Saturday, November 3, 2012

THE HERD
 
 
 
 
Babel Brook Acres BW Sunshine
DOB: 04/07/2011
1.5yrs
Date Added to herd: 04/07/2011
STATUS: NEGATIVE
tested 09/28/12
 


Oak Hollow Acres Phoenix-feier
DOB 04/19/10
2.5yrs old
Date Added to Herd: 09/15/2010
STATUS: NEGATVE
tested 09/28/12
 

Shere Country OB Hazel
DOB: 03/09/10
2.5 yrs old
Date Added to Herd: 11/17/11
STATUS : NEGATIVE
tested 09/28/12

 
 
Fall Creek MAV Natasha
DOB: 04/14/2010
2.5 yrs old
Date Added to Herd: 04/29/2012
STATUS: POSITIVE
Tested: 09/28/12
DECEASED
 
 
Desert Nanny BR HOO DOO Ya Love
DOB: 03/13/12
6 months old
Date added to the Herd: 08/17/12
STATUS: not tested.
 

Pholia Farms RD Matilda
DOB: 04/21/12
5 months old
Date added to Herd: 09/20/12
STATUS: Not tested
 

Breezy Farms Chloe
DOB: 03/09/2012
7months old
Date added to Herd: 03/09/12

STATUS: not tested

DECEASED
 
 
 
 
 
 

So Now What? 

 

I have to admit, I was a little shocked when I had heard the results. I thought I had done my homework, examined the websites, read the books. None of my goats looked sick or ever presented with any health concerns.

 

I stayed on the phone with the vet discussing options, test results, and recommendations for the rest of my animals. We decided the best thing to do would be to put Natasha down. The vet had asked if Natasha had given birth to any goats on my farm and if those offspring existed. I told him no, I had bought Natasha after her 2ndkidding and had expected to breed her fall 2012. Then my heart sank when I thought of Chloe. When I bought Natasha I had made arrangements to remove Chloe’s mom from the herd and replace her with Natasha. I had hoped that this would help wean Chloe. I have never had a doe that allowed a kid that wasn't hers to nurse off of her so I thought this would not be a problem. To my suprise, when I made the goat switch Natasha became Chloe’s foster mom. I guess poor Chloe was so lost when her mom left and Natasha was still in “parent mode” after having just kidded, that the two became a pair. It was not uncommon to find Chloe sneaking milk off Natasha throughout the summer.

 

It became apparent to me that in order to stop the organism from spreading around my farm any further, I had to put Chloe down as well. That night my husband and I drove to the vet clinic to have both of them euthanized.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


12 comments:

  1. Bravo Jackie for a most educational blog, and for having the guts to come out publically and post WHO it was (Fall Creek Farm/Lois Jordan) in Wisconsin, you bought the infected goat from. After having a most negative experience with Jordan with one of her very poor quality and extremely ($2500) overpriced Spanish Mastiffs, I sincerely hope between my posts and your blog we can put this woman out of business. She truly should be hung on a rack and flogged in public as far as I am concerned, for the things she has done..... Thankfully, the word is getting out about her and I note she seems to be having a difficult time now selling her litters of pups. She does not test for HD in her dogs and it is debatable that she ever tested her goats for this fatal disease. Thank you for posting this. It is most informational. I will copy and post the link to this blog everywhere I can....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately even with Jackie going public about Lois those are all two many who wont see this or will see it and ignore it.

