[manyanypets]

Could I ask for some advice from other goat keepers please.  I recently purchased some Saanens with the intention of milking them next spring for personal enjoyment and consumption only.  I have been reading about CAEV and testing.  I decided it was the responsible thing to do so enquired with my vet who has a farm vet service.  They seemed to look at me with a blank expression, and said they would get a vet to call me but this never happened.  I then called them back and they said they didn't deal with SRAC the lab who tests goats blood for CAE. I went to another farm vet who said they only deal with commercial farmers - which I am not.   I also went to the pet vet but was told that they aren't insured to carry out procedures on farm animals. I have joined the BGS who seem to think I just download their form, take it along to the vet who will take blood samples and send them on my behalf to the address shown on the form. One goat farmer I did speak to said he never tested as he breeds for meat and it isn't passed on to humans in the food chain anyway.   How do other goat keepers get on with this?  Is this a procedure that people do themselves? Is there a real need to test for this or I am giving myself an unnecessary job ?  Do people get it done every year or if its a small closed herd do you just test once to satisfy yourself that you have purchased a healthy goat in the first instance ?  thanks in advance for any help.

[fsmnutter]

CAE testing is a simple blood sample, your farm vet should be able to do the blood samples (though be warned, goats can be difficult to blood sample, I've been informed from a far senior vet that she passes all the goat blood sampling to someone else as she struggles with blood sampling goats!). They should then be able to post the sample, even if they don't normally deal with SAC/SRUC who do the sampling, the particular lab is Inverness, so it gets posted anyway.
The next question is exactly what you want to do with it. You can monitor your status through the BGS, and get the label 'BGS monitored'. The BGS can advise you exactly what is required, but usually there are several clear tests required at set intervals, I think about 6 months offhand. Another option is to test through the SAC premium health schemes, which allow you to be 'CAE accredited'. This is similar to MV accreditation in sheep, requires strict hygiene including not being allowed contact with untested/unaccredited sheep or goats, and again, requires a few clear tests at set intervals.
I think what most people do is to test all goats in the herd that are over 12 months of age once a year. This is what I do with mine.
As it is a 'slow virus' it doesn't show up in the blood of young animals, which is why any kids will be classed as CAE negative if their mothers are (because it is passed from mother to young, so before the kids are old enough to test themselves, they must be clear if their mothers are).
Hope that helps a bit
Suzanne

[Anke]

Any responsible goat owner will get their goats tested for CAE, if it has to be done annually (as is current BGS practice and a requirement if you a) want to show your goats and b) want to use a pedigree stud at another farm) is another matter and very much under discussion.

The attitude - I only breed for meat and it is not passed onto humans - is quite irresponsible, as if/when that person sells breeding stock to someone else CAE gets passed on etc etc - and it will enter dairy herds that way, as nowadays a lot of dairy/meat cross breeding is done in both commercial and small-scale goat herds.

I am surprised at the attitude of your vet - as a goatkeeper you are registered with DEFRA/Animal health and it doesn't matter a jot if you are running your goats as a business or not. You would bring business to them so I cannot understand why they would refuse that - I guess it is to hide the fact that they do not know anything about goats whatsoever...

I would try and find if there is a local goat club (I think the BGS website has a list, if not if you can give me your rough area I can try and find out) and speak to them, maybe they can suggest a different and more clued-up vet practice. Vest do not really learn anything about goats at vet school, so unless they have a personal interest and a few goatkeepers on their books they may view you as not worth their while - which is a shame.

I do test my whole herd annually - all it is the vet comes out (if you only have a few animals it is cheaper to take them to the vet practice), takes a blood sample (even grudgingly from the smelly billyboy) and these get sent off to the SAC lab in Inverness. You pay a) for the vet visit, b) for the vet taking the blood samples and c) for the actual testing. Which for 15 goats comes to... over 200 pounds

Unless your goats came with a valid certificate (it lasts 12 months) you may struggle to find a billy worthwhile to use come autumn.

[jinglejoys]

CHEAPER to take to the practice?! I had a billy done when somebody insisted on it and it cost me £20 and that was just for one goat...decided not to take the other 70   I had in those days. Of coarse he didn't have it wouldn't have expected him to 

[manyanypets]

That's very helpful thank you everyone.  I am going to take the BGS form back to the vet to check they understand and then take them to the vet for the blood test.  It is the responsible thing to do as I will be breeding them and can't keep all the kids but wouldn't want to pass over a potentially infected goat to anyone else.  Yes it does seem odd that the goat farmer didn't test just because they were going into the food chain and this plus the vets response is what made me question if I was just over-reading the subject.  I will definitely see what local groups the BGS has now that I am a member and see which vets other local goat keepers use.  At this stage I am not bothered about being part of any accreditation scheme - just want to be confident for my own peace of mind that I am being a responsible goat-keeper.   Thanks everyone for such swift responses too.

[Anke]

Re accreditation - it is something only very few goatkeepers do, as it is more expensive in the first couple of years (testing more often), but also restricts you when buying in new stock. Also if you have sheep on the same holding too, they would need to be MV accredited, as the MV virus in sheep is related to the CAE virus in goats. Not sure there has been cross-infection actually, but it makes it all too cumbersome for anyone who just has goats for pleasure/family use.

If you are not planning to show your goats and probably breed alternate years you could have them tested every other year if you are planning on using outside billies.

[fiestyredhead331]

we have all our breeding goats tested before they go to the Billy, luckily for us the vet here does his rounds once a month, takes him 10 mins so no call out charge just his time and lab fees

[tattycat]

Ok. I get a whole heap of 'blank expressions from my vets. Also not affiliated with any societies, can't bloody afford too!! In the Rep of Eire, cannot get any info about CAE, never mind testing.....drives me nutty.
Common phrase here is 'treat them like sheep'.....

[Daisys Mum]

My goats aren't tested, they are pets and don't go off the property, I'm also not going to breed with them again but we do now have a very good vet for them!

[plumseverywhere]

Our vet did ours, we must be very lucky as it was just a case of scan the ewes and quick blood test for the goats     Isn't it frustrating that vets are (in so many cases) just not trained about goat keeping? the whole treat them like sheep attitude is not only infuriating but potentially dangerous for goats. 

[manyanypets]

Thanks for clarifying everyone. 

[Lesley Silvester]

I only have mine tested if they are going to another goat-keeper for mating or boarding as no other goat-keeper will take them without.

[Penninehillbilly]

I only have mine tested if they are going to another goat-keeper for mating or boarding as no other goat-keeper will take them without.

And if they did take them (for mating), they'll have accepted others, who knows whether the male has been with an infected doe, then passed it on to yours?
I have mine tested for breeding purposes and for my peace of mind, bought some boers and wasn't given a certificate, so pleased everyone came back negative .
 
First time I took them for testing, I downloaded the BGS form, all filled in at home. When I got to the vets, receptionist had a whole sheaf of papers to fill in (from SAC), looked at them, looked at mine. Decided mine was the way to go.
Blood sample - I just lift the head slightly towards me, this tightens the other side of the neck and vet got blood no problem, girls didn't flinched, I talk to them all the time, keeps them calm.
I can't understand why they can't send it off for you, I wonder if it's worth phoning SAC and asking if they have a record of any vets in your area. (they are very helpful, faxed my results because I needed them quickly)
Good luck, hope you get it sorted, and if it's just for breeding there's no rush, you've got till August or later to find a vet.
were they bought as CAE negative? was it mentioned at all?