Herd Testing

[cmjust0]

apparently your state doesn't enforce the Premise ID laws...Try that here and an animal comes up "dirty", They trace the animal back to your farm and You are shut down...anytime you move any animal it is supposed to be identified with your premise ID...at least here.

Shut down?...for a CL knot?

If it was hoof and mouth or some other reportable disease, sure...but a CL knot?

Sorry, but...I kinda doubt anybody's getting shut down over a CL knot.

I wish they'd shut people down over CL knots, frankly, but there's so much of it around that I doubt it's ever going to happen.

 

[PattiXmas]

I know of a few people here in Michigan that had gotten a wether from someone and that wether came down with CL. Instead of notifying anyone, they just threw the goat in an auction and passed it on down the road. I am trying to avoid having any problems, as I wouldn't want to breed an animal and spread the crap.

 

[()relics]

if you knowingly transport any sick animal you are in violation of the law...if you sell any animal and it is discovered that it has some undisclosed illness/disease, the buyer can report you to the USDA they will back trace your Premise ID number and they will pay you a visit...it has even been done when a trace of a legal medication was found but the animal was sold without the buyers knowledge of the previous dose of antibiotic/medicine/whatever...If you haven't read your states ID laws you better get a copy and start reading....

 

[PattiXmas]

if you knowingly transport any sick animal you are in violation of the law...if you sell any animal and it is discovered that it has some undisclosed illness/disease, the buyer can report you to the USDA they will back trace your Premise ID number and they will pay you a visit...it has even been done when a trace of a legal medication was found but the animal was sold without the buyers knowledge of the previous dose of antibiotic/medicine/whatever...If you haven't read your states ID laws you better get a copy and start reading....

See, I don't want to breed/sell/transport sick animals. I am too attached to my "pets" and want them all in the best health. It is good to know about the other though, as I was shocked when I "overheard" the conversation last year that this person would want to subject another farm to what they had just been subjected to.

 

[()relics]

When it comes to business, livestock, sometimes morals go out the window....Not being able to sell that sick wether affects the bottom line....So it is taken it to the sale barn trying to at least minimize the loss...This is why the ID laws were put into place...You and I would be considered responsible animal breeders/keepers....but now we are subject to the law put into place to control the irresponsible....thats always the way it goes....

 

[cmjust0]

if you knowingly transport any sick animal you are in violation of the law...

So, if one of my goats gets sick and needs to go to the vet, I have to break the law to do that?

Forgive me, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

if you sell any animal and it is discovered that it has some undisclosed illness/disease, the buyer can report you to the USDA they will back trace your Premise ID number and they will pay you a visit...

If you're talking about a reportable disease like goat pox, Johne's, or hoof-and-mouth, then yeah...they'll pay the seller's farm a visit and probably slaughter everything in sight.

Of course, they'll slaughter everything on your farm, too. Not exactly a win/win.

If, however, you're talking about a disease like CL or soremouth or something like that, they're not going to do squat about it. Reason being, those aren't reportable diseases. If you buy a goat and it pops a big CL knot a few weeks later, that's just your problem..

it has even been done when a trace of a legal medication was found but the animal was sold without the buyers knowledge of the previous dose of antibiotic/medicine/whatever...

Do you have a link to such a story? Not saying it didn't happen, but I'd like to know more of the circumstances before I form an opinion..

If you haven't read your states ID laws you better get a copy and start reading....

My state ID laws, where they pertain to goats, state that a goat must have a unique ID to be sold at a livestock market. That ID can either be a state-issued scrapie tag or a registration tattoo.

If someone sells a goat private treaty to a neighbor, though...oh well. No rules on that, as near as I can tell.

In fact, I think your home state of Indiana is one of just a handful in the nation that have enforced mandatory NAIS premises registration so far..

Doesn't sound like it's very popular, huh?

 

[FlightsofFancy]

I heard that the goats should be 2 years old before CL and Johnnes are accurate tests. Is this true? I want to test my goats as well when they are 6 months old.

With my tons of research I've had to do this last week because I had a doe test positive for Johne's, the recommended age is 18 months and older for the tests to be more accurate. There is so much about Johne's I didn't know

I would love to know more about your research. When I went for my State acreditation Ga only asked for TB, Brucelosis, CAE, CL and Scrapie. The State Vet said the Johnes tests are not accurate enough to warrent them and there are many false possitives. Usually a Goat with Johnnes is visiably sick. What do you think? PM me if you like.
So sorry about your goat!!!

 

[helmstead]

Blood testing for Johnnes is terribly inaccurate...fecal testing is best but is also hit and miss (they have to be shedding the thing for it to show up and it does not constantly shed, usually). Fecal testing is arduous because it must be cultured and can take a couple months.

No, they're not always symptomatic.

 

[ksalvagno]

Then is it even worth it to test for Johnnes? If it is worth it, at what age should you start?

 

[helmstead]

Well hopefully Bheila will chime back in - that was the extent of what I know...and bless her heart I'm sure she knows a LOT about it right now.