Testing of Sheep Ear Tag ID Technology is in Progress

The USDA has recently initiated a grant program that offers electronic ID ear tags for sheep producers. This program is predominantly focused on sale barns located in Oregon. Peter Orwick, the Executive Director of the American Sheep Industry Association, points out that electronic ID tags are already being used for sheep and cattle. However, he mentions that the technology is not yet prepared for broad implementation in the sheep industry.

Orwick explains that the ID tags have been demonstrated in a video with a sale barn in Colorado to show that the current technology is insufficient for sheep to move at a rapid commercial pace. The industry has had mature sheep ID interstate requirements for over twenty years due to the scrapie program. Although the base for sheep ID is already established, the transition to the EID format from the traditional metal tags has not been successfully achieved. The cost factor also plays a significant role as investing $3-$4 per tag per sheep is considered economically unfeasible.