Nothing ever seems to work out...

**mygoat** · #1 12/23/07, 03:45 PM

So I posted last week about the two new does I plan on getting. I am all excited and whatnot, and we just put up the isolation pen for them. I called in late last week and got test results over the phone: all clear for CL/CAE.

However, when I opened the hard copy envelope today, it said that one of them was borderline for CL!!! GASP!

So, I'll be calling on on Wednesday to see if this is a typo or the real deal.

I think we'll be retesting the does in question.

I don't know what I'll do if I can't find any does before kidding season next year. I NEED does to kid around march/april because I'll have kids out of my CAE Positive does that need to be raised on prevention, and I can't use THEIR milk!

Not to mention my mini kid crop that starts to arrive in May.

*sigh* nothing is going right. My hens haven't layed in three months, my alpines have CAE, I can't find new quality dairy does.

Anybody else in MI/OH/IN have at least a pair of QUALITY diary does for sale? Ones that are due to freshen in March/April? I'd prefer show quality but right now I'm more anxious about milking ability. I've already tried emailing all the people through the MDGS, and several other online classifieds... This one lady is the only one willing to let me test stock before sale... Everyone else wasn't willing to work with me testing them for CL/CAE... And only two or so other herds maintained a negative tested herd... and wouldn't ya know it, they don't and would not have anything like what I needed available.

DQ · #2 12/23/07, 03:54 PM

you can use their milk after you pasteurize it can't you? wish I were closer. I would take your CAE does for the dead end meat market kids. maybe you can wait to do anything with the dams until after the kids are raised.

susanne · #3 12/23/07, 04:51 PM

donna you can get a lot of store bought cows milk to feed the kids for the amount you would need to get cae free, bred, show quality animals.

HazyDay · #4 12/23/07, 05:24 PM

Dona, why not go see a local dairy farmer and see if you can trade some work for some raw milk??? Maybe they may need some help in the summer with hay. Or even milking every now and then. Maybe this will help!

Man, I do hope it is a misprint! What a bad Eve of Christmas EVE!!

hoofinitnorth · #5 12/23/07, 06:46 PM

I feel your pain! It is tough these days to find healthy, high quality animals of good milking genetics that aren't in a herd with CAE, CL, etc. They are out there but goodness you have to know people to really get the good leads and then you have to fork out a ton of dough to make it happen! I'm sorry you're having such frustrations.

Have you tried joining some of the breed-specific chat groups (try Yahoo!)? After just a few weeks of reading you'll find out who's trustworthy and who's on the up and up. Then you can start inquiring about their stock for sale.

Wishing you good luck and a timely solution!

Tracy in Idaho · #6 12/23/07, 11:21 PM

Have you tried Cheryl Nestor in Ohio -- she has mostly Waiilatpu lines --

http://nestoracres.tripod.com/

Or there is Carrie Ringkvist in Michigan -- Also has Waiilatpu lines, along with some Pearl Valley.
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/granted-wishesmi/

Both of these gals have nice clean herds and a good rep.

Tracy

**mygoat** · #7 12/23/07, 11:47 PM

I have tried Carrie, no such luck. I do like her does very much, though...

I'll check out the OH site.

Thanks a ton, hope they aren't far from MI.

**mygoat** · #8 12/23/07, 11:51 PM

the OH site is 4 hrs 40 minutes away from me... 270 some miles.

hoofinitnorth · #9 12/23/07, 11:57 PM

Sounds like a road trip is in your future! lol

Would you consider shipping in a doe? You might have better luck that way???

Trey · #10 12/24/07, 07:28 AM

Has she had any abcesses in her herd? I always thought the only way to get a good test for cl was to test a sample from an abcess? Does she vaccinate for it? Because if that goat had ever been vaccinated she would have enough antibodies in her system to throw a borderline.

dosthouhavemilk · #11 12/24/07, 08:53 AM

I could kick myself...
How far as you from the MI/OH border?
Hollianne has been very diligent about keeping a clean healthy herd and is currently selling down to just a few milkers. She has show lines and some beautiful animals.

http://www.seaualait.com/

She even has two mature does for sale. One is a FF 2 year old, the other a 2nd Freshening 2 year old. They aren't cheap but they are good goats and I know how fanatic she is about testing keeping clean stock.
Plus she shows.
A wonderful woman to do business with.

susanne · #12 12/24/07, 09:07 AM

donna you also might want to contact holly buroker. she has one alpine doe for sale on her website. i know that holly has a clean herd, and a very nice person to deal with.
http://www.hoanbu.com/AlpineDryDoes.html

cowgirlracer · #13 12/24/07, 09:49 AM

Mygoat - make the drive - you will be glad you did. DH and I are driving ten hours each way this weekend to pick up two registered Nubian girls. The right stock and bloodlines are worth the drive. Until you get another couple of does, buy a pasteurizer - you will need one anyway to raise a CAE free herd.

My 2 cents,
Anne

Tracy in Idaho · #14 12/24/07, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

the OH site is 4 hrs 40 minutes away from me... 270 some miles.

LOL -- I just drove 1600 miles in two days to get a buck!

You'd be way ahead to make the trip to a good breeder.

Tracy

**mygoat** · #15 12/24/07, 11:42 AM

As for a pasteurizer, I'm going to look into turkey friers, lol.

seau a lait isn't that far, only an hour and a half away! I'm going to go ahead and email them.

troy n sarah tx · #16 12/24/07, 03:23 PM

If you need some dairy milk let me know. I grew up on a farm in Adrian and could probally find a dairy farm who could cut you a deal. Sorry about all of the problems. Hopefully things will start to look up.

Sarah

**mygoat** · #17 12/24/07, 05:22 PM

The Nestor Acres farm emailed me back. They don't CAE test any more and haven't in two years. She also states she would not destroy/cull a positive animal... so I think I'll pass on that herd.

**mygoat** · #18 12/24/07, 06:35 PM

Just wanted to add that I"m not dead set on alpines, just a quality dairy doe from a clean herd... Mostly I'm interested in Alpines, LaManchas, and Saanen/sables. Maybe nubians if they are from excellent production lines. Obers, Toggs, and ND don't appeal to me much. I don't really want grades or experimentals, either. But, I guess I can't be too choosy as it's mostly milk I'm concerned about right now.

Tracy in Idaho · #19 12/24/07, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

The Nestor Acres farm emailed me back. They don't CAE test any more and haven't in two years. She also states she would not destroy/cull a positive animal... so I think I'll pass on that herd.

Wow, I certainly didn't know that. Wouldn't she CAE test a sale doe for you though? I would think most breeders now would. Probably not worth the hassle though I guess.

If you go to the http://www.adga.org site, you can do a herd search in your state -- it will pull up breeders by town. Might be a thought to find someone close.

Tracy

**mygoat** · #20 12/25/07, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracy in Idaho

Wow, I certainly didn't know that. Wouldn't she CAE test a sale doe for you though? I would think most breeders now would. Probably not worth the hassle though I guess.

If you go to the http://www.adga.org site, you can do a herd search in your state -- it will pull up breeders by town. Might be a thought to find someone close.

Tracy

She would bill me. Which normally wouldn't bother me, but I'd prefer that the animals I"m interested in are isolated, tested, wait for results to get back... all without being in the main herd. She also just didn't seem pleased that I was culling my positives, which caught me as odd.

I'll try the adga site thing.