5.4 Sheep and goats - inspection.canada.ca

Sheep and goats for immediate slaughter

Veterinarians authorized to certify sheep and goat to the U.S. may certify both slaughter and non-slaughter categories.

Health certification

The export certificate HA2185 Export Sheep and Goats for Slaughter from Canada to the United States of America must be used.

The Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) slaughtering establishment must have prior approval by Veterinary Services (VS) in accordance with the United States Department Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (USDA APHIS) VS Guidance Document "Importation of Restricted Animals from Canada and Mexico for Immediate Slaughter" (see the USDA Immediate Slaughter Facility Approved List).

Sheep and goats for export were born in the United States (U.S.) or Canada and have been in no other region, or were legally imported from a Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)-free region and have been unconditionally authorized to move freely in Canada for at least 60 days prior to exportation.

Sheep and goats for export must have been kept in Canada or the U.S. during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of shipment to the U.S. and, during those 60 days, Canada must have been free from Foot-and-Mouth Disease, rinderpest, and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.

The animals for export must not be in quarantine in Canada.

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) in sheep and goats are compulsorily notifiable to the national veterinary authority of Canada.

An effective classical scrapie awareness, surveillance, monitoring and control system is in place.

TSE-affected sheep and goats are killed and completely destroyed.

The sheep and goats selected for export showed no clinical signs of scrapie on the day of shipment and are fit for travel.

Sheep and goats must have been subject to a ruminant feed ban equivalent to the requirements established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Sheep and goats for export have been inspected and found to be free from any evidence of communicable disease and, as far as it can be determined, have not been exposed to any such disease during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of shipment.

The sheep and goats must not have tested positive or be a suspect for a TSE.

The movement of the sheep and goats must not have been restricted within Canada as a result of exposure to a TSE.

No tests are required for sheep and goats for immediate slaughter.

Certification procedure

Within the 30 days before the planned export date, an accredited veterinarian must inspect each individual animal presented for export.

For sheep, the official ear tag is a tag approved by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) (or a tag deemed equivalent) under the Livestock Identification and Traceability ((TRACE) Program.

these tags follow the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11784 standard format with 15 digits, and may be electronic or non-electronic
the first 6 digits (124000) are not always printed on sheep tags

For goats, the official ear tag is a tag pre-approved by CFIA under the Livestock Identification and Traceability (TRACE) Program.

these tags follow the ISO 11784 standard format with 15 digits, and may be electronic or non-electronic
the first 6 digits (124000) are not always printed on goat tags
while this species is not yet regulated under the federal traceability regulations (Health of Animals Regulations part VX), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regulations require imported goats from Canada to be officially identified with a unique individual identification traceable to the premises of origin
goats may only be certified if the accredited veterinarian knows the birth premises of each animal being shipped
- while the birth premises do not have to be included on the export certificate, the veterinarian must keep a permanent record of the premises in case of inquiry by the USDA or audit

All tags must be clean and readable. All numbers that appear on the ear tag must be recorded on the export certificate.

Note: while it is not a USDA requirement that the ear tag numbers be listed in ascending numerical order on the certificate, accredited veterinarians are encouraged to complete certificates in this manner. This practice will facilitate inspection at the U.S. port of entry and minimize delays.

How to complete the Canadian health certificate (HA2185)

The accredited veterinarian must use the most recent version of the HA2185 export certificate.

In the column "Age (Months) (Estimated)" the actual age or an estimated age in months is indicated.

The accredited veterinarian must complete the export health certificate by entering all the necessary information with the exception of the number of animals in the shipment.

The "Reference number" is assigned by the CFIA district office.

