Natural Approach CA/CL

[Ironmonkey]

What are various natural approaches to CA and CL management. I'm not at all excited at the prospect of pulling my kids off their mothers to prevent CA but I'm also not interested in perpetuating a horrible disease. CL is a little easier to get my head around since with some 1:1 attention the affected beastie can be treated.

 

[AdoptAPitBull]

I'd do a blood draw and test for CAE, then only pull from any positive does.

 

[ksalvagno]

I have been testing my girls every year for the last 3 years. I let my kids nurse on their moms. My girls have been negative for 3 years in a row and I bought from negative herds. So that is good enough for me.

 

[Bifrost]

Is there a best time of year or stage of gestation to test? I just bred my first doe and had her tested when I got her in May. She was negative and came from a negative herd, as well. Thanks!
Meg

 

[Southern by choice]

I don't know if this will help you but I went to a class a few weeks ago and they had Vets, PhD's etc from NC state and the extension services discussing CAE. CAE is not just passed through the milk and if you have a pos animal, that animal should not even share a fenceline. They should be kept completely seperate, no sharing fenceline and should have a pathway of at least 6 feet between fencelines. So apparently it is risky to have a pos animal and neg animals on the farm together. CL is much more manageable, however if the lumps are many and often it is better to cull. With sheep I'd cull immediately because it is so much harder to see if they have a lump under all that wool.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

If your goat already has CAE I would for sure cull it. CL is easily managed and it's not really a big deal. CAE though is transmitter thru all body fluids, not just milks as most people believe. Everyone thinks if you pull the kids then you're good - Not true. It is transmitter thru all the body fluids and is transmitter easily. It's impossible to control and can be a really bad disease.

If it were me I would cull it or them.