Vaccinating for CL

[Goatgirl47]

I found someone who has some Kiko doelings who will be for sale soon. Kikos are VERY rare and expensive in our area (as are any good quality, tested goats).

The owner says that she does not test for CAE and/or CL, but she vaccinates for CL. What does that mean exactly? If a goat is vaccinated for CL, will they be immune to it for the rest of their life? How does it help? I know that if a goat is vaccinated for it and then you try to test it for CL, that you always get false positives. Sorry for my ignorance, but can someone please fill me in on this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Goat Whisperer]

If they are vaccinating against CL there is probably a reason IOW the first thing that comes to mind is that they have/had it I personally RUN when I see that....

I would imagine, it is like most vaccines and they CAN still have the disease, but the symptoms wont be as bad.

It's a darn shame you are so far. I would give you a heck of a deal for a PB kiko buckling. From our tested herd (CAE, CL, & Johne's)

 

[Latestarter]

Gosh, and here I thought goats could be shipped? Just trying to be a good enabler...

 

[babsbag]

Louisiana isn't THAT far from NC.

I think that the CL vaccine has gotten a bad rap. I have friends that use it in their Boer herd and yes, they did have goats that were + for CL. But the genetics were good and they wanted to keep them in their breeding program. So by vaccinating goats that were not already carriers they were able to eventually eradicate it from their herd without culling good animals.

Testing positive is no big deal in my mind if you know that they are vaccinated. If they did ever have an abscess you can still get the pus tested, it is just the blood test that is skewed. I have two goats that test positive. I have had them 8 years, no abscesses, no vaccines, and their titers have gone down. I don't test them anymore as I know what I'll see. Just because a goat test positive it doesn't mean that have or are shedding the disease, it just means that they have been exposed.

I wouldn't be worried about buying a vaccinated goat. However, I would be worried about the no CAE testing.

ETA: it is a killed virus.

http://tennesseemeatgoats.com/MeatGoatMania/July2012/index.html

 

[Alaskan]

No CAE testing bugs me too.

Some strains of CAE are no big deal (and others are all kinds of horrid...no way yet to tell them apart ) but once you have CAE, you are stuck.... you can only sell animals to be eaten, and you can't use anyone's clean tested buck.

I would NOT buy from them.

Start with a clean herd...so much easier.

Also, Kikos are great and all.... but a well bred and raised goat can have great parasite resistance.

I would go for either a fancy milk breed or a nice blocky Boar for meat.

 

[Alaskan]

Animals with CAE will look perfectly fine and healthy...until they are stressed. ... like from moving from one place to another.

 

[babsbag]

@Alaskan Many people that live in areas that have high worm loads find that the Kikos do better. Where I live in CA worms aren't much of a problem for most people and you will find many Boers and almost no Kikos. It seems to be a regional thing.

 

[Alaskan]

That I understand.

However, if you buy animals from the region that you are in (so, in a high worm load area...buy healthy animals from a high worm load area), you can end up with great stock. Yep...they will need more worming than the Kikos, but they will still do well.

And...that is a much better option than ending up with a CAE positive herd.

 

[Alaskan]

And yep.... Alaska is a low worm load area.... but that is not where I am from ...just where I live now.

 

[Goatgirl47]

I talked to the owner a little more. She is willing to test the dam of the doeling of my choice (if I indeed wanted to get one) for CAE, and she said that not all of her doelings have been vaccinated for CL.... yet. She usually vaccinates when they are between 2-3 months old. She also said "Some of my foundation stock had a few abscesses that could have been CL. They were never tested and all subsequent kids have been vaccinated." So what do you think? I would not buy one if I didn't have the dam tested for CAE and probably Johnes first.