Is there money to be made?

[bonbean01]

Pearce, from my reading so many health sites before getting sheep...yes...there is a contagious foot rot that you can bring onto your farm from an infected new animal. There are many sites, but here is one I had handy:

http://www.extension.org/pages/28972/contagious-foot-rot-in-goats

 

[goodolboy]

Yes, hoof rot is contagious. Very. It's a virus. My 200 ewes are standing in 6 inches of mud right now in thier winter hay lot, and have been for two months, but you will not ever see any of my sheep limp. Hoof rot thrives in dampness, but it's not the cause.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Thanks for sharing that. I looked up some more too (http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS-596-footrot.pdf) and it does sound like in a goat with hooves that a well kept are less likely to pick up the bacteria that would cause an infection. I also would wonder though how would someone bring an animal like that into a show, limping and what not. They would be sent home here.

And don't get me wrong---precautions should be taken when you have your goat around other goats. When we do the fair, we attach wire to our pen so kids can't run from one person's pen, touch their animal, and them reach over and touch mine and we installed a hand sanitizer pump for people to use with a sign stating that if they were going to bend down to touch her, they needed to clean first. After we got home, they do get separated for a few weeks, get a good wash and dry, and a fecal test done. But I do not think that us taking a goat to a show means they are going to be diseased as a result. The animals at the show are clean, well-cared for, and the environment we show in is dry and animals are kept pretty well separated. The major diseases that would concern me are not going to be transmitted, and the more minor, treatable ones I still think would be of minimal risk. I suppose it probably varies from one show to another too.

 

[bonbean01]

My understanding is that at the beginning they can have it before showing signs like limping. Anyone knowingly bringing an animal with hoof rot should be shot in their foot before sending them home!

ETA....as in shooting the human's foot...not animal

 

[Pearce Pastures]

My understanding is that at the beginning they can have it before showing signs like limping. Anyone knowingly bringing an animal with hoof rot should be shot in their foot before sending them home!

ETA....as in shooting the human's foot...not animal

Sounds good to me. Or any illness for that matter.

 

[goodolboy]

Even if they do get sent home, they come off the trailer first and are put in a pen. so now it's at the show even if the animal leaves. Not everyone cares for animals out there. If you think they all do, all your doing is fooling yourself.

I personal think if you can't care for it correctly, you shouldn't have it.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Even if they do get sent home, they come off the trailer first and are put in a pen. so now it's at the show even if the animal leaves. Not everyone cares for animals out there. If you think they all do, all your doing is fooling yourself.

I personal think if you can't care for it correctly, you shouldn't have it.

No fool here---I know people don't take care of their animals and some will try to conceal it. It is beyond maddening when I see people who have poorly kept, ill, unthrifty animals and either won't bother to learn about them or say things like, well money is tight right now.

Yeah, that is where I think it might vary from one place to another. When we check in, we are first stopped as we drive in and animals are given a once-over (I think they are checking for scours and obvious signs of cooties). Then, all animals are given a more thorough, gloved check all over before entering the building and going into a pen.

I have heard of disease outbreaks in pigs and poultry from just being in the same barn as a sick animal, not that it is an every show thing, but it can happen.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

I don't think we are really all that in disagreement---do goats have diseases that can be spread from one person's animal to another? Yes. Should one be cautious in exposing your goat to other people's goats? Yes. If bringing a goat that has been shown back home, should if be quarantined? Yes. How much of a risk is there? There is some variance there.

Is showing worth it? For us, it is and we don't do it for any money. The experience, the learning, the sharing make it all worth while for us and for our kids.

 

[goodolboy]

I agree completely. We will probably be in the show rings as long a we have registered sheep. You almost have to get them seen somewhere. Our DD will show those woolly thing for another couple of years too I guess. And the winnings is not why we truck her all over the country side, it's the pricelesss experiance she will get and take with her the rest of her life.

 

[OneFineAcre]

At the fair every animal that steps foot on the property is examined by a state veterinarian.

They are mostly looking for mouth sores which is very contagious.

At the NC State fair has been a bigger issue with people getting sick from eColi.

Obviously, some of the smaller shows they aren't all examined by a vet, but we know most of the breeders at these shows, so we aren't particularly concerned about health risks associated with showing.

Never heard of any issues at least.