The genetic situation is a bit muddled. In the course of establishing various breeds, various prion alleles have become established that otherwise might be rare polymorphisms. While some breeds are prone to CSE or differ in incubation periods [codon 142], none of the alleles seems sufficient to cause CSE. [There is always the awful possibility, as in high hexapeptide-repeat chickens, that inbreeding has fixed a rogue prion with early onset of infectivity but very late onset of symptoms.]

 In summmary, (non-experimental) CSE has been sporadic, not familial, just as with OSE and BSE. The wild-type goat prion sequence can be recovered with confidence since so many artiodactyl sequences are known.

 It might be possible to demonstrate horizontal transmission more rigorously by putting goats into a (non-rendered protein supplemented) herd of sheep with a defined strain of scrapie, followed by strain-typing with comparison to inoculated goats, along with appropriate controls. The _mechanism_ of any horizontal transmission would not be illuminated by this experiment, however. The only possibly similar situation is chronic wasting disease in captive deer quartered in sheep pasture.

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British Goat Situation

ALICE THOMSON The Times: Britain: July 25 1996

More than 95 per cent of the 19 million sheep slaughtered each year already have their heads removed at the abattoir and sheep brain is not eaten in Britain except by some Muslim communities. Sheep's head soup is a traditional dish in the Outer Hebrides.

There are 84,000 goats in Britain, mainly reared for milk and hair, but a small market for goat meat has developed. Ruth Goodwin, of the British Goat Society, said: "Heads are not usually eaten. But we have just begun to get goat meat off the ground and this suggestion that BSE might get into goats is the last thing we need."

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I found this poster at

http://www.allposters.com/Galleryc

where you can buy it online!

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Health Problems Can Be Nutritionally Caused

by Myra Bamberger

from Agribusiness Dairyman

reprinted from REDGA Goat Notes

as printed in United Caprine New / July 1996

 

Modernization over the years has increased dairy herd size, increased production. Reduced labor requirements in milking and caring for the herd. The drudgery has been materially reduced.

Nutritional research has provided the answers for increased production. However, there are problems not being met. This is very evident form today’s herd life span. This has dropped to a 3-4 year period from the previous range of 6+ years (in dairy cattle).

One University of California (Davis) researcher categorically states, “There are copper deficiency problems throughout the state of California.” When driving country roads, visiting dairies, talking to local dairy men and reading articles, I find many who do not recognize they have nutritional problems. They do not know these can be corrected with proper vitamin, mineral nutrition, or neutralizing agents.

When traveling in New Zealand with a farm tour group we all commented about the excellent bloom on their beef and dairy cattle. Everywhere we went it was the same - a beautiful sight! You seldom see this in Western U.S. livestock. WE found their key to this was using six kilograms of copper sulfate per hectare as a fertilizer on their pastures. Their grasses and clovers responded to this treatment. How our forages, alfalfa and corn, used in today’s herds would respond I don not know. For sure, tall fescue does not respond to copper as a fertilizer.

The accompanying list covers 43 items. The most serious experienced by the average dairyman are milk fever, high somatic cell counts, retained placentas, hoof problems, displaced abomasums, abnormal appetites and lost production.

Study this closely. Compare it with your own herd conditions. If you recognize any of these problems in your own herd the answer may lead you to corrective measures. If you have noted any item you are a loser in the form of lowered production, lost time in treatment, treatment cost, length of productive time in your herd, and possibly zero salvage value.

The primary solution for milk fever is calcium/phosphorous balance which should not exceed a ratio greater than 2:1 for the total ration. It has been found that inorganic sulfate is one of the keys to milk fever. In place of magnesium oxide, which is cheaper and commonly used for the magnesium source in today’s minerals, common Epson salts (magnesium sulfate) should be used. A dairyman friend who has been using my original magnesium sulfate mineral suddenly had every animal come fresh with milk fever when his mineral supplier unknowingly (to the dairyman) switched to magnesium oxide as the magnesium source without notification. This sulfate factor was not recognized until just a few years ago, after putting together a new mineral. There were milk fever complaints until a return to magnesium sulfate was mad as the magnesium source. Previously, magnesium sulfate had been used for its catalytic value to enhance the relationship between copper/molybdenum and grass tetany prevention.

High somatic cell counts indicate excessive deterioration of body cells including mastitic animals. For proper cell function, glutathione peroxidase is a key enzyme. It must have adequate copper, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, calcium, manganese and inorganic sulfate.

The peroxidase converts hydrogen peroxide to water. It is involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, maintenance of red blood cells, protects liver energy developing cells, involved in prostaglandin metabolism, assists white cells in killing bacteria.

A dairyman friend after being in a new milk parlor, free stall, feeding corral setup two years ago started searching frantically to locate the cause of a 500,000 cell count. They checked vacuum and stray current. They change teat cups, switched sanitizers, double-checked milking technique, changed all bedding in the free stalls twice. The top four inches of soil in the corrals was removed and re place with fresh soil twice. Nothing! A blood test revealed low selenium. Hair coats were showing copper deficiency symptoms which he did not recognize.

After correcting the copper and selenium problems a year later his count was less than 100,000 and the herd butterfat average increased to 800 pounds.

The body is made up of millions of cells which are constantly being replaced. Excellent somatic cell count should be in the range of 60,000 to 90,000. Above that you must face reality. If higher, there are problems and you should be on the lookout!

Retained placentas will cost a dairyman at least $100 in milk loss besides treatment costs. You do not have tis problem when copper and selenium intakes are adequate.

Hoof problems are definitely related to copper intake. In our experimental work we built a hoof trimmer, we maintained a copper sulfate footbath, we booted cows, we box stalled cows, the works - as we always had five or six animals being treated out of a 30 head herd.

Most large herds today are fighting foot rot and dairy warts. This takes at least a 8x10 foot bath a for 400-600 animal herd. This must be changed at least twice a week. Estimated annual cost for copper sulfate to maintain this properly is $15,500. For a 500-cow herd, feeding a mineral mix to prevent foot rot and provide defensive resistance against hairy wart would cost an estimated $10,847. We had foot problems in a dairy until we got adequate copper into the animals. This eliminated the foot baths, foot rot, and foot trimming with a plus of increased production.

Collagen is very important in the animal body. It is the glue which hold the cells together in the hoof shell, cartilage, ligaments, muscle, skin and bone. Collagen cannot be manufactured in the animal body without sufficient copper. Hoof problems are not conquered overnight, for it takes 12-14 months to grow a new hoof shell. The only way is to feed adequate copper. Only 20% is absorbed when fed orally. This amounts to 2 or 3 grams daily of copper sulfate. It took five grains daily to kill a 500 pound steer in Texas toxicity trials. In New Zealand they fed a yearling 5 grams daily for one year. She had a normal calf and showed no toxicity symptoms.

Elastin, the material which forms cells of arteries, veins, heart lining, intestines, esophagus and stomach wall, is dependent on adequate copper nutrition. The reason I mention this is to warn that hoof laminitis is involved with circulation. Excessive rumen acid interferes with copper absorption. Without adequate circulation there are serious lameness problems.

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