f Breeds Conservancy Issues Alert For Showing Animals PITTSBORO, N. C. Is there anything more fun than taking your animals to a show or fair? You not only get to show off that prize ewe or doe, you get to see all of your friends’ best animals too. Showing is a good way to promote conservation priority breeds because they are before the eyes of interested people and look ing their best. It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it, and this year there is one more thing to add to your show “To Do” list make sure you’re in compliance with the new Scrapes Eradication Rules. - The bottom line is that exhibitors need to hilly comply with official scrapie iden tification (ID) regulations. Before we get to specifics, there is one more thing you need to know: ID requirements can and do vary from show to show and state to state. The rules covered in this brochure are the basic stan dards outlined by federal regula tions. Shows/exhibitions and individ ual states must meet these federal standards, but they can, and often do, exceed them. So to be safe, al ways check with your event or ganizers and/or state animal health officials. BASICS FOR SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS Q. What categories of sheep and goats require official ID at shows/exhibitions? A. All breeding females, i.e. ewes, ewe lambs, does and doel ings; All breeding rams and bucks. Q. What categories of sheep and goats do not require official scrapie ID for shows/exhibitions? A. Wethers, unless otherwise required by state regulations in the state where the show is taking place or by a specific show’s rules. Q. Does this mean that official scrapie ID must be in place for all sheep and goats, as outlined in the first question, for all shows? A. No, shows and exhibitions that are not open to out-of-state ] Mohafdm»l«ii • -1 3 Hoststtere Meiwonlte Chufeti w i Su«^^^S^7ll»' > i • Crowd Gates (we install) • Headlocks w/downed cow release • Tie Stalls w/stalnless steel Curb Mount AIITVpM Of CUSTOM MANUFACTURING and REPAIR Phont: 610-4W-7WI Fax: 610-488-8873 exhibitors are not required to have official scrapie ID. However, the show or state may have such a re quirement, so be sure to check the show rules or with the organizers of the event. Q. When can breed registration tattoos be used in place of official scrapie ID tags? A. A registration tattoo can be used when the animal is ac companied by its registration paper or a photocopy or a com pleted application for registration. Q. Are electronic microchips al lowed in goats for exhibition? A. If your goat breed registry recognizes electronic microchips as an authorized form of ID and the microchip number is recorded on the registration certificate, then electronic ID is acceptable. You must also have your registra tion certificate (or a copy of it) or a health certificate which includes the microchip number that matches the one on the registra tion certificate. Further you must take your own reader unless one is provided by the show. Q. When should sheep or goats be tagged? A. Any time prior to leaving the farm or ranch. Q. What about health certifi cates? A. Anytime sheep or goats cross state lines, they must be ac companied by a health certificate (Certificate of Veterinary inspec tion). Note: Check the show rules; some events require health certifi cates for all entries. Q. How do I know if a given show will have entries from other states? A. Check the shows official rules or ask the show organizers. Q. Who do I call to find out what my state requires for official scrapie ID at shows/exhibitions? A. Contact your local veteri narian. Also, your State Veteri narian’s Office can inform you of ID requirements and movement restrictions. Phone numbers for the 50 State Veterinarian Offices can be obtained at Manufacturers of Gates ft Fencing w/Round corners for Safety & Strength Hot Dipped Galvanized, Gatorshield Galvanized Products • Gutter Grates Generator Systems Diesel or Propane, 10-500 KW, Agricultural and Industrial. New, Used or Reconditioned Martin Diesel Services Shop (570) 658-5303 Office (570) 922-4494 www W™W'wWwWww c o^£ s | A Tike Freshest Water on the Trail m Pools • Power Washing • Wells • Cisterns (fe Stainless Steel Water Truck Rentals $$ A 24 hours a day • 8 days a week || f Conestoga Water Wagon I 9 P.O. Bo* 31 g f Conestoga, PA 17516 f g 717/629-2756 g & “The Freshest Water on the Trail" $$ /fajOK jSbtjßit AO. <3& ißh.iSHt JSt» gk www.animalagriculture.org/ scrapie. Q. If I am taking my animals to an out-of-state show, can I as sume that I must have official scrapie ID and a health certifi cate? A. Yes. Q. Where can I get official identification tags and/or more in formation? A. Simply call 1-866-873-2824. That number will put you in touch with animal health officials in your state who are responsible for the scrapie eradication program. Q. What if my sheep or goat loses its official ID? A. Replace it with a new one, and record the new number and flock of birth in your records. Q. If I sell my sheep or goat at the show, what records am I re quired to keep? A. Record the ID of the indi vidual animal(s) sold and the buy ers name, address and telephone number and retain the