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[lkmartin1230]

Okay. So this far in my 2 1/2 year of goats I have NOT tested them for anything. I want to soon start testing CAE at least to start out with. I'm also kind of nervous of testing them for the fear they may have something, all of my goats are generally healthy, never show signs of being sick, and are well taken care of. Plus I have not brought in any goats since May of 2015, but I am planning to buy another Buck soon. What happens if they come up positive, what are the chances they will or will not, and will it ruin my reputation to have breeding stock with CAE in the event any did have it? I know of 2 breeders that do not test, but go by the signs of CAE and test it if they think they might have it. I also have read an article of a women testing 1 goat, and it came back positive and then tested all the other who were also positive, but she keeps them and breeds them and but bottle feeds the babies.

 

[babsbag]

You are asking a lot of questions that no one can really answer. Many goats that have CAE never have symptoms, that is the scary part. If they do end up positive then you can keep them and pull the kids but the thing is you have to be RIGHT there at the time of birth, they cannot nurse at all. Also, there is more and more evidence that CAE can be passed in utero so there is always that danger. Hopefully you will never have to make that decision.

Not testing until you think there is a problem is just crazy. First off it is too late at that point and how many kids have you kept or sold that are also infected? Do you really want to proliferate this disease? Also every time you see a goat with a limp or a congested udder do you want to wonder if it is CAE? I don't.

As far as the odds of positive or negative there is just no way to know. But if you are testing for CAE I would do CL at that same time. Many people are starting to test for Johnes as well, but for sure I would do the CAE and CL.

I understand your fear. My first goats weren't tested either, I had no clue at the time. When one got sick it had a small lump under its ear and my vet was sure it was CL. I had another one with the same lump so we tested the entire herd and they were clear. The lump went away, it was a swollen lymph node, but not from CL. It was a very tense few days waiting for those results.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

I would definitely test. I think Sage labs test for $4! It is a lot better to know. 90% of CAE positive goats do not show symptoms, so a healthy looking goat could carry it.
If you have CAE positive goats that are pets, and culling isn't an option, you could isolate them from your herd and never breed them. Otherwise, I would definitely cull in my opinion.

 

[Southern by choice]

Testing is not a one time thing. Titers can change.
A neg CAE goat can end up positive later in life. That is why it is very important to test yearly, get the numbers so you can see where those numbers are.
CL is the same and Johnes is not reliable before 18 months of age. Serum testing is the least reliable.