3.2 Got the girls back

I just got Lala and Pippi, my two Buff Brahma Bantam hens back yesterday. Lala won Reserve Grand Champion 2 years ago so she'll hopefully have some great show chicks. They're just in with the rest of my flock. I haven't decided if I'll separate the 4 Brahmas because they may do just fine with the others. Here are some pics of them all! :)





 
 


kk

3.1 Breeding Brahmas

A new project... Yay!!! So, as I said before, I recently acquired an amazing Buff Brahma cock, Alphonse. He's just gorgeous. I still have one of my Buff Brahma hens, Chibi, and I'll be picking up her sisters, Lala and Pippi, this Sunday. Then I'll separate these four and attempt to breed them and hatch the eggs with an incubator. I'll keep you updated.


[The three Buff Brahma Bantams (Pink Floyd, Green Bean, and Blue) that I had last year were all boys & didn't do great in show so I sold them.]


kk

2.9 2nd (and maybe final) Draft

Here it is! Tell me what you think. I'd like this to be my final draft, but let me know if you notice anything I should fix or change. Thanks Auntie! I'm having so much fun!

CAE: Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis

Katherine K.

Comp & Rhetoric: Composition

 2^nd quarter wk 5

Words: approx. 1,267 wds

Assignment: Pick a topic, research it, and write research report. Have a parent choose the word length.

Topic/Thesis: CAE: What it is, the common belief, and where I stand on the subject.

 

                            Before recently, I had no idea there were any touchy or difficult subjects having to do with goats, but I know better now. CAE, a Caprine disease discovered over 20 years ago, is one of the most controversial topics among “goat people”. The disease itself is not the matter that many disagree on, but how to handle it. All goat raisers do things differently, so of course there are things that some think are fine while others opinions completely differ. I’ve done some research to see what three different types of goat raisers think about it. I would have to agree with all of them in some ways; however, it’s difficult to say specifically what I would do since I’ve never had to deal with something like CAE.

Now the biggest question is what is CAE exactly? Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis a.k.a. CAE is a fatal disease that infects goats. This retro-virus, which means that being subjected to the antibodies does not insure the animal safety from it, has a nervous and arthritic form. The nervous strain usually infects young kids, while the latter affects adults. The most common mean of transportation of this ailment is from mother to offspring since it is spread by bodily fluids and luckily, based on current studies, does not transfer to humans. What’s really interesting though is that about 80% of goats carry this sickness, but it is not active. This is an issue since the only test, a blood test, shows if the goat has antibodies or not. If it does have them it does not necessarily mean that the specimen will later become infected; Therefore it is quite tricky.

CAE was clinically recognized in the 1960’s, but was just a rumor in the “goat world” around the 1970’s. In the 1990’s it was officially acknowledged by everyone. At that time, their studies claimed that about 80% of goats were infected, but this was later decreased to about 33%. This number has changed and varied greatly in the past years. Sources at WSU now claim that for about every 10 goats that are infected, 9 remain healthy while 1 becomes infected; therefore, it is at a 10% attack rate. It is not known exactly where it came from. Jim Evermann from WSU says, “Best guess on its origin, is that it crossed species from sheep who were infected with ovine progressive pneumonia-OPP.” It is now agreed upon by all “goat people” that CAE is in fact real and deadly; however, the means of treatment for it is a very controversial topic.

 “Fias Co Farm” is a website run by Molly Nolte, the owner of a fair sized dairy goat herd. Upon doing some research I was able to find her opinion on the matter. Her way of raising goats is a very naturalist manner. Therefore, she thinks that separating a baby from its mother would be cruel. She believes in “messing” with the herd as little as possible. She states, “Of course, you cannot raise your animals completely "naturally", but you can look at how they would have lived before our interference and work from there.” So, taking a baby from it mom instantly after birth, as some goat raisers do to prevent CAE, definitely goes against her beliefs. Additionally, it’s important to note that her herd has never actually been infected with CAE. If they were though, she states that she would treat them as naturally as possible and never breed the animal in order to avoid having to do anything that contradicts her style of raising goats.