The completed and signed health certificate will be submitted to a CFIA veterinary inspector for review and if all requirements are met, it will be endorsed.

any incomplete export certificates will be returned to the accredited veterinarian for completion
a fee is charged for CFIA endorsement
the health certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of inspection

The accredited veterinarian or their technician must record the number of animals in the shipment in the appropriate sections on the endorsed original health certificate, and initial the appropriate section.

it is not necessary to repeat this information on the copies of the certificate, but veterinarians must record it on the copy kept in their offices

During loading, if animals must be removed from the shipment after the health certificate has been endorsed by the CFIA veterinary inspector, accredited veterinarians should not cross out any of these animals that are listed on the health certificate.

exporter's may provide their own documentation and rational for animals listed on the health certificate, but not included in the shipment

The routing of the shipment must be based on information provided by the exporter and must include the names of the main highways to be followed in Canada and the U.S. and the name of the location where the animals were loaded in Canada.

An official Canadian health certificate (HA2185) endorsed by a CFIA veterinary inspector and 2 copies of the certificate must accompany each export shipment.

Note: each truckload constitutes 1 shipment; therefore, a separate original health certificate must be issued for each vehicle.

Additional requirements

Importers are advised that individual states may have added import requirements.

It is the importer's responsibility to verify these conditions and to meet them.

The importer should contact the U.S. State veterinarian (State Regulations and Import Requirements) of the destination state to determine these regulations.

Inspections at U.S. ports of entry

The animals must be presented at the U.S. port of entry by appointment.

The shipment must be accompanied by U.S. Veterinary Services Form 17-29 (Declaration of Importation) and the official Canadian health certificate (HA2185).

Refer to section 5.1 Export to the U.S. – General for the list of land ports of entry designated as having the necessary inspection facilities for the entry of animals from Canada.

Although the list was provided by the USDA, it is the exporters' responsibility to present their animals to a U.S. port of entry that has the facilities required for the unloading and inspection of such animals.

Trucks will be sealed at the U.S. port of entry (POE) following inspection to their final destination.

References

Export certificate HA2185 is available from your district veterinarian.

Sheep and goats for feeding

Health certification

The feedlot of destination must have prior approval from U.S. Veterinary Services to receive feeder sheep and goats from Canada.

Sheep and goats imported for feeding must be accompanied by an import permit obtained in advance from the following:

Live Animal Import Permits
USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services
National Import Export Services
4700 River Road, Unit 39
Riverdale, Maryland 20737

The permit is valid for 14 days from the date specified on the application as the "proposed arrival date."

Post entry requirements listed on the import permit are the responsibility of the destination feed lot.

The HA2186 Export Sheep or Goats for Feeding from Canada to the United States of America export certificate and the "Agent or Owner's and/or Exporter's Declaration" must be used.

Sheep and goats for export were born in the United States (U.S.) or Canada and have been in no other region, or were legally imported from a BSE-free region and have been unconditionally authorized to move freely in Canada for at least 60 days prior to exportation (or 90 days if originating from a region not recognized as free of foot and mouth disease by the USDA APHIS).The animals for export must not be in quarantine in Canada.

Note: animals that were under movement controls or quarantine for investigation purposes, where

the investigation has concluded:

with no confirmation of the disease of concern for all animals within the herd of origin (that is, all test results have been validated and are negative, and
all restrictions have been lifted by the CFIA

are not considered to have been "under restriction/quarantine" and are eligible for export the day that the CFIA releases them.

The country^{Footnote 1}, region^{Footnote 1} or zone^{Footnote 1} of Canada from which the animals originate and are exported from, is officially free, in livestock, without vaccination, from the following contagious diseases:

foot-and-mouth disease
surra
contagious pleuropneumonia

With regard to Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) (that is,

scrapie):

TSEs in sheep and goats are compulsorily notifiable to the national veterinary authority of Canada
an effective classical scrapie awareness, surveillance, monitoring, and control system is in place
TSE-affected sheep and goats are killed and completely destroyed
the sheep and goats selected for export showed no clinical signs of scrapie or other infectious disease on the day of shipment and are fit for travel
the sheep and goats have not tested positive for, and are not suspect for, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
the animals' movement is not restricted within Canada due to animal health reasons
the date determined by APHIS a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban was effectively enforced for the whole country was March 1, 1999

Female sheep and goats for export must not be known to be or appear visibly pregnant and have not been exposed to a sexually intact male over 5 months of age within the past 5 months prior to export.

