Goat Identification Used by Registries
 

The following is some information compiled from the various registries involved with goats.

AAGBA
American Angora Goat Breeders' Association
PO Box 195
Rocksprings TX 78880
830-683-4483

ABGA
The American Boer Goat Association:
All goats presented for registration must be permanently identified by tattooing before application for registration is made. A breeder must not use the same permanent markings on more than one animal during a 20-year period. [The animal is of imported origin (foreign breeder) and the breeder does not have a recognized ABGA herd prefix, the first owner will use his/her herd prefix for tattooing instead of the breeders. Otherwise, the breeders herd prefix will be placed in the Right Ear and the year letter and breeder assigned number in the Left Ear. (For example the first 3 kids born in 1998 to breeder with herd prefix of XYZ should be tattooed as follows: Right ear XYZ Left ear KI: Right ear XYZ Left ear K2: Right ear XYZ Left ear K3.) Year letters are assigned as follows:

ADGA
The American Dairy Goat Association uses unique tattoos and also allows microchips as a supplementary form of ID:
The Board of Directors passed a ruling at their 1970 meeting that all animals must be tattooed before they can be accepted for registry or recordation in the herd books of the Association. All goats must be tattooed in the ears or tail web. If a goat is unable to be tattooed in the ear or tail web, the goat may be tattooed inside the flank. This shall be noted on the registration certificate. In 2003, the Board of Directors passed a ruling to be implemented 01/01/05 that allows electronic identification as supplementary to tattooing as a permanent means of identification of dairy goats.

ADGA has an "exclusive use" policy for assigned tattoo sequences. Assigned tattoo sequences are protected, with their use restricted to the membership they are assigned to or those memberships, which are duly authorized to use that assigned tattoo sequence. Effective June 1, 2002, members are required to use the sequence assigned to their membership number. They may not use a sequence assigned to someone else. There is an exception, however, for those tattoo sequences which were "grandfathered in" before adoption of the exclusive use policy. If a membership (with a grandfathered tattoo) has not been renewed by September 1 (as stipulated in Article 1 Section B of the Bylaws) the tattoo assignment is forfeited. In the case of tattoo sequences not "grandfathered in," failure to reclaim the sequence within three years will release the sequence for another member to reserve on a first-come basis.

The sequence of the letters "USA," "ADGA," "CULL," "MEAT," and "NONE" will not be assigned and shall not be used. Any combination of these sequences with a prefix or suffix shall not be used. Those sequences currently in use shall not be reissued once the current member has not renewed their membership. When filling out applications for registry, please state on the application the tattoo exactly as it appears on the animal. Do not show tattoo information on the application that has not actually been tattooed on the animal.

Tattooing is intended primarily for identifying animals as individuals, not for indicating the breeding of a dairy goat, as the registered herd name does. Therefore, you must use your assigned herd-identifying tattoo letters on any animal born in your herd. It is strongly recommended that animals be tattooed BEFORE they are sold or purchased. The ADGA office will assign a set of unique tattoo letters to members, who do not request them, for their exclusive use. (There is no charge for this service.)

No animal shall be registered by ADGA with the same tattoo within a twenty year period. Alteration of a tattoo to assure uniqueness may be requested by ADGA before a registration number is assigned.

One method of individual identification recommended by ADGA is to use a letter to designate the year of birth together with a serial number to designate the order of birth.

("G," "I," "O," "Q," and "U" are not used.) For example, the first, second, and third kids born in 2002 should have as their tattoos "R1," "R2," and "R3." (Twins and triplets should bear different tattoo identifications.)

Tattoos are important not only for positive identification, but an animal must be tattooed in order for any records under the ADGA production and show programs to be official. Not only must the animal be tattooed, but the tattoo information must be a part of the official records at the ADGA office.

AKGA
The American Kiko Goat Association

All stock must be permanently identified prior to registration with the Kiko Goat Registry. Identification should be effected in the following manner:

Microchip

Insertion of a microchip in the body of the animal. The preferred sites for insertion are the tail or the head adjacent to the ear. The preferred microchips are those manufactured by AVID Corporation. After insertion the microchip should be scanned to ensure that it is reading correctly. Care should be taken in recording the microchip number against the tag number of the animal to ensure the integrity of the microchip identification. Microchips are the preferred method of identification.

Tattoo

An alternative to microchipping is the placement of tattoos in the ears of the animal. Tattoos may be any combination of letters and numbers providing that they provide a unique identifier for the animal.

The following are the tattoing requirements for those breeders who prefer to tattoo rather than insert a microchip.

If you are a member of the American Boer Goat Association or the International Boer Goat Association and have been allocated a breeder's herd prefix you should use that prefix and conform with the tattooing requirements of the ABGA or the IBGA. They are: 

• owner herd prefix tattoos should be placed in the right ear

• year letter and animal number should be placed in the left ear (1996 - H; 1997 - J; etc)

This is particularly important if you wish to register Kiko/Boer crosses on both the Boer registry and the Kiko registry.

If you have been assigned a herd name by the ABGA or the IBGA you may use that herd name in the registration of your Kiko goats.