Suzanne W. Gaspotto, owner of Onion Creek Ranch and the website, tenneseemeatgoats.com, raises a herd of “meat goats” and has thoughts on how to treat CAE that are quite different than Molly’s. Dairy goat raisers tend to care for their goats more than a farmer who raises them for food. Suzanne strongly believes that any animals infected with CAE should be culled or “put down” since there currently is no cure or effective vaccination for it. “In five to ten years,” she says, “there would be no more CAE if this were done.” Is that possible? Studies at WSU claim that it is. If all goat owners would test and put down those infected the percentage of it would decrease immensely. She also states that in her opinion most dairy goat raisers believe in removing the kid from the doe to maintain high grade milkers and that it is the best way to prevent CAE. She completely disagrees with this practice. Therefore, this is one thing Suzanne and Molly agree upon: that separating a baby from its mother is unnatural.

Jerry Belanger is the author of Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats and one of the many that agree with the separation method. In fact, he writes as if it is the only way. Never does he mention that there are other practices or that there is a big disagreement on the matter. If a goat contaminated with CAE gives birth, he instructs one to immediately remove the kid and clean it off so as to avoid its ingestion of any of the mother’s bodily fluids and thereby transmitting the disease. So, as you can see, there are many different stands on this subject. These are only three of them and one can assume there are more.

My opinion on the matter would probably be a combination of all three I have mentioned. In the past I have separated and bottle fed the kids from my herd. Last year was my first time breeding and the doe would not allow her kids to nurse, so I raised them myself. Therefore, I do not resent or condemn removing the babies. On the other hand, I would not breed an animal that did have CAE. If I did unintentionally, then I would definitely separate the kids. Unfortunately, CAE is a terrible and painful disease. The arthritic form can get so awful, to the point where the goat can no longer even stand. Thus, if it seemed that the creature was suffering I wouldn’t disagree with Suzanne’s notion of putting it down. I would do this to be humane, not for the sake of eliminating the disease. It would be really nice if the disease was eradicated, but I don’t think I could cull an animal that was infected, but would remain healthy.

My strongest belief on CAE is that no method is really wrong. There are some things that one might not like or do themselves, but so far, I have found no incorrect technique. Goat raisers do things their own way so as not to contradict any of their religious or moral beliefs and I respect that. One cannot say exactly what they would do in a tough situation that they have not had to face. I must state that if I ever were forced to deal with CAE my stance and what I have said before may change. I would handle it as humanely as I see fit. For the moment, my plan is what I have said above: care for and treat as best I could, put down if suffering, don’t breed, and separate any kids that were accidentally born. That is my opinion on the matter of CAE.

 

kk

2.8 WSU's reply to questions

Here are the questions I asked and the answers. Yay!


 *       During my research, I came across a woman who believes in culling all animals infected with the disease. She says that if this were done CAE would be gone in about 5-10 years. Is that possible? Can CAE be eliminated? (JE, Yes, technically, if all goat owners were to test, the occurrence of the infection and disease would be a fraction of what it currently is)
*       Where did CAE originate and how? (JE, It had been recognized clinically since the 1960's. The cause was discovered in the 1970's as a lentivirus here at WSU by Cork and Crawford. Best guess on origin, is that it crossed species from sheep who were infected with ovine progressive pneumonia-OPP)
*       My sources all say basically that CAE was discovered around 1970 but it was just a rumor. Then around 1990 studies were made that proved its existence. Is that correct? (JE, See above answer. Since the 1970's we have discovered new diagnostic assays for its' detection, and now run a state-of-the-art antibody assay using ELISA technology)
*       What were and are the percentages of goats infected with and without the active disease? (JE, this figure has changed over the years as more goat owners test, the strains become less virulent, and goats become more resistant. I generally say that for every 10 goats that become infected, 9 remain clinically normal, and 1 becomes clinical-about 10% attack rate)

They were so helpful and got back to me so quick! I'm so thankful!
kk

2.7 Additional Research for 2nd draft

I decided to find a WSU website about research on CAE. Here's what I found...