records for five years. Q. Where can I find out more about scrapie and the scrapie eradication program? A. Contact your local veteri narian or call your State Veteri narian’s Office. Or, check out: USDA, APHIS Veterinary Serv ices www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ scrapie; and/or: National institute for Animal Agriculture www.animalagriculture.org/ scrapie. Established in 1977, the Ameri can Livestock Breeds Conservan cy (ALBC) is a national, non-prof it, membership organization based in Pittsboro, North Carolina, ded icated to the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds of livestock and poultry. Member ship is $3O per year. To become a member, for in formation about breed conserva tion, or to contribute to ALBC’s efforts, contact: PO Box 477, Pit tsboro, NC 27312; (919) 542-5704 or on the web at www.albc-us a.org. Penn State Offers A Website To Guide Beef Producers UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Beef producers can con sult a new interactive Website de veloped by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences for help in scheduling routine manage ment activities for their herds, guidance in keeping thorough re cords, timely business tips, and information about beef-related events. Progressive beef producers will find the Website beefcalen dar.cas.psu.edu a vital tool for their businesses. The calendar is a joint effort of Penn State, Purdue University, and the University of Kentucky, developed from a print-version management calendar that is pro duced annually by the University of Kentucky. State advisory com mittees worked under the direc tion of a state coordinator to de velop the calendar components appropriate for each specific loca tion. Penn State beef specialist John Comerford served as coordi nator for Pennsylvania. By asking producers a series of questions about desired calving dates, breeding methods, and Redding Testifies Before House Ag Subcommittee HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) At the request of Congressman Tim Holden, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Deputy Secretary for Ad ministration, Russell Redding tes tified before the U.S. House Sub committee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Manage ment in Washington, D.C. on the importance of specialty crop in surance. “This is an excellent opportuni ty for the Department to advocate for change in federal crop insur ance programs to reflect the di versity of Pennsylvania agricul ture,” said Redding. “With more growers producing crops for local and metropolitan markets, spe cialty crop insurance is rising in importance yet most remain un insurable.” In the Agriculture Risk Protec tion Act (ARPA) of 2000, Penn- THE GRAIN OF OUR ECONOMY? Lancaster Farming's Boarder & Trainer has another fantastic section scheduled Aug. 9. The summer B&T is scheduled to include a feature on Percheron horses, an interview with two "horse dentists," pictorial coverage of a major horse show, and how one horse owner turned her experiences into an inspirational book. Also included: housing and fencing requirements for horses and a special column on draft horses, along with many other goodies, watch for it! Randall G. Renninger Certified Public Accountant Specializing in agriculture and construction industries “We help business people discover ways to cut costs, save taxes, and be more profitable” Call about our FREE seminars 535 W. Orange Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 (717)299-6480 ♦ Fax (717) 299-6390 weaning ages, the Website utilizes standard gestation periods to rec ommend a custom schedule for management of the beef herd. Producers also can use the cal endar to record personal dates, such as birthdates, anniversaires, etc. Another component of the cal endar is the inclusion of monthly tips to address seasonal manage ment activities, such as weed con trol, planting of small grain and forage crops, and animal health measures. Long term goals for future de velopment of the Website include the addition of performance and quality assurance records. The site also may grow to assist pro ducers in meeting the require ments of proposed Country-of- Origin Labeling legislation. In the future, the interactive beef calendar also may serve as a reminder to producers to record treatment records and provide a convenient site for future refer ence and analysis of herd per formance. sylvania was listed as one of IS states considered underserved by crop insurance. Since then, through federal cost share pro grams and the development of the AGR-Lite program, PDA has made great strides in improving the crop insurance options avail able to Pennsylvania farmers. As a result PDA’s efforts, Pennsylvania was one of four states asked to testify before Con gress. “Promoting improved farm level risk management has shown to be good public policy for the Pennsylvania Department of Ag riculture, and has added financial strength on thousands of Pennsyl vania farms. With repeated disas ters within the last several years, crop insurance has been the cor nerstone for the survival of Penn sylvania farms,” said Redding.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers