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.

2.5 Almost done

Hey! I'll be writing my paper today. I answered some questions about this topic on "QuestionsAnyone".

kk

2.4 Still working

I haven't done much lately(since I'm super busy this week). I've taken notes and made source cards, but that's all really.

kk

2.3 More info

Here's some more info I found on another site that I use. This farm raises meat goats though and have different thoughts on it. But it basically says the same thing as "Fias Co Farm".

"Onion Creek Ranch" (Tennessee meat goats)... http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/CAE.html

Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis (CAE), discovered by researchers at Washington State University over 20 years ago, is a viral infection in goats which can cause encephalitis in kids and chronic joint disease in adults.
The elusive nature of CAE complicates the goat raiser's ability to control the disease. Goats can be infected with CAE their entire lives and never display visible symptoms. The disease is more often seen in adult goats. Encephalitic seizures usually kill infected kids quickly.
Adults with visible signs of CAE often have over-sized knobby knees that are swollen in appearance. Sitting down is painful, so they don't wear the hair off their knees. Smooth knee pads can be an indication of CAE infection. Hard udders, sometimes without any milk at all, and fatal pneumonia are symptomatic of CAE. Progressive crippling arthritis is displayed in older adults. Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis is a retro-virus; in other words, antibodies created by the CAE-positive goat are not effective in attacking the virus. The presence of antibodies indicates infection but not immunity to the disease. AIDS in humans is also a retro-virus. While CAE is restricted to goats (caprines), other ruminants have their own species' versions of retro-viruses. Unlike Caseous Lymphadinitis (CL), another infectious disease found in some goats, CAE is not contagious to human beings.
Researchers at Washington State University found that 80% of the dairy goats which they tested carried the virus, while a smaller percentage displayed clinical (visible) symptoms of the disease. However, CAE is not unique to dairy goats, although it has been most commonly associated with dairy breeds in the past. With the appearance of the Boer goat into the United States and the cross-breeding frenzy which has occurred as breeders try to create an improved slaughter animal, CAE is showing up in many breeds in which it had not previously been found to exist.
The most direct infection route is from mother to kid through infected colostrum, body fluids, and milk. In order to maintain CAE-free herds, dairy-goat breeders often take kids from the dam at the moment of birth . . . never allowing her to touch them . . . and bottle-raise the kids on either pasteurized milk or milk replacer. The virus is directly connected to the production of white blood cells, so any body secretions which contain these cells are potential sources of infection for other members of the herd.
All tests currently available evaluate antibodies. Since not all CAE-infected goats have produced antibodies, "false negatives" are possible. A goat infected with CAE but who has not produced antibodies will test negative but still can shed the virus and infect other goats. If the goat has produced antibodies, it has the virus, will test positive, and will shed it to other herd members.
Complicating the matter even more, it is also possible to have negative kids out of a positive dam. Further, a dam who has given birth to twins can produce one offspring which tests positive and another that tests negative. . . out of the same litter. Kids under six months of age are extremely difficult to test accurately for CAE, so most laboratories recommend waiting until the offspring are eight months to one year old.
CAE testing is done on blood samples drawn from suspect goats either by a veterinarian or by the goat producer. Some laboratories, such as Pan American Veterinary Laboratories in Austin, Texas (1-800-856-9655), provide collection tubes for about $1.00US each and accept ice-packed shipments of blood vials for analysis. CAE tests cost about $5.00 US per blood sample, and the results are normally available in seven to ten days. The same blood sample can also be tested for other caprine diseases, like CL and Johne's Disease, for a few additional dollars. Eight to ten cc's of blood per animal is adequate for testing. Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) is another reputable facility for testing. WADDL can be reached at Post Office Box 2037, Pullman, Washington 99165-2037 USA.
Several types of CAE tests exist and have varying degrees of accuracy. The ELISA test is generally recognized as the most reliable, displaying a sensitivity to CAE of up to 95.2%; the AGID test has produced results as low as 56%. These figures may be misleading, as many variables can affect the percentage results.
Since many meat goats will be slaughtered young and humans are not at risk, why should meat-goat producers be concerned about having CAE in their herd? There are three very good reasons for maintaining a disease-free herd:
The long-term health of the herd directly affects sales and, therefore, profits. CAE-infected does produce up to 25% less milk than non-infected dams . . . assuming that they have milk at all. In production meat-goat herds, multiple births are desired, so milk production is important in raising marketable kids. Just as mastitis is not a desired condition, so is CAE. Less milk = smaller kids = reduced profit. Producers of breeding stock must offer disease-free herd sires and dams. Buyers will not pay top dollar for infected animals and will often require testing of animals prior to purchasing them. If the producer is shipping out-of-state or out-of-the-country, it is highly likely that these tests are required by animal health regulations. CAE is incurable at this time.
When buying animals to add to your herd, routinely quarantine them for a minimum of two weeks before putting them with your other goats, not just for CAE-testing purposes but also to evaluate them for shipping fever, soremouth, pinkeye, and a host of other illnesses to which goats are susceptible. Increased interest in goats world-wide, and particularly in the United States, means that lots of goats are being shipped every day. Producers who do not quarantine new purchases are asking for problems. Keeping a "closed herd" in an expansive market is difficult, so follow these minimal precautions.
Producers running hundreds or thousands of head obviously cannot afford individual testing. So be alert for knobby knees, and perform random testing annually and before kidding.

