(a) Brucella ovis. All breeding rams six months of age and over must have had a negative ELISA test for Brucella ovis within 30 days prior to entry into Texas or be from a Brucella ovis free flock. Each ram shall be individually identified with an individual eartag or registration tattoo. This number along with the test results and name of the approved laboratory and date of test shall be entered on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection accompanying the animal(s).
(b) Scrapie.
(1) Animals to be identified by official eartag.
(A) All breeding or exhibition animals shall have official premises, or approved USDA, eartag in place and recorded, except: Registered goats with a registration tattoo and accompanied by registration papers
(B) All animals in slaughter channels shall have official premises, or approved USDA, eartag in place, except:
(i) Sheep under 18 months of age
(ii) Goats that have not commingled with sheep
(2) Animals originating from scrapie-affected flocks, scrapie-positive, suspect, exposed, and/or high risk animals, or sheep originating from Inconsistent States, may be granted entry into Texas on a case-by-case basis only after permission of the Executive Director of TAHC or the Designated Scrapie Epidemiologist.
(3) Animals originating from Inconsistent States (without an active scrapie surveillance and control program) may enter the State of Texas only if:
(A) Obtain an entry permit,
(B) Consigned directly to a terminal feedlot,
(C) Consigned directly to slaughter.
(4) All blackface ovine females and all blackface crossbred females, except hair sheep, imported into the State of Texas for breeding purposes shall originate from a Scrapie Certified Free Flock or have documentation supporting that the animals are of the genotype RR at codon 171 or AA at codon 136 and QR at codon 171.
(5) Certificate of Veterinary Inspection: Information on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection shall include:
(A) Complete information on the consignor, consignee, and flock of origin, including the origination and destination addresses.
(B) Date of inspection
(C) Number of animals in the consignment and description of the animals (breed, gender, and other distinguishing characteristics).
(D) Premise eartag identification number or official USDA eartag number, or (if goats accompanied by registration papers) registration tattoo).
(i) Animals for Breeding Purposes or Exhibition--All premises identification numbers (or) official USDA eartag numbers, or registration tattoos (in the accompaniment of registration papers) shall be recorded.
(ii) Animals in Slaughter Channels--identification must be present on the animals but the numbers do not need to be recorded.
(E) Statement of the purpose for transporting the animals (for exhibition, breeding purposes, or slaughter)
(F) A statement by the accredited veterinarian issuing the Certificate that the animals are not exhibiting clinical signs associated with any infectious disease, including scrapie, at the time of examination.
(G) A statement by the accredited veterinarian issuing the Certificate indicating if the animal(s) are not from a scrapie affected, high risk, source, or exposed flock.
Source Note: The provisions of this §51.12 adopted to be effective June 3, 2002, 27 TexReg 5182; amended to be effective March 16, 2005, 30 TexReg 1439; amended to be effective March 4, 2007, 32 TexReg 753