Goat Testing Lab Options?

[Southern by choice]

I'd like to use WADDL but cost is a factor for me and from what I understood they charge like $8 more for non-Washington per sample. I think their non-Washington price was like $24 a sample. If I had high value goats I'd probably use them with no hesitation but I just have a little herd of meat mixes that don't bring in much when I sell the babies around here. I still think testing is the right thing to do but I'm a hobby farmer on a budget.

I thought WADDL had a package deal. High value$ goats are no different then low value$ goats when it comes to emotional attachment, feed, care etc.
When we had all unregistered goats and the average cost of a kid was $150 we still tested for everything.

 

[OneFineAcre]

If I had high value goats I'd probably use them with no hesitation but I just have a little herd of meat mixes that don't bring in much when I sell the babies around here. I still think testing is the right thing to do but I'm a hobby farmer on a budget.

I've got a couple of fairly high value goats, and a bunch of so, so value goats. But I am also a hobby farmer on a budget and that's why we may not test anymore. Like I said, we have tested for 4 or 5 years and have always been negative. I don't necessarily see the value in continuing whole herd testing. If we bring in a new goat then we can quarantine and test that one.

 

[MargaretClare]

I thought WADDL had a package deal. High value$ goats are no different then low value$ goats when it comes to emotional attachment, feed, care etc.
When we had all unregistered goats and the average cost of a kid was $150 we still tested for everything.

I'm still definitely going to test but cost is the reason I'm looking into a couple of different labs. I don't understand why out of state would be charged more though. :/

 

[Southern by choice]

I'm still definitely going to test but cost is the reason I'm looking into a couple of different labs. I don't understand why out of state would be charged more though. :/

Generally because state labs are taxpayer funded. Our Lab for NC is Rollins. They charge (and this is the increase this year) $1.65 for instate Out of State is double... that is still only $3.30
They charge this for CAE and Johnes. They do not do CL there but will ship our samples for us after taking what they need to UC Davis. I pay out of state fees for UC Davis at $14.50 per test. It may have gone up this year.
At $1.65 for CAE and knowing titers can and do change with age this generally is the one test every breeder tests for annually. I really cannot understand how that wouldn't be at least worth it for CAE.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

@MargaretClare Have you looked at UC Davis? I believe they will run all three tests for ~$15 I think.
@babsbag do you know?

 

[MargaretClare]

@MargaretClare Have you looked at UC Davis? I believe they will run all three tests for ~$15 I think.
@babsbag do you know?

I did look on their site but the only caprine tests I found were G6S, freemartin, and some other tests I didn't recognize. I might just not know how to navigate the site. The most common pricing I found was $16-$17 per sample for CAE, CL, and Johnes as a group, which is fine, but $24 per sample is a bit much when it wouldn't be unusual to only get $125 (sometimes less) for an 8 month old doeling around here. My goats are meat mixes with no registration in their background and prices around here are low probably because of desert hay prices.

 

[Southern by choice]

I did look on their site but the only caprine tests I found were G6S, freemartin, and some other tests I didn't recognize. I might just not know how to navigate the site. The most common pricing I found was $16-$17 per sample for CAE, CL, and Johnes as a group, which is fine, but $24 per sample is a bit much when it wouldn't be unusual to only get $125 (sometimes less) for an 8 month old doeling around here. My goats are meat mixes with no registration in their background and prices around here are low probably because of desert hay prices.

I think you may have been looking at UC Davis's VGL site. They do genetic testing (DNA) this is a great lab for G6S testing as well as Casein. You want UC Davis vet diagnostics.
This is what you want-
http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/test_fees/faq.cfm

 

[Green Acres Farm]

The lab I’ve used most often is Delta Livestock Diagnostics. They charge $5.00 for Johnes, $6.00 for CAE, and $7.00 for CL. My first couple of years, I just tested for CAE (plus 2 abscesses cultured for CL through WADDL- both negative). This past year I tested for CAE & Johnes. My plan next year is to test for CAE & CL. I plan to rotate each year what I test for in addition to CAE. It isn’t ideal, but saves a lot of money and is better than nothing I think.

 

[Southern by choice]

The lab I’ve used most often is Delta Livestock Diagnostics. They charge $5.00 for Johnes, $6.00 for CAE, and $7.00 for CL. My first couple of years, I just tested for CAE (plus 2 abscesses cultured for CL through WADDL- both negative). This past year I tested for CAE & Johnes. My plan next year is to test for CAE & CL. I plan to rotate each year what I test for in addition to CAE. It isn’t ideal, but saves a lot of money and is better than nothing I think.

I didn't see what type tests they use.

 

[babsbag]

I have used UC Davis and Sage Ag labs for testing. I also don't test any of my old goats for CAE; I only test ones that have not been tested by me or by the seller. But then I don't buy a lot of goats and my goats never leave the farm. I have about 60 goats and the vast majority of them can be traced back to three I have owned for 10 years. The others have come from herds that I know test and have been testing for years as well, all negative. Here is some interesting reading if anyone is interested in learning more about CAE.

http://www.cornerstonefarm.net/gtcareof.html#caeq&a

As far as using UC Davis for out of State people I think that it is a lot more money. I am going to try this lab next time I need one tested.

http://ubrl.universalbiopharma.org/how-to-send-to-lab/livestock-diagnostics-schedule-pricing.html

They also do pregnancy testing on goats from milk and also Johne's from milk. Very interesting lab and their prices are good.