Goats can carry CAE their entire lives and never show an outward sign of it. These silently-infected animals can test negative for the antibody until stress or some other factor activates it. Don't let this incurable disease catch you off guard. Follow these simple, inexpensive steps to keep CAE out of your herd , and the entire meat-goat industry will benefit.

2.2 Signs and treatments for CAE

Here's some more info from "Fias Co Farms"... http://fiascofarm.com/goats/cae.htm

Clinical Signs of CAE

Two separate distinct syndromes are caused by the CAE virus, a neurological disease in the spinal cord and brain of young kids and a joint infection of older goats resulting in arthritis. The clinical signs of the two syndromes are as follows:

The Nervous Form of CAE
All breeds of goats can be affected as can both sexes, and most individuals first show signs between one and four months of age. The problem is one of progressive weakness (paresis) of the hind limbs leading to eventual paralysis. The early paresis may be perceived as lameness, incoordination or weakness in one or both rear legs. Knuckling over of the feet and difficulty in rising may follow until such time that the animal is unable to rise at all. The course of the disease is from several days to several weeks. Despite the progressive paralysis, the kid will usually remain bright and alert and continue to eat and drink. Mild pneumonia may be present. The development of these signs results from inflammation in the spinal cord induced by the virus. Nerves which control motor function of the hind limbs are progressively destroyed.
In older goats, a clinical variation of the nervous form of CAE has been observed which is clinically indistinguishable from Listeriosis. Signs include circling, head tilt and facial nerve paralysis.
The Arthritic Form of CAE
The joint form of CAE most often appears clinically between one and two years of age. There can be great variability in the progression and severity of signs. Some goats can be severely crippled within a few months while others may show only
intermittent lameness or stiffness for years without ever becoming completely debilitated. A ''typical'' case would fall somewhere in between. The disease is usually first recognized as a gradually developing lameness accompanied or followed by swelling of the joints. Swelling is most often noted in the front knees (carpi) and can also be seen in the hock and stifle joints. As the condition progresses, joint pain and stiffness become more apparent. The goat may spend a good deal of time lying down, will begin to lose weight and develop a rough hair coat. In severely affected joints, the range of motion may become limited and goats are forced to walk around on their carpi. Hard udders, sometimes without any milk at all, and fatal pneumonia can also be symptomatic of CAE. No specific cure is known for CAE arthritis. The well-being of affected goats may be improved by proper foot trimming, extra bedding and administration of anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin.
Please note that not all swollen joints or stiff limbs in goats is CAE arthritis.

How CAE is transmittedThe most direct infection route is from mother to kid through infected colostrum, body fluids, and milk. The virus is directly connected to the production of white blood cells, so any body secretions which contain these cells are potential sources of infection for other members of the herd. Blood (e.g., contaminated instruments, open wounds, etc.) is regarded as the second most common way of spread. Contact transmission between adult goats is considered to be rare except during lactation.
Is it okay for humans to drink raw milk containing the CAE virus? Yes, there is no evidence that the CAE virus is transmissible to humans.

