| |
Moonlight
Farms Goat Herd Health Status
|
|
| |
|
|
| It is understood
that knowledgeable goat buyers are very interested in the health status of the
goats they buy. Our goal is to have healthy, care-free goats. We closed our herd
in July of 2005. Our approach at Moonlight Farms and our status with each disease
is discussed below. |
| |
|
|
 |
Caprine Arthritis
Encephalomyelitis (CAE)
|
|
| |
Caprine Arthritis Encephalomyelitis is usually transmitted
through milk from dams to kids. It is more common among dairy goats raised on
pooled milk than it is among goats that raise their own kids. Tennessee Myotonic
Goats are a low-risk breed unless they are housed with other goats, or are part
of an embryo transfer program involving dairy does, which is not the case at Moonlight
Farms. Our entire herd was tested in January 2006. All animals tested negative.
We therefore have a low-risk herd. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Footrot
|
|
| |
Footrot is a bacterial disease that is usually brought in with
newly acquired goats. We have never had a case of footrot, and the few goats
we purchase are quarantined and foot trimmed until we are sure that we are not
introducing the bacteria that causes footrot onto the farm. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Caseous lymphadenitis
(CL)
|
|
| |
Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is a bacterial disease that causes
abscesses. It lasts in the environment up to 6 months, and the incubation in an
exposed goat can be up to a few years but is usually six months or less. In
January of 2006 our entire herd was tested and all were negative. We have never
had a case of CL and are confident we do not have this organism on the farm. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Pinkeye
|
|
| |
We had pinkeye many years ago, but no cases for the
last 14 years. We added one new goat in 2005 and have since closed our herd.
No cases of pinkeye resulted after the addition of this goat in July of 2005.
Pinkeye organisms can survive in a herd, though, and infection may break out when
goats from different herds are mixed together. We don't know whether we have the
organisms, and there is no test that will show if we do or not. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Soremouth
|
|
| |
Fortunately, we have never had any cases of soremouth
(contagious ecthyma, a viral disease). Now that the herd is closed, we are
confident that we are low-risk for this disease. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Parasites
|
|
| |
We manage our parasites minimally. Animals are generally
dewormed before kidding, and then on the basis of the FAMACHA system. We are trying
to avoid making the worms resistant to dewormers. Since we do not have pasture
and have to dry-lot feed, our goats are at a lower risk for intestinal worms than
those that are pasture grazed. We have never had goats show signs of the meningeal
deer worm that causes brain or spinal damage. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Pneumonia
|
|
| |
We have had
not had any cases of pneumonia.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Abortion
|
|
| |
We have never documented an infectious
cause of abortion on the farm from 1999-2018.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Routine Vaccinations
|
|
| |
Our goats are routinely vaccinated
for Clostridium Perfringens Type C and D and Tetanus (C, D & T) at age 4 weeks,
given a booster at 8 weeks and then revaccinated annually. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Johne's disease
|
|
| |
Johne's
disease is an insidious bacterial disease that causes wasting. This usually occurs
in middle-aged animals, although the course of the disease varies considerably
and it should be considered whenever a goat has chronic wasting. Johne's is generally
spread from a dam to her kids. The disease can spread to older animals but with
much more difficulty than to youngsters a few days old. The most susceptible time
period is the short time span right after birth, and the environment needs to
be heavily contaminated so that oral exposure occurs. Infected does generally
have the organism on their udders, which is how the kids get an early and infectious
exposure. The organism can last in soil up to a year, which represents a certain
but low risk in extensive pasture-based systems. This is in contrast to more closely
housed dairy situations (especially cattle) where significant environmental contamination
is assured throughout most facilities, and most youngsters are closely housed
in confined groups.
The tests for Johne's disease all have drawbacks, but are
useful if used appropriately. The AGID blood test is very specific, meaning that
animals that are positive by this are nearly all infected. This test does miss
some infected goats, however. The ELISA blood test, in contrast, picks up more
of the infected animals (not all) but also tends to pick up as positive some that
are not infected, especially if they have been exposed to or vaccinated for Caseous
Lymphadenitis. There is also a fecal test that can take up to 14 weeks to complete
depending on which method is used (there is a liquid test and a solid test). A
negative fecal test is not definitive as the animal can be shedding the bacteria
intermittently, or not shedding at all when they are not exhibiting symptoms.
A positive fecal test, however, is considered the "gold standard" in
testing for Johne's, meaning a positive fecal test result means the animal is
infected. The status of the tests is important to consider when evaluating the
status of a herd - a negative test coming from a herd with a number of positives
is much less reassuring than a negative test coming from a herd of all negatives.
Animals are also only likely to be positive by either test if actually shedding
the organisms. So, an animal with an early, non-contagious case may well be negative
and then become positive only later as it develops the clinical disease and becomes
infectious. It is therefore important to evaluate test results on the basis of
the entire herd and not only the individuals in the herd. In addition, testing
should be done regularly so that those animals that convert to positive status
late are culled prior to becoming overly contagious.
All animals currently in our herd tested negative for Johne’s Disease on their AGID blood tests done January 2006, July 2006, August 2007, June 2008 and June 2010. We plan to continue testing periodically prior to breeding. We will not be able to say we have
no risk for Johne's, nor can any herd make that claim since testing indicates
only no positives at a given time. We feel confident that the present animals
in the herd are "low risk". Our plan to test biannually in the fall will allow us to assure ourselves that we remain in the “low-risk” status with respect to this disease. After several consecutive years of negative test
results for the entire herd, we will feel confident that we are more along the
lines of "little to no risk."
|
|
| |
|
|
We advise all customers to have their animals
tested on a routine basis to verify that none of the more insidious diseases have
been unknowingly brought into their herd, especially if they are buying from multiple
sources.
In the future, if we decide to reopen and bring any new stock in, it will be quarantined
for a minimum of 30 days and will be tested prior to introduction to the herd.
Any animal that tests positive will be culled. |
 |
 |
Home • Fainting Does • Fainting Bucks • For Sale
Bar-B-Que Bob • Herd Health • Sales Information • Favorite Links |
E-Mail us at: candjbene@gmail.com
Smithfield, Virginia 23430
Cindy & James Bene • Phone: 757-357-6951
© 2018 Moonlight Farms. All rights reserved. |
