I read on a web site that you can use cow's colostrum and cow's milk in a CAE prevention program. Does that work? Can you use calf milk replacer for the baby goats too?

-- lisa hamre (lisa@hamre.net), May 25, 2002

Answers

We have used cow colostrum in a pinch, and they did fine.

Usually we used heat treated goat colostrum and raised the kids on pasturized Jersey milk. For CAE it wouldn't have to pasturized, but there are other deseases that are transmittable through cattle, Johnes for example. The very high butterfat content of Jersey milk worked great raising the kids! One cow raised alot of kids as well as her calf, two Holstien replacement heifers, and plenty of milk for us, also soon enough, extra to sell. Milking one cow was not a big inconvenience, and she was very thrifty. I found it to be IDEAL in a larger herd because we could sell the higher valued goat milk from the start.

As for the replacer, I'm sorry I've never liked using it at all! Goat or cow! I have a friend though, who raises her bum lambs on half calf (?)replacer half Jersey milk, and they thrive.

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow1@aol.com), May 26, 2002.