[PolkRiverRanch]

I recently got CAE results that were positive. The breeder I bought them from swears that he follows a very strict prevention program with all of his kids born on his ranch. He told me he believes that he used a goat colostrum replacer from a well known goat supply house and thinks the kids were infected through that. Is that even possible? Has anyone ever heard of that? I couldn't find any info on any cases of that happening.

 

[ksalvagno]

It is mainly passed through milk so that is certainly possible.

 

[PolkRiverRanch]

If it was a powdered/dry replacer wouldn't it be heat treated? It was goat colostrum, but I thought if it was heat treated it would be safe. This is all so confusing and scary.

 

[goathiker]

It's probably not heat treated very well...Or it would kill the microbes that are needed in it. I've heard rumors about this, nothing proven, just rumors....

 

[KW Farms]

In my opinion, highly unlikely if not impossible that the kids contracted CAE from a colostrum replacer.

CAE tests aren't always accurate. The kids should be at least six to eight months old when tested. The younger they are, the more unpredicatable the tests can be.

CAE prevention is not always going to work either. If the breeder's herd has not been tested as CAE neg. and there are positive goats on his property, it can spread by accident even with CAE preventative methods.

If the breeder claims to have a very strict CAE preventative program, but he can't even remember if he used a replacement colostrum, then that makes me think something fishy is going on and the breeder is trying to blame someone else.