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 micro
chipping 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
tattooing 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:
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.
Tattoos should be applied
using good quality paste which should be worked
thoroughly into the tattoo (an old toothbrush can be
useful in assisting good penetration of the paste or
ink). Tattoos should be positioned in the center in
an area free from cartilage. Three eighths inch
characters are suitable for the tattooing of goats.
Ensure that tattooing pliers are firmly clamped to
the ear to provide permanent identification.
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.