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) Virus
February, 2011

Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) is a member of the small ruminant lentiviruses (also includes ovine progressive pneumonia-OPP of sheep) which may lead to chronic disease of the joints, and on rare occasions, encephalitis in goat kids less than six months of age. The CAE virus is intimately associated with white blood cells; therefore, any body secretions which contain blood cells are potential sources of virus to other goats in the herd. Since not all goats that become infected with CAE virus progress to disease, it is important to test goats routinely for infection by means of a serology test which detects viral antibodies in the serum.
WSU-WADDL receives numerous inquiries about CAE virus, how to test for it, and most importantly, how to take steps to control the infection in goat herds. It is important to remember that ‘goat infection status’ not clinical disease, is the element of interest in assessing risk factors and designing control programs for CAE virus’ (Rowe & East, 1997). We have taken some of the most frequently asked questions and presented them along with some short answers.

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/caefaq.aspx

 What are the major means of spread of the virus?

 

The CAE virus is primarily transmitted to kids via colostrum in the first few feedings after birth. Blood (e.g., contaminated instruments such as needles, dehorners, etc, and open wounds) is regarded as the second most common way of spread. Contact transmission between adult goats is considered to be rare except during lactation.

 

I also have emailed this site with some questions.

kk

1.9 Chick hatching/Broody hen project conclusion!!!

Conclusion: My attempts at making a hen brood or sit on eggs were unsuccessful and therefore, I was unable to test my theories about hens' and chicks' behaviors. However, this experiment was not a total failure. I did learn from my mistakes and resorted to testing ways to make a hen broody.

              First, I placed plastic eggs all over in the hens' usual laying boxes. This, I hoped, would stimulate the hens' natural instinct to sit on the eggs once a large pile has gathered. This, unfortunately, didn't work. It could be that the hens were able to tell that these eggs weren't real, but I don't believe that was the case. I've had a broody hen before and she gladly accepted plastic eggs. Then I tried a new attempt, force.

             I placed two hens in separate crates with plastic eggs and later real ones, trying to make them brood since they had nothing else to do in such a small place. However, I had to switch them out a few times, because they would get very stressed or angry and did not even seem to notice the eggs.

Lastly, I put a couple hens in a large stall with eggs scattered about, thinking that maybe the small space had freaked them out too much. Unfortunately, this didn't work either. They were too interested in exploring and at night started messing with things. I then removed them.

There are so many things I could have tried, but I have come to the conclusion that you cannot make a hen brood, she has to want to do it. Another source of error is my choice in hens. Some breeds are more broody than others and even then some just won't do it. Some proof that a hen cannot be forced is that Daisy has just started brooding. Doing this completely on her own, she went into their egg room and sat upon a single egg. She's been sitting there for three days now without any help or prompt from a person. This I believe to be a perfect example of my theory.

kk

2.6 Finished/1st Draft

Here it is! I was wondering, Auntie, if you could tell me what you think about it? Any and all criticism is appreciated. I haven't turned it into my mother/teacher yet, so I can still make changes. I'm not quite sure about the ending though. I couldn't think of anything better, can you? Well, let me know!

kk

CAE: Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis

Katherine K.

Comp & Rhetoric: Composition

 2^nd quarter wk 5

Words: approx. 992 wds

Assignment: Pick a topic, research it, and write research report. Have a parent choose the word length.

Topic/Thesis: CAE: What it is, the common belief, and where I stand on the subject.

