You might contact the local Vet, ask questions about requirements for sheep in your State. The laws are written to keep herds/flocks safe, protect commercial production.
In Michigan where I live, ALL sheep sold or shown, are required to have Scapies tags to show point of origin at birth. Lots of backyard breeders are running under the laws, not tagging, which might get YOU the buyer, in trouble later when you want to eat a lamb or sell it on.
A friend of ours purchased sheep a number of years ago, to start a flock. Sheep were EXPENSIVE, from out of state, did everything right and were later found to HAVE SCAPIES!! The sheep were taken by the State Dept of Ag and destroyed. I think the owners got meat price back or nothing, not sure. It was a HUGE surprise to all involved and scared the willies out of Michigan Sheep Breeders!! Scapies WAYY too close to their flocks and money invested, so laws were enacted and are being enforced at public venues.
Just know that as a buyer, you ARE entitled to a Scapies ID tag in all your sheep ears for your protection, before you take sheep off the seller's premises. I would get any sheep tagged before picking them up, so you don't encounter difficulties later. Sellers lie, never produce the tags later. If they won't tag the sheep on their place, shop elsewhere, not worth future trouble. You will need to get tags for any lambs you produce later, to show they come from your farm. Tags were free with registering the farm as a producer, might cost now from Dept of Ag here because we are so broke.
In Michigan where I live, ALL sheep sold or shown, are required to have Scapies tags to show point of origin at birth. Lots of backyard breeders are running under the laws, not tagging, which might get YOU the buyer, in trouble later when you want to eat a lamb or sell it on.
A friend of ours purchased sheep a number of years ago, to start a flock. Sheep were EXPENSIVE, from out of state, did everything right and were later found to HAVE SCAPIES!! The sheep were taken by the State Dept of Ag and destroyed. I think the owners got meat price back or nothing, not sure. It was a HUGE surprise to all involved and scared the willies out of Michigan Sheep Breeders!! Scapies WAYY too close to their flocks and money invested, so laws were enacted and are being enforced at public venues.
Just know that as a buyer, you ARE entitled to a Scapies ID tag in all your sheep ears for your protection, before you take sheep off the seller's premises. I would get any sheep tagged before picking them up, so you don't encounter difficulties later. Sellers lie, never produce the tags later. If they won't tag the sheep on their place, shop elsewhere, not worth future trouble. You will need to get tags for any lambs you produce later, to show they come from your farm. Tags were free with registering the farm as a producer, might cost now from Dept of Ag here because we are so broke.