For mixed shipments containing uncastrated male animals and female animals, uncastrated males must be physically separated from females within the conveyance.

segregation feasibility of the transport is to be verified by the accredited veterinarian or the technician at the time of the inspection
a report to CFIA of the results of that inspection of the transport and summary of the transport segregation plan, direct from the accredited veterinarian (AV) should accompany the certificate endorsement request
- an email document, directly from the AV on clinic letterhead, is acceptable

The sheep and goats must have been subject to a ruminant feed ban equivalent to the requirements established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (effective date March 1, 1999).

Sheep and goats for export must have been inspected within 30 days of the export along with their flock of residence and found to be free from any evidence of communicable disease

As far as it can be determined, must not have been exposed to any such disease during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of shipment.

The animals for export have continually resided since birth in a brucellosis and tuberculosis free province or territory or in a brucellosis and tuberculosis free herd.

No tests are required for sheep and goats exported to the U.S. for feeding.

Certification procedure

Within the 30 days before the planned export date, an accredited veterinarian must inspect each animal presented for export at its flock of residence.

if the animals have been present at the current flock of residence for less than 60 days, indicate the previous flock on the HA2186 under "Farm of Origin".

For sheep and goats, the official ear tag is a tag approved or pre-approved (in the case of goats) by CFIA (or a tag deemed equivalent) under the Livestock Identification and Traceability (TRACE) Program.

these tags follow the ISO 11784 standard format with 15 digits, and may be electronic or non-electronic
the first 6 digits (124000) are not always printed on sheep tags

All tags must be clean and readable. All numbers that appear on the ear tag must be recorded on the export certificate.

Any secondary ID (such as unapproved dangle tags) should also be recorded by the AV within their records so that if a question arises in the U.S., there is additional ways to verify the animal met the export requirements.

Note: while it is not a USDA requirement that the ear tag numbers be listed in ascending numerical order on the certificate, accredited veterinarians are encouraged to complete certificates in this manner to facilitate inspection at the U.S. port of entry and minimize delays.

In addition to the above official tag requirements, the sheep and goats must also meet 1 of the following (strike out and initial on the certificate as appropriate):

a "CAN" tattoo applied to the left ear or tail webbing, or a "C" brand on the animal's right hip. Either mark must be legible on the live animal and in the case of a brand, the mark must be no less than 1 inch (25 mm) and not more than 1 ¼ inch (32mm) in size.
the destination feedlot in the US has been approved by APHIS to accept animals that have not been tattooed or branded as above

Other means of permanent identification as required in article 22.6 of the HA 2186 may be used if requested in writing and approved before export by the National Import / Export Services of the USDA.

How to complete the Canadian health certificate (HA2186)

The accredited veterinarian must use the most recent version of the HA2186 export certificate.

In the column "Age (YYYY-MM-DD)," enter the actual birth date in the indicated format.

The accredited veterinarian must complete the export health certificate by entering all the necessary information with the exception of the number of animals in the shipment and the seal numbers.

the "Reference number" is assigned by the CFIA district office.
the completed and signed health certificate and owner/exporter's declaration will be submitted to a CFIA veterinary inspector to review and, if all requirements are met, it will be endorsed
- any incomplete export certificates will be returned to the accredited veterinarian for completion
a fee is charged for CFIA endorsement
the health certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of inspection

The accredited veterinarian must, on the day of export, return to the farm to inspect the animals loaded (as per article 22.3.4 of the HA2186) and to apply CFIA seals to the transporting vehicles, after verifying that only the animals listed on the export certificate are included in the shipment.

