Post by maggiesherd on Oct 17, 2007 20:13:52 GMT -5
I haven't posted in quite a while. We are just letting Maggie grow until she's old enough to breed. She turned a year old the first of October. She's precious to us.
I have noticed that the issue of bovine growth hormone has been sparking more controversy in the news. Most raw milk drinkers already know the danger there. But one thing I cannot find any information on from the raw milk perspective is the bovine leukemia virus. We are currently getting our raw milk from a very clean, responsible dairy that charges only 2.75 a gallon. They are truly interested in their service to others and making healthy raw milk available. They drink the milk straight from the tank themselves and give it to their grandchildren. However, I am becoming more concerned that the blv may be present in the milk. My concerns stem mostly from the information that states a large percentage of dairies (89%) are infected with the virus.
Why wouldn't theirs be? I am also concerned that Maggie may have the virus because we got her from this dairy. I have written to a couple of raw milk advocate groups with the concern that the virus may be present in allot of raw milk but have gotten no responses. The only hopeful thought I have had is that milk may also have antibodies to the virus if you drink it raw. But would it offer enough protection? Can anyone offer me any information that could explain these things to me? Most of what you can read about the virus being present in people certainly isn't from a raw milk perspective but rather from the fact that these people have had pasteurized milk or undercooked meat. We only want to do what's best for our family. That's why we bought a cow in the first place. Thanks so much for any insight. Carol
I have noticed that the issue of bovine growth hormone has been sparking more controversy in the news. Most raw milk drinkers already know the danger there. But one thing I cannot find any information on from the raw milk perspective is the bovine leukemia virus. We are currently getting our raw milk from a very clean, responsible dairy that charges only 2.75 a gallon. They are truly interested in their service to others and making healthy raw milk available. They drink the milk straight from the tank themselves and give it to their grandchildren. However, I am becoming more concerned that the blv may be present in the milk. My concerns stem mostly from the information that states a large percentage of dairies (89%) are infected with the virus.
Why wouldn't theirs be? I am also concerned that Maggie may have the virus because we got her from this dairy. I have written to a couple of raw milk advocate groups with the concern that the virus may be present in allot of raw milk but have gotten no responses. The only hopeful thought I have had is that milk may also have antibodies to the virus if you drink it raw. But would it offer enough protection? Can anyone offer me any information that could explain these things to me? Most of what you can read about the virus being present in people certainly isn't from a raw milk perspective but rather from the fact that these people have had pasteurized milk or undercooked meat. We only want to do what's best for our family. That's why we bought a cow in the first place. Thanks so much for any insight. Carol