Milk testing for human consumption?

[Iluvnigees]

I want to use our goats milk when they freshen this year. What tests do I need to have my vet run for safe human consumption? How costly is this? And is it more cost effective for do all testing at once? I'm also thinking about testing for CL and CAE. Would you recommend these also? I have had no symptoms, but it seems this is important for selling kids.

 

[ksalvagno]

You can test for CAE, CL, Johnes with one blood draw. Depending on where you send the blood and if you have a vet draw the blood or not, the cost isn't bad. There is a thread somewhere on here about where to send the blood. I used Pan American Vet Lab in Texas and was happy with their service but there are other places to send it as well.

You can go crazy testing for everything under the sun. There is brucellosis, blue tung, tetanus, TB and others. Unless you have sick goats and huge suspicion that they have something, I personally wouldn't bother testing. That will run you a lot of money.

 

[Iluvnigees]

So for drinking purposes, you don't feel it's necessary to test. I know people used to drink milk without all this "testing".

 

[AlaskanShepherdess]

So long as my goat is healthy I have absolutely no qualms about drinking their milk.

 

[ksalvagno]

I tested for CAE, CL and Johnes to ease my mind and make it easier to sell kids. I did not test for other diseases as the farms that I got my goats from were clean and took very good care of their goats and every goat looked healthy.

 

[jodief100]

Please correct me if I am wrong.

I believe the biggest concerns about disease transmission from milk are Tuberculosis and Brucellosis. Check with your state Ag office to see about the prevalence of these two diseases. Many states are declared free of those meaning the incidence is low enough (usually nonexistent) they are not concerned about it.

My state is a free zone for both and I have no qualms about drinking milk from my goats. Just make sure you keep everything clean, the teats, your milk pail, everything.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Where can I find these tests? are they something that needs to be done by a vet?

 

[ksalvagno]

CAE, CL & Johnes you can draw blood yourself and send them to a lab. Anything else I believe has to go through a vet.

 

[Iluvnigees]

Thanks, CL, CAE, TB, Bruecellosis, and Johnes. But isn't the Johnes disease the one in the CD/T immunization?

 

[ksalvagno]

No, the C&D are clostridial