Testing, testing, 1...2...3....

[CaliannG]

Sent in the blood for my yearly tests on Monday. TRIED to get that all done last December, and you wouldn't BELIEVE the headaches and accidents that went along with it....so anyway, got the blood sent off...

I double up. I do Bio-tracking, and order pregnancy on all does, and CAE. And I also do the "Herd Health" from WADDLs. It means two CAE tests, but hey, LOTS of folks like to have results from 2 different labs, right?

Well, CAE from Bio-tracking came in today. 7% or less on EVERYONE.! W00T! We're NEGATIVE!

Still waiting on CAE, CL, Johne's, Bruc. from WADDLs, and preggers from BioTracking (know the answer on the preggers, this is just a formality since my Mom wants to see a test done.), but at least I got results for one....especially a worry release after what Audra has been going through.

Now, here is to waiting on the rest. :

[Creamers]

ouch! that must cost a fortune! lol - congrats on the negative testing!

[CaliannG]

Cost? Lessee.......

Costs of ALL tests, $118.00. That includes the extras.

I do testing just before kidding, and generally do vaccinations after kidding. So, within a month, I get ALL of my health stuff done. Vaccinations costs me $23.00 in materials for all of it.

So, a total of $141.00 for two goats that I have left is $70.50 per goat per year for ALL of that goat's tests and yearly vaccinations, plus a worming in there.

How many people get off with only a $70.50 vet bill for their dog's or cat's yearly check-up and immunizations? ~grinz~

And, truthfully, once I re-build my herd and get my breeding stock set up, etc., then I just do two tests and as long as they come back negative, and I don't bring anything new in, I can close my herd and not test every year after that.

And I will probably do that for a while. If I do decide to bring in anything new, I just make sure I get animals from a tested or closed herd, and that the animal that I am getting has a recent test.

It doesn't HAVE to be consistently expensive. But having peace of mind is really worth it for me.

Now, if I was doing 10 goats, or 20, or 30, or 100... that would be a different story. That gets WAY expensive. But since I cut down my herd to just the two does, I can test them, and then test anything new that i get.

Also, I can do sample testing in later years. If I have a closed herd, simply test the percentage of goats that show the WORST condition in the herd. If they come back alright, and all of the goats have have negative tests in the past, then chances are that the herd is good.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Glad they both came back negative for CAE, that is wonderful!

[CaliannG]

Thanks, Audra!

Now just waiting on the rest. ~sighs~ ANY of those tests coming back positive means euthanasia of the goat testing positive...with only two left, that's a very big deal to me.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I can totally understand.