownership laws in Wyoming that complement scrapie compliance obligations.

Wyoming’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. Wyoming participates in this program as a consistent state, meaning the state’s scrapie program meets federal standards set by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

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 components apply to Wyoming producers, and your obligations under each are outlined in this guide.

The Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB) is the primary state agency responsible for administering scrapie-related rules at the state level. Animal Health has numerous functions including monitoring and responding to Wyoming reportable diseases, livestock importation, foreign animal disease investigations, epidemiologic investigations, disease prevention, mitigation, quarantine and monitoring, livestock disease tracing, and emergency management and response. The unit is very proactive in maintaining rules for Brucellosis, Trichomoniasis, Scrapie, and Import Requirements with the goal of animal health protection for Wyoming’s livestock.

States will need to meet scrapie surveillance minimums to maintain their consistent-state status in the eradication program. Maintaining that status matters for Wyoming producers because animals from consistent states face fewer movement restrictions when traveling interstate. 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.

The Scrapie rule, Chapter 13, provides guidance to the sheep and goat industries in prevention of the disease and also in management of the disease to prevent spread within and between flocks. This chapter, maintained by the WLSB, works alongside federal regulations at 9 CFR Part 79 to form Wyoming’s complete regulatory framework.

Official Animal Identification Requirements in Wyoming

Official identification is the cornerstone of scrapie traceability. Without it, your animals cannot move legally in most circumstances, and you may face enforcement action from both state and federal authorities.

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. Some states have ID requirements that are stricter than federal requirements, so the exceptions listed below do not apply in all states. Wyoming’s requirements align with federal standards, and the state requirement is consistent with the federal USDA-APHIS scrapie identification requirement.

Official identification is now required for goats 18 months of age or older and for all sexually-intact goats under 18 months of age moving for purposes other than slaughter or feeding for slaughter, with some exceptions. For sheep, the requirements are broad: most are required by state and federal regulations to be identified as part of the National Scrapie Eradication Program as part of interstate commerce or if ownership changes. The only exceptions for sheep are castrated sheep under 18 months of age and sheep under 18 months of age in slaughter channels.

Wyoming also requires scrapie identification for animals shown at fairs and exhibitions. Sheep and goat exhibitors at Wyoming jackpots, county fairs, and state fair are reminded of the Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB) and APHIS requirements that ALL sheep and goats exhibited in Wyoming must be individually identified with USDA-APHIS approved scrapie identification. This requirement includes wethers. A USDA Scrapie tag must be in the ear of all exhibition sheep and goats.

Approved Forms of Official Identification

• Official USDA eartags — Visual plastic flock ID tags or metal serial tags applied to the ear
• Electronic (RFID) eartags — Scannable devices approved by APHIS; 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
• Registry tattoos — The Code of Federal Regulations part 79.2 and the National Scrapie Eradication Program Standards allow sheep and goats to be officially identified with registry tattoos for movement in interstate commerce with some exceptions
• Implantable microchips — Approved with restrictions; refer to the NSEP Program Standards for specific guidance

Scrapie identification should be traceable to the premise of origin (where the animal was born) through ownership records. Flock ID tag numbers are the producer’s flock ID assigned by APHIS or the state followed by an individual animal number.

To obtain official tags, call 1-866-USDA-Tag (866-873-2824) to request official sheep and goat tags, a flock or premises ID, or both. The National Scrapie Eradication Program is providing 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. Note that APHIS discontinued the availability of no-cost metal tags for producers on August 31, 2019. Producers who are not eligible for free tags or who prefer another type or color of tag can purchase official tags of their choice directly from approved manufacturers.

Flock Registration and Recordkeeping Requirements in Wyoming

Before you can obtain official scrapie tags, you need a flock or premises identification number. This number links your animals to your operation in the National Scrapie Database, which is the backbone of the traceability system.

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 the states and APHIS for sheep and goat premises to now include PINs and LIDs. Contact the Wyoming State Veterinarian’s office or call 1-866-USDA-TAG to get your premises or flock ID assigned.

Once registered, you are required to maintain records of your animals’ movements and identification. Both industries will see record keeping changes. Sheep and goats moving in slaughter channels are now required to have an owner/shipper statement. This statement must include group/lot identification, unless the animals are individually identified with official tags.

If persons reassign eartag numbers, they must maintain appropriate records that permit traceback of animals to their flock of origin, or flock of birth when required. Premises identification eartag, backtag, and tattoo numbers will be assigned to animal owners by the State animal health official or the area veterinarian in charge, whoever is responsible for assigning premises codes in that State.

What Records Must You Keep?

• The official ID number of each sheep or goat purchased, sold, or transferred
• Copies of any certificates or owner/hauler statements required for movement
• Records of animals that died, were euthanized, or were sent to slaughter
• Documentation linking each animal to its premises of origin

APHIS updated specific identification requirements for goats and certain recordkeeping requirements for sheep and goats, which provides increased animal disease traceability. Traceability is provided for certain classes of sheep and goats by the scrapie program, but strengthening traceability, particularly for goats, is important. If you also keep horses or other livestock, you may find it useful to review horse boarding regulations in Wyoming to understand how recordkeeping obligations compare across species.

Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules for Sheep and Goats in Wyoming

Movement rules are where scrapie compliance becomes most visible for producers. Whether you are selling animals at auction, transporting sheep to summer grazing allotments, or importing breeding stock from another state, specific rules apply in each situation.