 

Herbal Treatments for CAE Though I have absolutely no guarantees that this will do any good at all, if I personally, were to treat a goat with CAE here is what I would try: Provide the goat with as stress free a place to live as possible. Make certain that they have clean living conditions, a comfortable shelter, healthy food, fresh water, good browse, and access to sun and shade. To help boost their immune system so that their bodies can fight against the virus I would give: Immune Support Tincture Garlic (this also has strong antiviral qualities) To help combat the CAE virus I would give: St. John's Wort Tincture To help with the pain and swelling of the knees, I'd use Comfrey, either as a poultice of the dry herb, herbal oil, or as part of Molly's Marvelous Herbal Salve or Aches N' Painz Salve. To help relieve pain and inflammation I'd give: Owe-eze To help with the arthritis, I'd give: Arthritis & Joint Support Formula

2.1 Research report!

To finish up my composition and rhetoric course for school I'm required to write a research report. I decided to do something about goats. So, I went to my dairy goat groups and other sites to find a good topic. Someone suggested CAE. I then looked it up. It's a very touchy/controversial topic among "goat people". It's perfect for my report!

This will be my new project for now. I'll post my progress here(It'll only take a few or several days).

Here's what I found at "Fias Co Farms". (It's a very helpful site that I go to a lot when I have questions. You can check it out here... http://fiascofarm.com/goats/cae.htm )

CAE can be a very touchy subject amongst "goat people". There are many different sides to the "CAE story" and different people have different opinions on this matter. The following is our stance (and it is not the most popular one). It is my strong recommendation that you research this subject thoroughly from a few different, reliable sources and draw your own conclusions about how you feel on this matter and how you wish to handle it for your particular situation.

Here at Fias Co Farm we try to raise our animals as "naturally" as we possibly can in this day and age. We believe stress is a great contributor to dis-ease. Much of the time, if you can eliminate stress, the body can ward off illness just fine on it's own. One way stress happens is when you alter the way the animal would have naturally lived before man. Of course, you can not raise your animals completely "naturally", but you can look at how they would have lived before our interference and work from there. The more we "mess around" with the animals, the more prone to illness they are (and also the more work it is to raise them).

This is not to say we never come in contact with our animals. We spend a lot of time with them and they are all very friendly. We do not give them food treats to "buy" their affections; we give them love and compassion. In turn they love us back and want us to touch them and be with them. We raise and treat all our animals with the love and respect they deserve.

If any of our animals do get sick, we treat them in natural ways, if possible, but also take advantage of living in the 21st century and use whatever medical treatments are needed to best help our animals live happy, healthy lives.

Goats are loving, caring, intelligent creatures. I do not believe that you must bottle raise a goat to have it be friendly toward people. We do not bottle raise our kids (unless absolutely necessary) and they are as friendly as can be (see raising friendly kids). What we do is spend time with them everyday from the moment they are born. They accept us as members of the herd and enjoy our attentions.

This brings us to CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis), a nervous disease in goats, first reported in 1974. It was originally named Viral Leukoencephalomyelitis of Goats (VLG) but when it became apparent that arthritis could also result from the same virus infection, the name of the disease was changed to Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Syndrome (CAE). It has been found that this virus also produces changes in the lung and/or udder but the name CAE is still the name used to refer to this virus.

It is believed that the most direct infection route for CAE is from mother, to kid, through infected colostrum, body fluids, and milk. Because of this method of transmission, many goat breeders practice "CAE prevention". This practice entails removing the kid from it's mother the moment it is born and bottle raising it on pasteurized milk. This is so that the CAE virus can not be passed from the mother to the kid through the milk. It is this part of the practice, of taking the kids from their mothers, which conflict with our personal and religious beliefs. Yes, we agree that CAE can be a very bad and painful disease, and we are not pro-CAE, we just cannot ethically "pull" the kids from their mothers. Goat mothers love their kids, just as you would love your own children. To take the kids away, not only breaks their heart, it causes stress, which causes diseases to surface due to stress.

