I just got my G6S test results back. I tested everyone that I’m keeping except Ali and Heiorun because they’re preggers and I’m not very good at drawing blood. I didn’t want to stress them out until they’ve shed out. I figure the vein would be easier to see.
My buck, Kaw-Liga, who is also Ali’s sire, is a carrier. Everyone else is negative. He sired 5 doelings this year. I still have four doelings from Kaw-Liga that I don’t know what to do with. One is deaf and one is smaller and I’m worried they may be carriers. I could raise them up for meat or I could pay $200 and get them tested. Or I could just test the 2 seemingly healthy ones. I’m actually really grateful for my buckling year because all of my bucklings but one out of Jagger's were banded and sold for meat. I’ve already sold one of Kaw-Liga’s doelings. She went as unregistered. I just got off the phone with the couple who bought her and a Jagger doeling and explained the situation. I offered to pay for testing. If she’s a carrier then I will replace her with a Jagger doeling if they want. The only Jagger doeling I have is the one I was going to keep. Sigh. They’re going to discuss it.
I’ve been frustrated with the goat learning curve. I made sure I bought from disease free herds. My goats are free from CAE, CL, Johnes, TB and Brucellosis but I knew nothing about G6S. I also didn’t know about the difference between American and Purebred. I have some outstanding American goats. I’m trying to only buy Purebreds now so I have a better market. It’s so frustrating.
On top of this, I have TC who is Ali’s mom. TC freshened with twin bucklings this year. One was fine and the other had a deformed face with no upper jaw or eyes that was born dead. The vet said it looked like Monkey Faced Lamb Syndrome but without testing there’s no definitive way to be sure. It comes from the doe eating Corn Lily or False Western Hellebore early in gestation.
http://goat-link.com/content/view/47.../#.UYAJbcokKSo . Tilly had a doeling by Jagger that also had symptoms but lived. Her face isn’t as bad but she can’t really eat hay etc. She drinks a bottle okay and will be culled when she’s heavy enough.
Anyways, TC didn’t come into milk this year and was also dragging her right front leg and had one eye that wasn’t tracking well. The vet is guessing she has a brain cyst or tumor. He’s guessing that it is pressing on her pituitary causing hormonal discrepancies and that’s why she had Ali early and didn’t come in to milk this year. He’s seen it in sheep. He told me it’s not genetic and to keep breeding her until her quality of life declined. I’ve been feeding her Essiac made into dosage balls. It’s supposed to help with tumors, cancer, etc. She actually seems to be doing better and we’re waiting for Ali to kid so we can see if Ali makes an udder so we know if it can be passed on.
I can take TC to the vet college in Logan where they can do more testing than my vet can do. I paid $400 for TC and she is gorgeous but I don’t think I’m going to do anything but the Essiac for her. I can’t afford brain surgery for a goat.
That is my vent. Sorry it is so long. I’ve been trying to stay positive but I’m terribly frustrated right now and feel sick about the doelings and Ali. It’s not like I have been buying goats off of the back of a pickup truck on the side of the road from someone who won’t make eye contact. I've just had bad luck.
What do Nubian breeders do with G6S doelings? Do you give them away as unregistered pets or eat them or what?
2Likes
We're just venturing into Nubians and finding breeders who test for G6S isn't easy..... Really had to hunt to find animals that I liked, could afford and knew the G6S status on.
