Cost of testing?

Pony · #21 08/02/14, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosted Mini's

Just so ya know, you draw from the jugular vein, not the carotid artery. Technically, it is possible to stick the artery by accident, but it is very very unlikely. Unlike people, the carotid in goats is pretty deep I think, and the jugular is very superficial.

Even if you were to poke an artery with a blood drawing needle, it shoudln't make the animal bleed out...it's just a small hole after all. You can also tell arterial blood from venous blood pretty well, it is bright red. If you hit the artery, you would just want to put good pressure on it for awhile and all should be just fine, except perhaps a lil hematoma.

LOL! Thanks, I was going to say something, too.

The only way I would hit an artery is if I wasn't trying to.

**mygoat** · #22 08/02/14, 08:13 PM

I have hit and drawn from an artery before. Not a big deal.

It bleeds a wee bit, just put pressure on. Arteries and veins are REALLY good at sealing up leaks, so a poke isn't a big deal.

Frosted Mini's · #23 08/03/14, 02:20 PM

I hit artery only once in my vet tech days...and it was in school on a horse. The prof was like, oh, teaching moment! LOL. Same day I hit blood on another horse going to give an IM injection! Bad luck that day I guess!

Squeaky McMurdo · #24 08/03/14, 06:36 PM

I have a testing question.

I'm getting ready to draw blood and send it out. I thought I read here to disregard the instructions to label the box "Exempt animal specimen" because it will just cause USPS to take longer to deliver it. Should I or should I not label the box?

**mygoat** · #25 08/03/14, 07:28 PM

I do not tell them anything or write anything on the box. I suppose if something bad happened I'd get a big ole fine, but its either that or they ship it ground and it takes 2+ weeks to get there. :/ Just package it so if it does leak, it gets soaked up (I roll tubes in paper towel). I baggie them up too, twice, just to prevent leaks. (post office freaks if a box starts leaking because they have NO idea what it is).

Pony · #26 08/03/14, 09:14 PM

I always mark it, and it's never taken more than a couple of days to get there.

**mygoat** · #27 08/03/14, 09:58 PM

The one time I did, It took 2 weeks. Several years ago, though. All it takes is an uninformed person to mark it 'ground' and from then on it's slower than molasses. Maybe I'll try it next time. Worst that happens, is I redraw. Not the end of the world I guess. Have to pay for shipping again though. :/

Pony · #28 08/04/14, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

The one time I did, It took 2 weeks. Several years ago, though. All it takes is an uninformed person to mark it 'ground' and from then on it's slower than molasses. Maybe I'll try it next time. Worst that happens, is I redraw. Not the end of the world I guess. Have to pay for shipping again though. :/

I hear ya: Once burned, twice shy. And paying shipping twice is teh suxorz.

Backfourty,MI. · #29 08/04/14, 09:56 PM

I don't mark my box special either. Seems like someone here told me the same thing Squeaky.
I always pack it good, ice packs & send it 2 day shipping. So far no problems.

#30 09/17/14, 12:45 PM

Bumping thread for those looking into the current cost of testing and options.

fffarmergirl · #31 09/19/14, 11:12 AM

oops delete me!

fffarmergirl · #32 09/19/14, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V-NH

Testing is such an interesting phenomenon here on Homesteading Today. I am very interested in learning how to do it myself so that it becomes cost effective to do so. The local large animal vet here charges over $50/goat and I would have to go through the trouble of loading five big goats into the back of my pickup and driving a half hour. Just too much trouble because my goats really hate being picked up. It's really impressive how people around here are so meticulous about it though, that is some really great attention paid to care. I've only met five or six "goat farmers" in person since getting goats and none of them tested for anything because they said it was just too much work and too much money. We've got a different breed of homesteader here on HT, true champions of proper herd maintenance.

I always say to myself that I will get around to learning the ropes and testing mine soon, but something always comes up. I'll say it again now, but human baby is set to arrive in six weeks so I probably won't get around to it

I'm sure this is how about 95% of goat owners feel. I imagine a lot of people who are truly worried about diseases just don't get goats or consume goat milk because they can't find goats that have been tested.

I haven't met anybody in person who tests. I'm wondering if this will help me to sell my dairy does and milk shares more easily, once I get them tested, because I will be the only one in our area to be able to advertise that my goats are tested and offer to let people come and see my barn and milk room and watch me milk. I'm thinking I'll tell people these are the goats we use to feed our infant grandchildren.

I don't know if this will help get customers or not - any thoughts?

**mygoat** · #33 09/19/14, 11:25 AM

I don't know if it'll help you get customers or not. I am unfamiliar with a situation where nobody tests goats. Seems like every breeder I meet has some sort of testing protocol in dairy goats at least - even meat breed testing is becoming more and more common. I know around here, not having tested goats is a quick way to loose customers for kid buyers at least. I know our milk share customers appreciate that we test for Johnes.

fffarmergirl · #34 09/22/14, 04:09 PM

mygoat, where in Michigan are you?

**mygoat** · #35 09/22/14, 05:58 PM

The farm is in Brooklyn, MI. I am mostly in Lansing because I attend MSU vet school. :P

fffarmergirl · #36 09/22/14, 06:18 PM

I checked out your web site. If my goats come back positive for any diseases and I need to start over, maybe I'll have to come see you when you have doelings