Intrastate Movement Within Wyoming

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. This means that even movements that stay entirely within Wyoming’s borders require official ID when ownership changes hands.

There are limited exceptions for intrastate movement without official ID. Sheep or goats moving within a state that have only resided on premises and in flocks in the same state, and 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, may be exempt. Additionally, 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, may be exempt. 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.

Interstate Movement Into and Out of Wyoming

Federal regulations require certain animal identification for sheep and goats moving interstate, establish a list of states that conduct an active state scrapie program consistent with federal requirements, and set requirements for moving sheep and goats interstate from those states and from states that do not conduct such programs.

When importing sheep or goats into Wyoming from another state, the Wyoming Livestock Board’s Chapter 8 import rules apply. The certificate must include the statement that all animals in the shipment are free from Foot Rot and Ring Worm (Club Lamb Fungus) and originate from a flock/herd that has not had Scrapie in the past five years.

Wyoming also has specific requirements for black-faced sheep. All sexually intact black-faced sheep as defined in the rule imported for reproductive purposes must be tested “RR” or “QR” by an approved genetic susceptibility test. This genotype testing requirement reflects the higher susceptibility of black-faced breeds to classical scrapie.

For all interstate shipments, all official individual identification numbers must be recorded on the Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI). An import permit number correlated with the ICVI must be issued by the Board within ten days prior to any animal requiring such a permit being imported. You can find permit information at the WLSB website. If you are also interested in how Wyoming handles other animal-related regulations, see the beekeeping laws in Wyoming and roadkill laws in Wyoming for additional context on the state’s regulatory approach to animals.

Reporting, Testing, and Quarantine Requirements in Wyoming

Reporting suspected scrapie cases promptly is one of your most important legal obligations as a Wyoming sheep or goat producer. Early detection is critical to preventing spread and is essential to the nation’s ability to declare scrapie freedom.

When to Report a Suspect Animal

If you have an adult sheep or goat that is exhibiting signs of scrapie such as incoordination, severe continuous rubbing or other neurologic signs, or an adult animal dies or is euthanized, or is being culled (even if you know the cause of death), please contact your local State or USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services veterinarian or call 866-536-7593 right away.

Submission of samples from sheep/goats over 18 months of age found dead or euthanized on your farm is extremely important. Without your help, we will not be able to declare the US free of scrapie, costing the sheep and goat industries approximately $10 to $20 million, annually. This is not simply a bureaucratic obligation — your participation directly protects the marketability of Wyoming livestock.

The Role of Accredited Veterinarians

All requirements of the SFCP are outlined in the SFCP program standards. Accredited veterinarians play an integral role in the eradication of scrapie. 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 Movement Restrictions

If a flock is found to have scrapie or is designated as an exposed or source flock, significant movement restrictions and quarantine requirements take effect. Upon quarantine of imported animals, the owner or owner’s agent bears liability and expense, and the animals are subject to all inspection, test, treatment, and vaccination requirements at the owner’s expense as outlined in the quarantine release conditions.

Animals that are incubating the disease and may be shedding the agent are rarely identified until the onset of clinical signs. The only absolute way to prevent an introduction of scrapie into a flock is to prohibit all movements of sheep and goats into a flock. Until a more sensitive, cost-effective live-animal test is available, the risk 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.

Scrapie is listed among Wyoming’s reportable diseases. The WLSB maintains a list of animal diseases, called the “Reportable Disease List,” that are required to be reported to the state veterinarian when they are identified. Failing to report a suspect animal is a regulatory violation and can result in enforcement action. For a broader look at how Wyoming handles dangerous and regulated animals, see dangerous animals in Wyoming and venomous animals in Wyoming.

Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) in Wyoming

The Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program is a voluntary program open to all sheep and goat producers in Wyoming. While participation is not mandatory, enrollment provides measurable benefits for producers who market breeding animals or want to demonstrate their flock’s disease status to buyers.

The SFCP is a voluntary program that is open to all sheep and goat producers in the United States. 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.

SFCP 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. Animals from Export Certified flocks are considered highly unlikely to be infected with scrapie, and have greater marketing opportunities both domestically and internationally.

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.

SFCP Recordkeeping and ID Requirements

Flocks follow 9 CFR 79 requirements for recordkeeping and animal ID. Flocks can acquire animals from any other flock, whether or not that flock is enrolled in the SFCP. However, the Export category imposes stricter acquisition rules as flocks advance toward Export Certified status.

Sampling requirements for SFCP-enrolled flocks are structured to ensure ongoing surveillance. Sampling requirements include: clinical suspects over 12 months of age must be tested; animals of any age that either test suspect, inconclusive, or positive on a live animal scrapie test or have been determined to be a scrapie suspect by a state, federal, or accredited veterinarian; and an annual sampling minimum of one animal per one to three years, depending on flock size.

SFCP tags may only be purchased by owners of flocks participating in the Scrapie-Free Flock Certification Program. These tags visually distinguish your certified animals from non-enrolled flocks, which can be a valuable marketing signal when selling breeding stock.

Wyoming producers who want to stay informed on scrapie rules and other livestock health requirements can also benefit from resources on related animal regulations, including pit bull laws in Wyoming, dog bite laws in Wyoming, and raccoon ownership laws in Wyoming, which reflect the broader regulatory environment for animals in the state. The WLSB’s official website remains the most authoritative source for current rules, permit applications, and contact information for Wyoming’s State Veterinarian.