CFIA seals may be applied by a designated technician
a CFIA seal must be applied to every door on the trailer

The accredited veterinarian or their designated technician must record the number of animals in the shipment and the CFIA seal numbers in the appropriate sections on the endorsed original health certificate, and initial the appropriate section.

it is not necessary to repeat this information on the copies of the certificate, but veterinarians must record it on the copy kept in their offices

in such cases the accredited veterinarian or their technician must provide 2 copies of an Addendum: 1 copy to accompany the shipment, and 1 to be included in the accredited veterinarian's file
sample copies of an addendum are available in the district offices
- this is not a CFIA document and does not bear the CFIA logo or endorsement stamp
- it may be used as is or printed on the veterinary clinic's letterhead
- the addendum must include a description of the animals that were not loaded and their official or approved tag identification numbers

If the seals are broken or missing, or if they do not match the seal numbers recorded on the health certificate, the shipment will be refused entry into the U.S.

The official Canadian health certificate (HA2186) endorsed by a CFIA veterinary inspector and 2 copies of the certificate must accompany each export shipment.

A separate health certificate must be issued for each vehicle.

Before arrival at the U.S. border, the seals cannot be broken by anyone other than a CFIA inspector or a person under the inspector's supervision.

if the exporter asks to transfer animals from 1 truck to another after leaving the farm of origin, the transfer must be performed under the direct supervision of a CFIA inspector
the CFIA inspector will issue an official letter to confirm the change in the seal numbers
the CFIA will charge a fee for this service

Use and control of CFIA seals

The export of sheep and goats to the U.S. must be done in vehicles that are sealed at the location from which the animals are being shipped.

seals must be applied by the accredited veterinarian who signs the certificate or by a technician designated by the accredited veterinarian.

to perform this function, accredited veterinarians or their technicians must be designated under the Health of Animals Act to affix seals
- contact the CFIA district veterinarian to obtain this designation
accredited veterinarians will provide the CFIA district veterinarian with the names of any technicians able to perform the duties of sealing vehicles for the shipment of sheep and goats to the U.S.
- this list must be updated as soon as changes in staff are made

The CFIA's Animal Health district office will provide seals for the vehicles.

Seals may be allocated to an accredited veterinarian or to a veterinary clinic when more than 1 accredited veterinarian is employed by the same clinic.

The district office will keep records containing the seal numbers and the names of the accredited veterinarians or veterinary clinics to which the seals were distributed.

Once seals are applied to all possible exits of a vehicle transporting livestock, accredited veterinarians or their designated technicians must record the numbers on the official export certificate in the appropriate section and initial the appropriate section.

Accredited veterinarians must keep records of the seals that are used.

Seal numbers must be matched with export certificate numbers.

These records must be kept for a minimum of 3 years.

Accredited veterinarians must submit, upon request, a list of the seals used and the corresponding export certificate numbers to the CFIA's Animal Health district office.

A document containing the following information can be sent by facsimile, electronic mail or regular mail.

name of accredited veterinarian or technician
seals numbers
export certificate number
date of application of seals
truck or trailer license plate number

Inspections at U.S. ports of entry

The animals must be presented at the U.S. port of entry by appointment.

The shipment must be accompanied by U.S. Veterinary Services Form 17-29 (Declaration of Importation) and the official Canadian health certificate (HA2186).

Animals will not be routinely off loaded for individual inspection at the POE. However, POE officials may, at their discretion, request off loading when there are welfare concerns or other circumstances that warrant such inspection. Otherwise, full entry inspection and breaking of seals will be conducted by USDA APHIS officials at the destination feedlot.

Refer to module 5.1 Export to the U.S. – General for the list of land ports of entry designated as having the necessary inspection facilities for the entry of animals from Canada.

although the list was provided by the USDA, it is the exporters' responsibility to present their animals to a U.S. port of entry that has the facilities required for the unloading and inspection of such animals if necessary.

References

Export certificate HA2186 and the Agent or Owner and/or Exporter's Declaration are available from your district veterinarian. They may also provide you with a sample of the Addendum for Animals Not Included in the Shipment, which can be printed on your official letterhead.

Sheep and goats for breeding or production

Health certification

The HA1944 Export Sheep or Goats for Breeding or Production from Canada to the United States of America Export Certificate must be used.

