What is the difference between the mandatory and the voluntary program?
The mandatory program requires official identification of sheep and goats that are being moved off their premises of origin over 18 months of age; no inspection required; ear tags are free (from USDA) to the producer; requires tamper-resistant identification; may use white or blue tags, microchips, or registered tattoos. The voluntary program officially identifies all sheep and goats over 1 year of age. After initial inspection and testing, the enrolled flock is inspected annually; SFCP-Enrolled herd owners must purchase their own approved identification; requires permanent, unique, tamper-evident identification; may use white or colored tags, microchips, or registered tattoos.
