Sending blood in for testing- shipping

[Green Acres Farm]

Although testing for goat diseases is pretty cheap, shipping has not been. Is $25+ for 15 red top tubes carefully packaged so they won't break with a small ice pack a normal/reasonable price for shipping? We have sent it off/packaged it ourselves as the vet charges $50 for shipping...

 

[newbiekat]

I don't know what's normal, we usually pull the blood ourselves then take it to our vet to ship for us. We only pay for the label, which is $10, and they package it and ship it for us. Sorry I'm not much help...

 

[Southern by choice]

Although testing for goat diseases is pretty cheap, shipping has not been. Is $25+ for 15 red top tubes carefully packaged so they won't break with a small ice pack a normal/reasonable price for shipping? We have sent it off/packaged it ourselves as the vet charges $50 for shipping...

I see it this way...
Your package must go through a routing system, then loaded on a truck, then transferred to a plane, flown to wherever ( I assume out of your state) possibly across country, then unloaded to a truck, then to another facility, reloaded on another truck and hand delivered to the lab.

All of this in usually 24hrs- 48 hours.

$25 is a pretty good deal if you ask me. Divided out each tube just cost you 1.67 to ship anywhere in the US. A regular stamp on mail is .47.

 

[babsbag]

If you want to ship priority and deal with all of the requirements for shipping blood through the USPS you can do it cheaper. I ship FedEx as they are easier to deal with and I honestly don't remember what I pay. If I ship to UC Davis I use their Fed Ex acct. and they bill me; it is cheaper that way.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

It is in state.

 

[babsbag]

I have shipped USPS Priority. I wrap them in many many layers of paper towels, put them in a baggie, then put them in a Tupperware type container and then the box. You have got to put the bio-hazard symbol on the box. Really not hard once you get the hang of it. Shipping is around 15.00 or 6.00 depending on how many I am sending. I have also put them in seal-a-meal bags. Ice or no ice depends on the size of the box too.

 

[ShadyTreeAcres]

How do you guys draw the blood? Or does the vet do it?

 

[Green Acres Farm]

How do you guys draw the blood? Or does the vet do it?

Our vet drew the first go round, my dad did it after that. On some goats it goes well, but on others, especially muscular bucks, it's not. You will probably want to have a vet do it at first. Lots of videos online. Not as easy as it looks.

 

[Southern by choice]

I would recommend having your vet out and teach you. One, it builds your relationship with your vet. It is always good to have a herd check whenever bringing in new animals as well.
For just 3 animals having a vet do it is probably easiest and worthwhile.