This agreement will allow for continued evaluation of suitable RFID tags for use in goats in accordance with the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) standards and regulations in 9 CRF 79.2. To date no tag manufactures have submitted retention data for RFID tags in goats. Providing retention data in goats will encourage the transition to RFID by the goat industry by allowing them to select tags that have data to support their suitability for goats. This six-month interval evaluation series will provide retention/readability/ information on RFID tags included in the field trial. It will also allow for producer feedback about what is needed to encourage them to use the tags.
Goals:
Estimate RFID device reliability and retention in goats with the rigor required for approval of the device as official identification for goats
Provide assurance to the goat industry that these tags are suitable for goats and speed the industry’s transition to RFID by providing a wider range of suitable official ID options for goats.
The producer input will assist USDA in designing approved tags that will actually be used by producers.
Anticipated Results:
RFID device reliability
RFID tag retention in different ear types
RFID tag retention in different farming and ranching scenarios
RFID tag reliability over time.