We also feel that raising the kid in an unnatural way (bottle feeding) causes stress. Kids need their mothers to love them and teach them. Without their mothers they become stressed, thus causing disease. Pasteurizing milk kills bacteria, and yes, it will kill the CAE virus, but it also kills the beneficial bacteria in the milk. Without this beneficial bacteria, the kids immune systems do not become as strong as it would on raw milk. Pasteurizing "cooks" the milk. We believe that kids especially need "uncooked" colostrum to get a proper start in life. This cooking destroys much of the nutrients and vitamins in the milk (please read: raw milk info). Also, we have found that kids that have access to their own mother's milk as they are growing up, grow bigger and stronger, and are hardier and more disease resistant as adults.

A drawback in trying to eliminate CAE from your herd is that there are just a few blood tests to find out if a goat has CAE, all with varying degrees of accuracy. These tests, test for antibodies to CAE. If the test comes back positive, it does not necessarily mean that the goat has CAE, it means she possess antibodies to the disease. This only means that at some point in her life she was exposed to CAE, it does not mean she has it. CAE is like HIV; some people can have it and live a long normal live, and some people can have it and develop AIDS. The goat can have the CAE virus, but they may never actually develop the CAE disease. There may even be a possibility that this goat has a resistance to the disease and could pass that resistance on to her kids. Also, not all CAE-infected goats produce antibodies, thus "false negatives" in testing is possible.

Even with tests, and practicing CAE prevention (pulling kids, separating CAE positive animals, etc.), there is no way of guaranteeing that a herd is totally "free" of CAE. You can only know if a herd has recently tested negative to the antibodies. Goats have been known to be raised in a totally "free" herd for many years and all of a sudden, as many as seven years later, "revert". Any goat can "revert" at any time.

We started our herd with just a few does and bucks have "bred up" with these animals. After years of breeding and holistic husbandry, we now maintain a "closed" herd. Meaning, we no longer bring in animals from the outside and we also do not let our goats leave our property (we do not show). We do this because we have no signs of illness in our herd and do not wish to bring in any. We do not test for CAE, but are aware of the symptoms (see below). If any of our goats were to start showing signs, meaning they actually had the disease, and not just the antibodies, we would act according to what was necessary. There is no known cure in Western Medicine for CAE and we would treat the goat in Natural and Alternative ways to try to cure her illness (see below). If that did not work and if the goat were in pain and was suffering, we would humanly relieve that goat from his/her suffering. If we had a doe that showed symptoms of CAE, we would never breed them because we would not want to risk them infecting their kids.

There are those who would disagree with what I have said here. I have not written this in order to convince you that I am "right". I am just sharing with you my own personal belief. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. With information gathered here, and also from various other sources, it is up to you to make up your own mind.

 

That's just what they believe though. So, now I'll go look for someone else's thoughts on this. Bye!

 

kk

1.8 Had to bring to an end

Ruby was getting extremely restless and dirty in her small space. I felt so bad for her and the eggs had died(I was pretty sure) so I let her out. I have plenty of info to write a conclusion for my school so this is the end of my project.

However, I would like to keep this page so I've been thinking about what i will do with it. I always have projects, not always school, that I can post on here. Like, we might still attempt to hatch eggs, but with an incubator or something like that.

We did go to see a friends hen that has been sitting on eggs and they just hatched. She has 4 mixed breed babies and they are adorable. She's been an amazing mom, pecking the heck of of anyone attempting to get near.

Another thing, we went to a poultry meeting last night. I told the "chicken man" about our issues with getting a hen broody. He said that he has some hens that would be amazing setters(broody hens) if I want them. Certain breeds make better moms than others. They're Old English hens. I'll think about it.

So yep!
kk

1.7 Once they hatch...

Ruby has to sit on the eggs for 21 days(that's how long it takes a chick to hatch). Unfortunately, she has to sit there a bit longer because I had to switch those 7 eggs she had(they had all died under Daisy) and give her 5 new ones. So, she's already sat there for about a week, but only on these eggs a few days. Then I will have her raise the chicks instead of putting them in the brooder. Also, the brooder in the barn that was on the video is only for older chicks(about 2 or 3 weeks old). I'm excited to see her with her babies. I've heard when a momma hen pecks something all her babies run up and peck the same, they follow her around everywhere, and sometimes she'll squat down and call all the chicks under her. It'll be so cute!