If you have been assigned a herd prefix and a herd name by the American Kiko Goat Association you should use that prefix and herd name for all registrations.

If you have not been assigned an owner herd prefix by the ABGA or the IBGA or the AKGA, you may select your own herd prefix of three letters. You should, however, clearly indicate that it is not an allocated prefix by placing an asterix before and after the right ear tattoo on the Application for Registration form (for example*GLM*). Note that no asterixes are to be tattooed into the ear - siimply indicate the asterixes on the form.

You should avoid placing tattoos in a position where they may be damaged or obliterated by the subsequent insertion of an ear tag. Tattoos should be placed so that they read right way up when they are viewed from the front of the ear - that is, from the inside of the ear.

Note:

For an animal to be accepted for registration it must be EITHER microchipped OR tattooed. Tattooing is suggested as an alternative to microchipping, not in addition to it.

Brass tags

Brass or aluminum tags are the preferred form of tag identification. These have the animal's number stamped on them and are inserted in the ear of the animal in a manner which makes the removal of the tag extremely difficult. In management terms, however, brass tags can prove awkward to read on a day to day basis and so should be supplemented by the insertion of a plastic tag which visibly replicates the number stamped on the brass tag.

Plastic tags

Plastic tags should be inserted as an aid to management. Since they are easily removed or torn out of the animal's ear they should not be relied upon as a permanent means of animal identification. Plastic tags do, however, provide an effective form of identification of new born goats and should be inserted as soon as practicable after the animal's birth.

Ideal identification

EITHER microchip OR tattoo PLUS brass tag SUPPLEMENTED BY plastic tag.

Minimum identification

EITHER microchip OR tattoo PLUS EITHER brass tag OR plastic tag.

AGS
American Goat Society

Requires either assigned unique tattoo herd initials in the right ear and year letter and birth order number on left year or microchip.

IBGA
The International Boer Goat Association

IFGA
International Fainting Goat Association

IKGA
The International Kiko Goat Association

MGR
Myotonic Goat Registry

Personal Identification is optional except for shows. AT MGR sanctioned shows registrations and animal are required to have one of the following; scrapie tag, microchip, or tattoo. We ask on every breeder application for premise ID. At this point we have a little over 50% of our active breeders' Premise IDs in our database.

Anyone may view our database at www.myotonicgoatregistry.net  We are proud to be able to distinguish our goats from any other with our registrations that require color requirements and actual pictures of the goat being registered. Our database allows MGR to find any goat that has a tattoo, microchip or scrapie tag that is in our system in less than ten minutes.

NDGA
Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association

NPGA
National Pygmy Goat Association

The National Pygmy Goat Association is the official breed association of the Pygmy Goat Breed (Bylaws, Section 1.2). 

Herd names must be registered prior to registering goats (R&R, Para 4A).  When registering a herd name, a tattoo prefix must also be registered.  If none is specified on the Herd Name Registration form, one will be assigned by NPGA.  Tattoo prefixes are usually 1-4 characters, using letters and/or numbers or any combination of the two.   

The National Pygmy Goat Association recognizes both the tattoo and microchip systems of identifying goats.  Either one may be used.  All goats being registered will be assigned a “right tattoo” and a “left tattoo” by the owner/breeder completing the Application for Registration.  The “right tattoo” will be the prefix approved by NPGA.  The “left tattoo” will be a unique letter number configuration, as follows:

          The letter identifies the year that the goat was born:

                    A = 1989   E = 1993   K = 1997   P = 2001   V = 2005
                    B = 1990   F = 1994   L = 1998   R = 2002   W = 2006
                    C = 1991   H = 1995   M = 1999   S = 2003   X = 2007
                    D = 1992   J = 1996   N = 2000   T = 2004   Y = 2008
                    Z = 2009

          The letters “G”, “I”, “O”, “Q” and “U” are skipped.

          The number following the letter, beginning with 1 each year, identifies the order in which each goat was born on that farm that year.  For example, the left tattoo of W8 would signify the eighth goat born in 2006 on that farm. 

If the tattoo identification system is used by the breeder, the “right tattoo” goes into the right ear or right side of the tail web; the “left tattoo” goes into the left ear or left side of the tail web. 

A unique tattoo number shall be assigned to each registered goat.  That number shall not be duplicated within a 21-year period (R&R, Para 4B).  Use of the letters (signifying the year of birth) will start over in 2010.  This presupposes that no goat born in 1989 will still be alive at that point in time. 

The Application for Registration form contains a place for the owner/breeder to include a microchip number.  Certificates of Registration will contain the assigned right and left tattoo number, and the microchip number if used.   
Goats 6 months of age or older must have a legible tattoo and/or microchip prior to being shown (Show Rules, Para C4).  Prior to being shown, the Show Chair/Secretary will check that the tattoo and/or microchip on the original NPGA registration match those on the entry form (Show Rules, Para B1b(3)). 

USBGA
The U.S. Boer Goat Association

Information needed for above registries with no information listed.
Click Here To Submit Identification Information for a Goat Registry (Listed or Not Listed)