The cost and effort involved in ridding a goat herd of the Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis (CAE) Virus are well worth the investment according to a new animal disease model that puts real costs on the financial impact the disease can have. CAE is a production limiting disease that infects cells of the lung, central nervous system, joints and mammary glands.
A low impact outbreak of CAE in a 100 head goat breeding and meat herd could cost the operation up to $710 and a high impact outbreak up to $28,900. Those figures were generated by the model based on 2010 cost and revenue data provided by real Ontario producers.
Click here to access the On-Farm Cost of Disease Calculator
Producers must input a series of data in the spreadsheet, such as feed costs, average daily gain, mortality rates and others depending on the particular commodity, in order for the model to generate results.
Funding was provided in part through Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of several Growing Forward programs in Ontario.
To access resources on reducing disease risk to your herd or for more information, please contact the Ontario Goat at (519) 824-2942 or info@livestockalliance.ca.