CAE prevention question

[Beaners]

I posted this on the last thread, but I didn't get an answer. I'm still curious as to what people think.

Out of curiosity...if you bottle feed one generation and then only breed from that generation, theoretically shouldn't you not need to bottle feed again?

If I completely ignore the whole testing issue, isn't the purpose of "prevention" to prevent? Why would you need to continue bottle feeding after that first generation if bottle feeding was preventing disease transmission? You would know that you were negative without bringing testing into it, wouldn't you?

Can anyone tell me what I'm missing here? It makes sense in my head, but that doesn't always mean too much!

Kayleigh

[ForMyACDs]

quick reply......

because there is always the POSSIBILITY that you didn't catch a doe that was early enough in the disease to test positive (i.e. a false negative) and it's SO easy to make a mistake once (not get the milk to temp, someone accidentally feeds milk out of the wrong container etc). It really only takes one slip-up.

Also, if you show there is ALWAYS the potential for contracting the disease.

Bed time for me.....

[KayJay]

Makes perfect sense to me.

[DocM]

Don't muddy the waters with logic. Someone will be sure to post how their goat spontaneously came down with CAE, even after bottle feeding and staying isolated on their farm. This board is ripe with "rare" evidence.

[ForMyACDs]

You are right.....there is no such thing as spontaneously contracting CAE.....it came from somewhere.

[Sarah J]

If you have a closed herd, and HAVE had a closed herd, that tested negative for seven or eight years in a row, then I would begin to relax my guard a bit. But even bringing in a buck for breeding (or taking your doe to them) can bring an outside problem in. CAE is preventable, but too many people don't try. Test. Test again. Retest yet again. At different times of the year. I've heard some say that sending a sample of colostrum is a better tester than a blood test?

I've never managed to get a clean herd. And the one doe last year who tested positive managed to kid 5 days early and about ten minutes before I got out (at 4am) to give her Luetelase - my attempt to be SURE I was there to catch the kids...nope. Missed the birth.

The point here is that you can't be too careful. Now, if you aren't selling any goats for anything but meat, and understand the problems that CAE can cause, and take full responsibility for the animals that you breed, then it's really up to you. I tell everyone who my CAE positive does are and that they should be tested before they get included with the rest of the herd, etc. I guess full disclosure is your best bet if you aren't testing (and even if you are). Better that people know what they're getting so there aren't questions and hard feelings later.

-Sarah