Sent off 110 samples today

[dosthouhavemilk]

Shipped 110 samples of blood to Biotracking today for CAE testing. Here's hoping the results come back as they are expected to be with no surprises....unless they are the good kind? Which I would still doubt, I am sure. lol
There were 5 older adult does we did not test (they've had two positive tests so no need to waste money on it), but all the other adults (does, bucks and the 10 year old wether) along with my three new bucklings (2 Nubian, 1 Boer) and 5 2011 doelings were tested. We couldn't really do the other doelings from this year. Whole herd is not cheap. I'm just pleased to be able to do another whole mature herd test.
I pulled blood on all of them and had people to help hold most of them. Only one we had a lot of trouble with. Took three different sessions to get blood out of Thunder. She was test negative last year, but I still wanted to test again this year.
It will be nice to see how our Prevention Program is going. Also, how cleaning up our herd is going.
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I should point out that I am expecting around 15 positives. One doe was test positive at her previous owner's home (I bought her knowing full well she was test positive). I believe she was tested through the State and this will be her first test with me through Biotracking. The others are mostly older does (born prior to 2007 when we first tested) who have tested negative in the past but were dam raised by does that ended up being positive later. One is Milky Way, Snow White's 9 year old daughter, who so far has yet to test positive. We have pulled her recent daughters for Prevention and sold for meat her dam raised doeling from last year. Mostly Snow White's lines that ended up dam raised. So they don't show symptoms and it doesn't generally affect their production in the least. They've been treated as suspect all along, despite negative tests on a handful of them.
I also would not be shocked, disappointed certainly, to see positives on my two Nubian bucklings. They were being fed pastuerized milk, but I do not know about the colostrum they received. It was a calculated risk.
2008 was the last full adult herd test, but we have been spot testing since. Lil' Bunny FooFoo tested positive for the first time this year at 5. She was test negative on her prior tests. Snow White line.
I have tested the goats I have sold, mostly without requests from buyers. Actually I don't think a single buyer has requested I test. I simply do so as a general rule. As much for my information as for theirs. I certainly would not want to knowingly sell a positive goat anywhere but through a slaughter auction.

I should find out Friday evening, but more likely Saturday afternoon.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I hope your tests come back either as expected or with good surprises.

[Suzyq2u]

Good luck. How long does it take biotracking to get their results generally? We have a kit to order ourselves.

[dosthouhavemilk]

They test for CAE on Fridays. You usually see results by Saturday afternoon/evening. Assuming your samples arrive in time for Friday's testing.

It sounds like some have had problems with the kits that Biotracking sends for goats. A simple 20 gauge needle and 3cc syringe work well for pulling blood. Especially when you are first starting out. You can usually pick up red top tubes from your local vet if you have a handful to do.

I don't know what they send in their kit as we have never ordered them.

[dosthouhavemilk]

Results are back. I am not pleased...and quite confused honestly. :crazy

6 positives out of 110 samples. Milky Way is still test negative at 9 years old (nursed Snow White who ended up testing positive). Her niece, Peach Blossom is positive this year, as expected. She was one of the 12-15 positives I expected. The purchased doe is also positive, as expected...those were the only two of the 6 I expected. There is a Prevention doe born to a negative dam (from a line of consistent negatives, her dam raised twin was negative) that has tested positive this year. No clue there. I will need to go back and look up when she was born and who she was raised with. Our kids are raised on cow's colostrum and cow's milk. Not even heat-treated or pastuerized goat's milk. The problem though is we had an outside person who feed the hungry kids to quiet them and there were a few times we had goat's milk in the fridge.
A purchased doe who was tested negative this past Winter through WADDL before being bought. The seller didn't like Biotracking so used WADDL instead. I pulled her blood myself at that farm.
Then two dam raised does from two of a set of quad sisters. All the other does in the line have been negative. These two does have been test negative before.

Very odd.
Not sure what to do as my next step. I plan to retest the four, obviously. Not sure if I retest through Biotracking, use WADDL (never have yet) or do both to be sure.
Though 104 negatives certainly isn't a bad thing (even if I don't believe them all...lol)

[freedomfrom4]

Your dam raised could have snuck a drink from a positive doe.
The purchased doe that was tested befor purchase could have been just barely negative and the move stressed her enough it sent her over the titer level to positive.


How positive were the other positives?
Congrats on all the negatives

[Creamers]

Though 104 negatives certainly isn't a bad thing (even if I don't believe them all...lol)

This type of stuff I've seen a few times - many, really, and it is why I say you NEVER REALLY know. Ekkk!

104 neg surely is good news though!