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Goat mama has to much milk!

15 years ago

We have a new mama goat (baby born 36 hours ago). The baby is feeding just fine but she only nurses from one side. The other side is super swollen and has turned red and purple at the tip. The skin is so tight that it has even broken a bit and she is bleeding just a bit under the bag (not at the tip of the teat). I milked her on that side this morning but now it is just as bad again, if not looking worse. When I chased her to milk her she was spurting milk as she jogged, so she's not clogged up. Does anyone have advice on what to do? Should I just keep milking her on that side and to what end? I just don't know if that would help or make it worse. SHould we try and force the baby to feed on that side? If thats the case, how would we go about that? Thanks!

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Comments (7)

oberhasli1
15 years ago
It is important to keep that unused side milked out. You don't want to risk mastitis and it will help keep her comfortable. Eventually the baby might drink from that side as well, but they usually pick a favorite side and stick to it. Also with that side being so tight right now she wouldn't be able to latch on. We had a single born last year to a boer doe and I milked her twice a day to keep the unused udder empty. I would also put some udder cream on the unused side to keep the skin soft. You could try to hold the baby up to the unused side when you have the mom on the milk stand, but only after you have milked her out some to soften up that side. She may decide both sides are to her liking.

Good luck.

Bonnie
goats
15 years ago
Bonnie is right. You need to keep an eye on it and milk it out when it looks like you described. When she's a little older (probably @ 2 weeks) she will be taking more milk and probably drink from both sides. I had a buckling I had to teach to nurse. I had to milk out one side a little then hold him to the teat and squirt some in his mouth, he eventually figured out that both sides work. His momma now has a very pretty, and even utter. (he's still nursing)

Cristi
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I agree with you Tom. Occasionally though the colustrum is very thick or the doe hasn't come into milk yet. If the kids suck & don't receive nurishment, because it's not flowing yet, they will give up or become chilled and weak. Ensuring milk flow is a cheap insurance, and normally only takes a few seconds to check. Large farms are unable to check every doe, and expect losses, but smaller farms can check, and many do as the kid crop can't absorb those losses. This has nothing to do with survivability of the kids, but instead a basic necessity sometimes needed if those kids are expected to survive. Sometimes I think it has something to do with genetic selection with alters milk yeilds & whatnot, but that is only my opinion & I have nothing to base it on. Brendasue
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littlereo
15 years ago
GET SOME hot WATER Paks on that side also!! We had one a couple a years ago and that helped SOOOOO much to soften it and to be able to milk some out,( you could very easily get Mastitis it that side if you don't get it down!) But DO want the other ones said to do also!!!!!!! Because it could split, I've seen it, it's not a pretty site!!!!!!!!!!
Sandie
goats
15 years ago
So how's that momma & baby doing?
Cristi
skagit_goat_man_
15 years ago
Well I've done differently from the suggestions above. Every year we have a doe or two with that problem both with dairy and meat goats. We just let them be and the kids do start nursing on both sides. We haven't had any complications with it. Tom
snycal
15 years ago
I would love to hear how this turned out. I have definitely culled out the does who only preferred one side, kicking the kid from the full side. Its just too much work worrying about mastitis.

I copy what Bonnie said..
hope it worked out
mersiepoo
15 years ago
I heard that if the goats have mastitis that you can use some of their own milk as a 'drench' and it somehow helps their immune system fight off the infection. I think they said dose them with 3 tbsp of their own milk.

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