 

                            Before recently, I had no idea there were any touchy or difficult subjects having to do with goats, but I know better now. CAE, a Caprine disease discovered over 20 years ago, is one of the most controversial topics among “goat people”. The disease itself is not the matter that many disagree on, but how to handle it. All goat raisers do things differently, so of course there are things that some think are fine while others opinions completely differ. I’ve done some research to see what three different types of goat raisers think about it. I would have to agree with all of them in some ways; however, it’s difficult to say specifically what I would do since I’ve never had to deal with something like CAE.

Now the biggest question is what is CAE exactly? Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis a.k.a. CAE is a fatal disease that infects goats. This retro-virus, which means that being subjected to the antibodies does not insure the animal safety from it, has a nervous and arthritic form. The nervous strain usually infects young kids, while the latter affects adults. The most common mean of transportation of this ailment is from mother to offspring by bodily fluids and luckily, based on current studies, does not transfer to humans. What’s really interesting though is that about 80% of goats carry this sickness, but it is not active. This is an issue since the only test, a blood test, shows if the goat has antibodies or not. If it does have them it does not necessarily mean that the specimen will later become infected. Therefore it is quite tricky.

CAE was first reported in 1974, but was just a rumor at the time. It was later proved to be real around 1990 at Washington State University. At that time, their studies claimed that about 80% of goats were infected, but this number was later decreased to about 33%. It is now agreed upon by all “goat people” that CAE is in fact real and deadly. However, the means of treatment for it is a very controversial topic.

 “Fias Co Farm” is a website run by Molly Nolte, the owner of a fair sized dairy goat herd. Upon doing some research I was able to find her opinion on the matter. Her way of raising goats is a very naturalist manner. Therefore, she thinks that separating a baby from its mother would be so cruel. She believes in “messing” with the herd as little as possible. She states, “Of course, you cannot raise your animals completely "naturally", but you can look at how they would have lived before our interference and work from there.” So, taking a baby from it mom instantly after birth, as some goat raisers do to prevent CAE, definitely goes against her beliefs. Additionally, it’s important to note that her herd has never actually been infected with CAE. If they were though, she states that she would treat them as naturally as possible and never breed the animal in order to avoid having to do anything that contradicts her style of raising goats.

Suzanne W. Gaspotto, owner of Onion Creek Ranch and the website, tenneseemeatgoats.com, raises a herd of “meat goats” and has thoughts on how to treat CAE that are quite different than Molly’s. Dairy goat raisers tend to care for their goats more than a farmer who raises them for food. Suzanne strongly believes that any animals infected with CAE should be culled or “put down” since there currently is no cure or effective vaccination for it. “In five to ten years,” she says, “there would be no more CAE if this were done.” She also states that in her opinion most dairy goat raisers believe in removing the kid from the doe to maintain high grade milkers and that it is the best way to prevent CAE. She completely disagrees with this practice. Therefore, this is one thing Suzanne and Molly agree upon: that separating a baby from its mother is unnatural.

Jerry Belanger is the author of Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats and one of the many that agree with the separation method. In fact, he writes as if it is the only way. Never does he mention that there are other practices or that there is a big disagreement on the matter. If a goat contaminated with CAE gives birth, he instructs one to immediately remove the kid and clean it off so as to avoid its ingestion of any of the mother’s bodily fluids and thereby transmitting the disease. So, as you can see, there are many different stands on this subject. These are only three of them and one can assume there are more.

My opinion on the matter would probably be a combination of all three that I have mentioned. In the past I have separated and bottle fed the kids from my herd. Last year was my first time breeding and the doe would not allow her kids to nurse, so I raised them myself. Therefore, I do not resent or condemn removing the babies. On the other hand, I would not breed an animal that did have CAE. Unfortunately, CAE is a terrible and painful disease. The arthritic form can get so awful, to the point where the goat can no longer even stand. Thus, if it seemed that the creature was suffering I wouldn’t disagree with Suzanne’s notion of putting it down. Then again, I have not been faced with this difficult situation since none of my goats have had CAE. Furthermore, my strongest belief on CAE is that no method is really wrong. There are some things that one might not like or do themselves, but so far, I have found no incorrect technique.