[ballingall]

Had our CAE test done yesterday, all 13 adults tested.


Had a bit of trouble as the mechanism for clicking the sample tubes into didn't work! The vet had a spare and it was just as bad    Ended up with her having to use needles and syringes to draw off the last few samples.


She was amazed at the buckling- couldn't believe he was the twin to my goatling as he is so much bigger. I always find the AN's stand better for blood samples. My OH had the cheek to say it was because they are less intelligent!


Might even have convinced the vet that she wants a goat- fingers crossed!


Now just got to wait for the results, always nerve racking even though we have tested for years and years and been clear. And got to wait for the bill 


Beth

[plumseverywhere]

Mine are due soon - the boys stand better here (maybe that's due to A's explanation too    )  does your vet shave first or just take? ours shaved last year and they found that more traumatic than the test.

[ScotsGirl]

Do you get the test done before the previous one expires or wait til after that date? Also anyone got a rough ides on cost?  Do my kids born this year get tested or are they covered under mums test? Mine expire on 24/4.

[plumseverywhere]

Can't remember cost from last year because I had ewes scanned for lambing and we get invoiced each month   Ideally get in kid nanny's CAE'd about a month before kidding so you then get kids covered for a year (ie. bogof!) otherwise you'll need to get them tested if they are already born I guess.

[Anke]

Kids travel on mum's test for the first 12 months so to speak. CAE test not conclusive until 12 months old. So if you get your nanny tested now the certficate is also valid for her kids.
 
Costs vary, I have call-out, plus consultation plus the actual test costs... it does add up.... BUt no choice, needs to be done.

[Lesley Silvester]

I paid £18 lab fees for the two samples plus farm visit and vet fees.  I think it was over £60 in total.  Obviously the more you have done, the less it works out per goat.

[ballingall]

Our test is often done after kidding as Easter is good for us (I get Easter off but the vets are generally open on either the Friday or the Monday). But the test for the adults covers this years kids as well.


We don't shave unless anyone is really hairy- have seen us have to shave a hairy boy but that's all. They don't like the noise or the ticklyness of the shaver! And Plums, yes our boys stood better than the girls too- maybe something in that!


I can't remember what it cost last year, but I think about £15 per goat.


The test can be done either before the old test runs out, or just after. No difference really. We like to do our test in the beginning of April, so the results are back for our first show entries in late April.


Beth

[wytsend]

Interesting about dates.................I had alwaysbelieved that as long as the goat/s in question tested negative it didn't matter about a few dys over.....................WRONG.
I sent a few kids to Ireland last year.and found this out th hard way.............because I had gone 4 days overdue in the previous year, they couldn't go unless I tested again 2 days over 6 months from the last test.   
As anybody can export to Europe, so long as they have not had a scrapie reactor within the last 3 years and the Vet certifies this.............you must not go beyond 365 days since last test.
My kids did go...happily......but it was an expensive mistake.
BGS have a specuial arrangement with SAC re costs and the avaerage lab test is £6.50 per goat
 

[jinglejoys]

Can you tell me if any of you have had goats fail?

[wytsend]

Been testing continously since 1983 whe the test becane available and have never had a reactor.
Reactors are appearing in commercial herds and peeps should be very careful not to purchase female kids from commercials without a current CAE cert for the dam & sire.  If herd owner refuses,  walk away !!!!!!!!!!
CAE is on the increase........ true very small percentage wise...........but an utter disaster for the owner of a new kid to find it is a 'FAIL' at 12 months old.

[ballingall]

Interesting about dates.................I had alwaysbelieved that as long as the goat/s in question tested negative it didn't matter about a few dys over.....................WRONG.
I sent a few kids to Ireland last year.and found this out th hard way.............because I had gone 4 days overdue in the previous year, they couldn't go unless I tested again 2 days over 6 months from the last test.   
As anybody can export to Europe, so long as they have not had a scrapie reactor within the last 3 years and the Vet certifies this.............you must not go beyond 365 days since last test.
My kids did go...happily......but it was an expensive mistake.
BGS have a specuial arrangement with SAC re costs and the avaerage lab test is £6.50 per goat

Yes that's right about exporting. Have sent goats to Ireland and that is correct. When we sent ours we had to have a whole herd test within 6 months of them going- wasn't an issue as ours was done in April and they were supposed to go in early August.... FMD broke out and they couldn't go! They eventually went in November I think but we had to get another whole herd test done. Fortunately our buyer paid for all the additional costs!


Beth

[ballingall]

Can you tell me if any of you have had goats fail?

We did have a reactor, in about 1984 I think. We had a male who was out on loan over the breeding season, he came back in March, and as we only had one male he was put in a shed on his own. When our test came round, he reacted positively (having been negative the previous year). So, we presume he contracted it when he was away. We tested every 6 months for 3 times after that and have never had another reactor.


Interestingly, he wasn't put down immediately. The SAC were doing research on it at the time, and they were delighted to take a stud male they could keep to see how he got on. They kept a tiny "infected" herd. I think the herd was culled only a couple of years after. Presumably the research budget ran out.


Beth

[Anke]

Only a compulsory nationwide test for everyone (incl pygmies) over a period of probably at least 5 years, with all positive animals being culled maybe would mean the UK would be able to stop testing... It would be great, but as so far it is not clear if goats can contract MV (related to CAE) from sheep I guess we have to continue...
 
and it's bl**dy expensive...   I still have to pay for mine....

[sokel]

We usualy just get tested at our local vet at £14 a goat but thats when we only had 4 -6 goats
how does the BGS scheme work ? as now that we have 11 + keeping or buying more in the very near  future it is getting expensive 

[jinglejoys]

I had to Pay £20 for one goat and that was before I moved here over 20yrs ago,,hate to think swhat the con artists are charging nowadays (and that was with me taking him in for the test...he was clear of coarse) I had 70 goats at the time and was told I had to have a test every 6mnths for the first 18mnths and then one annually there after...add that up!(No wonder the vewts all drive tound in posh 4X4's )