I might have to switch out her eggs again. :( She accidentally let them get too cold the other day. I'll wait a few days then candle them. If they haven't grown at all then I'll give her new ones. The only problem is that she'll be there even longer. We'll see though.

kk

1.6 False alarm, but good news!

So Daisy is not brooding. She had started, but then I realized she would just sleep on the eggs and abandon them all day. I was going to keep her in there, however, she started to get really mean and stir crazy. I let her out because I found Ruby! Ruby had been my favorite chicken of Cara's. I just couldn't tell her apart from Anna for a while, but I figured it out. She is amazing! She's already brooding. This time I can tell because she makes these cooing sounds when you touch her and because she didn't get off the eggs this morning for food, like Daisy did. So I'm really excited! I put the same 7 real eggs under her that Daisy had, even though they are probably dead. I'll replace them later today.

kk

1.5 Yay Daisy!

Hooray! Daisy is brooding! I put 2 real eggs under her. Not sure what breed they'll be if they hatch. They have to be half Ameraucana since that's what the rooster is and then whatever the hen is. I can't put the chicks under her cause they're too old, so hatching is my only option. I could just count this(trying to get a hen broody) as my project and just hatch for fun.

I had to take the 2 hens from part 3 out of the stall because they insisted on messing with the chicks' heat lamp. I don't want any fires. So, I put Anna(I think that's who she is) back with the flock. She was being such a brat! Nugget was the other hen with her, so I put her in a crate since it worked so well with Daisy. I just have to be more patient and hope she'll just deal with it.

kk

1.4 Summary so far

1.
Procedure: I placed a bunch of plastic eggs and left a few real ones in the chickens egg boxes, hoping one would become broody on her own.
Complications: There were too many distractions for the hens.
Result: Fail. One hen(Nugget) started sitting on eggs, but got bored and gave up. Nobody else was interested.

2.
Procedure:  I put 2 hens in separate crates with plastic eggs, trying to force them to brood.
Complications: They freaked out in such a small space. Had to switch from May to Lily to Ruby/Anna.
Result: Partial Fail. Daisy is still doing okay. The other hens all failed(wouldn't eat or drink, broke eggs, and freaked out) so they had to be removed.

3. Note: still in process
Procedure: I put 2 hens in a separate stall with lots of plastic and some real eggs all over, attempting to remove them from distractions yet give them enough room, so they will brood.
Complications: They may be able to tell the plastic eggs are not real. Also, it's a new place so they are more interested in exploring than the eggs.
Result: None yet. Daisy is still doing okay. I think I'll try to get them all to actually hatch eggs since the chicks we recieved are too old and the hens aren't ready yet.

So that's what's going on. Just wanted to simplify it.
kk

1.3 Switched hens again

Lily was going nuts in there so I switched again. This is either Anna or Ruby. I can't tell cause they look so much alike. She's a 2 year old Rhode Island Red.

Of course, when I go out they won't sit still, but when I go to take a picture they lay there like angels. Haha!

 

kk

1.2 Switch May for Lily

May had no interest in the eggs and was getting really stressed in such a small space so I changed her out for Lily, Daisy's sister.

She's doing okay. She's not completely on the eggs but that's alright. As long as she thinks she is. (P.S. She is one of the bald back chickens and the hen with spurs*)

Daisy's still doing good!

*I talked about bald backs in my post Saddles from "DailyHappenings" and about spurs in Beaks and Spurs on "Chick-a-doodle".

1.1 Daisy and May in crates

Okay! So for my project(this is for school, but partially for fun) I will get 2 hens to sit on plastic eggs. Next I will place a few chicks under each, so they think their eggs hatched. Then I will do a few experiments and tests with them and their babies.

The first step was to get my hens to sit on eggs or become broody. My first attempt was a failure. I put plastic eggs all over in their egg boxes, but nobody wanted any babies. So, I had to be more forceful. I picked 2 hens and put them in medium dog crates with a little bit of food and water and a few plastic eggs. I chose Daisy and May to be mommas. So, here they are!

Here's Daisy! She is a 2 year old Buff Orpington. She's always wanted to be a momma. She's doing great! She's already sitting on the eggs.

This is May! She is a 1 year old Black Australorp. She just doesn't like the crate and has no interest in the eggs yet.

kk