Sheep and goats for breeding or production must be accompanied by an import permit obtained in advance by the importer from the following:

Live Animal Import Permits
USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services
National Import Export Services
4700 River Road, Unit 39
Riverdale, Maryland 20737

When applying for an import permit, the following information must be provided:

the flock identification number of the destination flock/premises
the premises identification number of the destination flock/premises as listed in the Scrapie National Database
supporting documentation for genotype analysis of animals to be imported
owner's Declaration for export of sheep to the United States based on genotyping for scrapie resistance (available from your local CFIA district office)

The permit is valid for 14 days from the date specified on the application as the "proposed arrival date."

The animals were born in the United States or Canada or were legally imported into Canada and have been under no movement restrictions within Canada or the United States for at least 60 days prior to importation into the United States.

Canada is free of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), rinderpest, surra and contagious pleuropneumonia.

With regards to scrapie the following conditions must be fulfilled:

classical scrapie is compulsorily notifiable
an awareness, surveillance and monitoring system for classical scrapie is in place
ovine and caprine animals affected with classical scrapie are killed and completely destroyed
the animals were born after March 1,1999 which is the date determined by APHIS a ruminant to ruminant feed ban was effectively enforced in the whole country

With regards to flock or animal eligibility, 1 of the following conditions must be met:

the flock of origin of the exported sheep or goats is enrolled in a Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification Program approved by the CFIA and has achieved Certified Plus level

or
the exported male sheep were genotyped by a USDA or CFIA approved laboratory and were confirmed to have the genotype 136AA/171RR or 136AA/171QR (sheep only)

or
following an APHIS case by case evaluation, the exported female sheep were found to be of genotype 136AA/171RR or male sheep were genotype 136AA/171KR or 136AA/171HR (sheep only)

Note: information on the performance of genotype testing can be found in module 3.5 of this manual.

Note: within 30 days after entry into the U.S., the U.S. importer must make arrangement to collect and submit the samples to National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) or another laboratory designated by NVSL to verify genotype.

If a female is implanted with an embryo, it is indicated in the description section on the identification of animals attachment and the embryo has been certified by the CFIA as meeting United States import conditions for embryos.

The female sheep or goats listed on this health certificate are of breeding age (other than female lambs or kids accompanied by their mothers) and have been exposed and potentially mated to a breeding age male prior to export.

Female sheep genotyped 136AA/171RR have only been exposed to rams originating from a tuberculosis and brucellosis free province or territory or a tuberculosis and brucellosis free herd and have never resided in a flock that has had a confirmed case of classical scrapie during their residency. (strike out and initial section number6 of HA1944 health certificate if it does not apply)

Sheep or goats have not been exposed to contagious or infectious disease and have not commingled with sheep or goats of a lower health status or resided on the premises of a flock or herd of lower health status during the 60 days prior to export, and the exporter has been directed to maintain this status during transport to the United States.

Sheep have continually resided since birth in a brucellosis and tuberculosis free province or territory or in a brucellosis and tuberculosis free herd.

Goats have tested negative within 30 days of export to a brucellosis test (Fluorescence Polarizing Assay (FPA), Complement Fixation (CF), Indirect-Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (I-ELISA) or Buffered Plate Agglutination Test (BPAT)) at a CFIA approved laboratory.

Goats have tested negative within 30 days of export to a caudal fold tuberculin test using Mycobacterium.bovis Purified Protein Derivative.

Certification procedure

Within the 30 days before the planned export date, an accredited veterinarian must inspect each animal presented for export.

For sheep, the official ear tag is a tag approved by CFIA (or a tag deemed equivalent) under the Livestock Identification and Traceability (TRACE) Program.

these tags follow the ISO 11784 standard format with 15 digits, and may be electronic or non-electronic
The first 6 digits (124000) are not always printed on sheep tags.

For goats, the official ear tag is a tag pre-approved by CFIA under the Livestock Identification and Traceability (TRACE) Program.

these tags follow the ISO 11784 standard format with 15 digits, and may be electronic or non-electronic
the first 6 digits (124000) are not always printed on goat tags
while this species is not yet regulated under the federal traceability regulations (Health of Animals Regulations part XV), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regulations require imported goats from Canada to be officially identified with a unique individual identification traceable to the premises of origin
goats may only be certified if the accredited veterinarian knows the birth premises of each animal being shipped
While the birth premises do not have to be included on the export certificate, the veterinarian must keep a permanent record of the premises in case of inquiry by the USDA or audit.