      Delete
  2. With tears streaming I just want to say how sorry I am for you going through this. My goats are pets so I am going about handling the disease a little differently. I don't breed, milk or show or anything. My goat (Gretta) started loosing weight. Thought it was a problem in her mouth. Went to several vets with her and would start antibiotics and she would get a little better then relapse. I frequent the goat forum on Homesteadingtoday.com and they urged me to test for Johnes. I thought no way is that the problem. But I sent a fecal sample in myself (I work for a small animal clinic) and to my horror the test came back positive. It was a direct PCR test. When I got Gretta she was pregnant and had twins...they are 4 years old now. THis past spring I bought 2 bottle baby mini Lamanchas. All the goats free range the 10 acre property...the poop is everywhere. I did move the babies into another shed to sleep at night. But really I feel they have already been exposed and there is nothing I can do. Negative results are just too unreliable and it wouldn't change anything. Last week I sent in a blood sample and more fecal to a different lab to verify. Gretta is done with a 2 week round of Tetracycline. She is currently on 20 mgs of Prednisone and 2-1/4 cc Thiamine BID. She seems happy and comfortable but is very anemic. We will not let her suffer. We are taking it one day at a time. We will not bring any new goats (or other ruminants) onto the property. :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Also wanted to mention that none of the vets ever thought it could be Johnes because she doesn't have diarrhea. Johnes never even came up. Goats don't normally get diarrhea with this disease and very few vets know this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so sorry to hear about this. I agree, the people that I have talked to ..in most cases...didn't have diarrhea. If Natasha would have started losing weight I probably would have suspected worms or that milking was taking its toll on her and wouldn't have guessed it was Johne's. I would have told myself too, hey, I have a small herd..no way it could be this! Thats why I am thankful I tested..and will be testing.
    I wanted to have this out here for people to share this kind of information..Thankyou for sharing it! I think its important and its for the benefit of all our animals..not just goats! Of course everyone can choose the management plan that they want based on what the needs are. good luck to you! and feel free to keep me posted too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm still reading your blog, which I found on FB's GoatWisdom. Thank you for being honest. I have found in my 14 yrs of goat raising, there are people that aren't honest.

    A lady with a real nice herd of large dairy goats near me has said she doesn't have CL. Before I knew this lady (I was living in MT at the time), I met a person who bought a doe from her that popped an abscess. Since the original owner now lives near me, I was interested in seeing how she explained not having CL. She just states she doesn't have it. Well, last year I went to a vet to get a couple tom cats neutered and asked if he treated goats. While talking to him, he asked if I was going to buy any of this lady's goats since her husband died. I told him no and about the rumors of CL. His statement: "She used to have CL, but doesn't now" told me all I needed to know. Had she been honest, I would have considered her herd. But she's denied it and I don't deal with dishonest people.

    Because I'm up front with stating I have a CAE+ doe that runs with the herd, I have lost a few sales. However, she's 9 and all the others, almost as old as her, still have low titers when I test every year. But people are scared of CAE & don't want anything to do with it, which is fine. We have to do what works for us. I would buy a CAE+ goat if it fit my program. I do not pasteurize milk for kids either. The 9 y/o's milk is sold for human consumption and never enters the kids food chain.

    Honesty is always the best policy. Back to reading.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SaanenMom you are absolutely right about honesty. Whether it is Livestock Guardian Dogs or goats, honesty should always be the policy, unfortunately it isn't that way. It will take all of us working to expose untrustworthy breeders who have sick dogs and goats or what ever.....to put them out of business or at least warn people about them so others do not have to suffer the losses this person did. Lois Jordan also had a huge attack of Leptovirus hit her dogs. She owns a sister to one of my males. I think that dog is still infected because she can't seem to ever get her to take on a breeding and Lepto does that.... She moved earlier this year, and I have heard from other sources they think the Lepto was the reason for the move but now I wonder if it wasn't a combo of that and what is going on in her goat herd (the Johnes). She has made numerous claims her dogs are "hip displaysia free" yet she does not test them (OFA or Penn Hip scores). Now, this. The term 'pathological liar and cheat' comes to mind.....

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just got the news that Gretta's blood test came back positive. That is 3 positive tests and no negatives. She has it. I'm a mess :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. The picture of Chloe standing next to the log is just preciuos. Bless her little heart.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This particular weblog is seriously interesting, keep blogging good info.phoenix property management

    ReplyDelete
  10. Its a amazing blog.Thanks for sharing the beautiful pics and interesting information.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Whoa! Never knew about this...this is really wonderful! Thanks a tonPheonix property management

    ReplyDelete