Triplets born--doe has no milk

Donna · #1 11/17/05, 08:53 PM

Had babies born early this AM. Tried to milk doe several different times thru out the day and she gives 2 ounces and that's it! She looks like she would have milk,her udder got larger as we got closer to due date and she suspose to be a gallon a day milker. Bought some of that packaged colostrum and am giving it to the 3 bucks.... But what why isn't she producing milk? She's on alfalfa pellets,hay, grain...? She's a 5 year old nubian.
Donna

crazygoatgirl · #2 11/17/05, 09:23 PM

Is the udder hard?

Hank - Narita · #3 11/17/05, 10:12 PM

Try massaging the udder with both hands for awhile. Also try to squirt out some milk. She should have plenty of milk with 3 kids. Ours did in spring. Is she a first freshner? How long have you had her?

debitaber · #4 11/17/05, 11:23 PM

I would massage her udder as much as she will let you. and try a warm compress to the udder. have you had her vry long? it might be that she is holding back because she doesn't feel comfortable with you., yet. you might try putting a kid to each teet to get her started, but I would put some pepperment oil on the udder and massage her 6 to 8 times a day, or as much as she will let you, and I would put her on the milk stand to do it, and give her a treat, or some warm molasses water, if you don't have that , I use gator aid warmed they like that, well, mine do , the orange flavor. really baby her. then if you can't get it, call the vet, he might have to give her a shot to get her started, or her teets, can be blocked,. then you just use warm clothes, and massage.

Donna · #5 11/18/05, 08:05 AM

I have this doe for about 7 months,we did within the last 3 weeks move her about 600 miles but she has been here before. She is had 3-4 kids before and is suspose to milk over a gallon a day.5 years old.The udder is not hard and I did massage her and tried to milk her several times now,but only get about 2 ounces,I will try later today. I do have oxytocin,I take it that is what a vet would do for let down of the milk,the vets in this area no nothing about goats.She's eating good and acting normal.

SherrieC · #6 11/18/05, 08:17 AM

Is it possible she has CAE? Although I think if that was the problem she would have a hard udder and you wouldn't be able to squeese out a drop.

Goat Freak · #7 11/18/05, 09:22 AM

I know that there are things that you can give a goat to increase milk production, such as alfalfa pellets? Do you think that if you gave her some that it would help? Of course it sounds like she is a milk goat though so she would probly already be on something for milk production. I think that the best thing to do is to try and get the kids to suck, might help her start producing, if not, if you have another goat that is in milk I have heard that the best thing to supplement baby goats with, besides their mothers milk, is another goats milk. I hope that EVERYTHING goes fine with your little goat babies, all three were boys huh, weird. Well Good Luck, bye.

Teacupliz · #8 11/18/05, 09:25 AM

Try milking as many times as you can each day. Warm compresses and it should soften in a few days.
You can fee baby goats whole cows milk form the grocery store once they get their clostrum
Liz
Teacup Farm

debitaber · #9 11/18/05, 11:16 AM

yes, you can, you can raise them on regular vit. d milk, not lowfat though. and they will make it , just fine.
I hope you are mixing the milk you get from her, with what ever you are feeding her. you could give her a small shot, but I would probably try it. if her udder is soft, and not hard. and continue to massage her, and warm compresses.

crazygoatgirl · #10 11/18/05, 04:35 PM

With a CAE pos doe you will get small ammounts of milk like this. THey will eventually soften if you can stand milking them long enough for it to happen. Just remember that any baby goats that drink her milk unpasteurized will be positive.

Donna · #11 11/18/05, 06:37 PM

Thanks everyone! She's starting to milk now. Not a huge amount for the size of the way her udder looks but least we are getting it out.Babies are all doing good. I will have to look up that CAE as I am not familiar with it.
Thanks
Donna

Goat Freak · #12 11/19/05, 12:34 PM

Glad to hear that she is milking a bit more, we just had a goat give birth that we were SURE that she was going to have triplets at least, she was HUGE, she ended up having ONE doeling, oh well at least the baby made it. See ya, bye.

mpillow · #13 11/19/05, 03:12 PM

Worming her may also help....I had a doe kid with twins and no milk....after a double worming she came back into milk at 6 weeks post kidding.....

Milking Mom · #14 11/19/05, 06:51 PM

She could need some more calcium. You could try getting a tube of CMPK and giving her some of that for a couple of days. It can be caustic to their throat and she will fight you, but it is really good for a doe that is low on calcium levels. Or another thing you could get some injectable CMPK from the vet and give it to her sub q, right behind her last rib. The dosage on that is 30 ccs once a day. If you should see any muscle tremors as she is getting onto or exiting the milk stand this is definitely the problem (low calcium) Warm water with some molasses in it is a great suggestion. If you do give the oxytocin 2 ccs within 12-24 hours of kidding is usually the protocol, for milk let down. Sometimes it just takes a couple of days for their milk to come in. If she were mine, I would give her some CMPK just to make sure.