All tags must be clean and readable. All numbers that appear on the ear tag must be recorded on the export certificate.

Note: while it is not a USDA requirement that the ear tag numbers be listed in ascending numerical order on the certificate, accredited veterinarians are encouraged to complete certificates in this manner to facilitate inspection at the U.S. port of entry and minimize delays.

In addition to the above official tag requirements, each animal is also identified with either a "C" brand or a "CAN" tattoo in the left ear or tail web.

the brand must be not less than 1 inch high and can be applied to any haired area on the animal that can be readily observed
improperly applied brands or hair brands or anything that does not result in a permanent mark is not acceptable
there is no minimum size requirement for tattoos, but they must be clearly legible once applied

Other means of permanent identification as required above may be used if requested in writing and approved before export by the National Import Export / Services of the USDA.

How to complete the Canadian health certificate (HA1944)

The accredited veterinarian must use the most recent version of the HA1944 export certificate.

In the column "Age (Months)(Estimated)," the actual age or an estimated age in months is indicated.

The accredited veterinarian must complete the export health certificate by entering all the necessary information with the exception of the number of animals in the shipment.

The "Reference number" is assigned by the CFIA district office.

The completed and signed health certificate will be submitted to a CFIA veterinary inspector to review and, if all requirements are met, it will be endorsed.

any incomplete export certificates will be returned to the accredited veterinarian for completion
a fee is charged for CFIA endorsement
the health certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of inspection

The accredited veterinarian or their technician must record the number of animals in the shipment the appropriate sections on the endorsed original health certificate, and initial the appropriate section.

it is not necessary to repeat this information on the copies of the certificate, but veterinarians must record it on the copy kept in their offices

The conveyance used to transport the animals must be cleaned and disinfected prior to loading the animals using a product and method effective against prions.

refer to module 7.5 appendix E for suitable methods.
alternatively, if such disinfection cannot be achieved (for example, during cold temperatures) the use of a conveyance that has never been used to transport sheep or goats could be considered if this can be determined to the satisfaction of the accredited veterinarian

exporter's may provide their own documentation and rational for animals listed on the health certificate, but not included in the shipment

The official Canadian health certificate (HA1944) endorsed by a CFIA veterinary inspector and 2 copies of the certificate must accompany each export shipment.

Note: each truckload constitutes 1 shipment; therefore, a separate original health certificate must be issued for each vehicle.

Inspections at U.S. ports of entry

The animals must be presented at the U.S. port of entry by appointment.

The shipment must be accompanied by U.S. Veterinary Services Form 17-29 (Declaration of Importation) and the official Canadian health certificate (HA1944).

Animals will not be routinely off loaded for individual inspection at the ports of entry (POE). However, POE officials may, at their discretion, request off loading when there are welfare concerns or other circumstances that warrant such inspection.

Refer to module 5.1 Export to the U.S. – General for the list of land ports of entry designated as having the necessary inspection facilities for the entry of animals from Canada.

although the list was provided by the USDA, it is the exporters' responsibility to present their animals to a U.S. port of entry that has the facilities required for the unloading and inspection of such animals

If exported by land, the USDA port veterinarian must be contacted at least 10 business days prior to planned arrival.

the port veterinarian will request information to determine whether an on-vehicle inspection of the animals is feasible, or if a destination inspection will need to be arranged

Additional requirements

Exporters are advised that individual states may have added import requirements.

it is the importer's responsibility to verify these conditions and to meet them
the importer should contact the U.S. State veterinarian (State Regulations and Import Requirements) of the destination state to determine these regulations

References

Export certificate HA1944 and Owner's Declaration for export of sheep to the United States based on genotyping for scrapie resistance are available from your district veterinarian.