How Much Milk From Congested Udder?

[Blossomgapfarm]

I posted here several weeks ago about a goat with a history of mastitis and a lopsided udder. Doc said she probably had a history of congested udder upon freshening and guess what - she delivered Thursday night and has a congested udder.

I left the kids on her and did hot compresses tonight. I have some tea tree oil that I will use tomorrow. I know several of you leave kids with moms and separate at two weeks but at what point do you start milking? I have been milking my girls in the evening - freezing the bit of milk (colostrum) I get.

I am wondering about how much dairy goats make this soon after freshening. As they have kids on them, I am watching the babies and all have full bellies and are active and happy but I am not getting much at milking (like 3 oz from the congested udder but 8 oz from the other girl not milked out fully - I am new at this and my arms were killing me at that point ) Any advise?
Dawn

[cjg24]

Thank you so much for your posting. I just spent two hours in the barn working with a mama goat that just delivered yesterday, that is engorged. I didn't think I would ever get her so the babies could feed. By time I had her udder soft enough for a little milk to come down, the babies were so weak I had to bottle feed them a little so they could stand to try to nurse.

Please tell me about the tea tree oil. That is new to me. I hot packed her and rubbed her till she was relaxed and then put babies to teet. I also ordered the Udderly EZ Milker that I have been wanting. I am thinking next time I may be able to express some milk using it. I have a bad shoulder and milking is getting hard, so thought I would use it for milking also. I milk an old mixed breed goat that gives a quart a day. I know real milk goats do better than that.

I am so glad you posted. Now I know what was going on with this goat getting engorged. I never had that happen before.

[cjg24]

Oh, you know what else, I forgot to mention? I don't take my babies from the mama that I milk. We share the milk. I get to her in the morning and milk and then the babies get her the rest of the day. She just makes more milk so we all get some.

[Blossomgapfarm]

Oh, I'm sorry. At least my girls are easy for the kids to nurse on but I have been watching them like a hawk. I had read that sometimes older does have more of a problem with congestion. Mine are 6 and 7 yrs.

I had read about others putting mentholadem on congested udders but someone suggested using tea tree oil if this happened. I ordered some from Hoeggar Supply. I have heard a little goes a long way. I am not quite sure how to use it yet - couple of dropps rubbed in or a little bit in hot water for compresses. Anyway, will be trying to use it tommorow - I will let you know how it goes!

Hope your girl gets better soon and the kids do well.

Dawn

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Unless the congestion is from a CAE positive doe, most congestion, like most other things in our goats, is nutritional. Too much protein (soy) too much molassas, too much grain. In some bloodlines of Nubians edema is a simple way of life with them so we started milking this bloodline about 2 days before they were due to kid, so the congestion that seemed to come on right at freshening didn't.

Massage (and yes it will also bring on pink milk from bursting capillaries) with anything minty, eucalyptusy and as long as the tea tree was diluted adequately (the stuff I buy for my soap will burn your skin off used straight) work well for massage, lots of frequent milking, vitamin C orally (either people kind crushed or buy the horse health brand of vitamin C crumbles), all help with the congestion. She should be back to normal and milking well in about 4 weeks, but if you give up she will dry.

Now we aren't talking about mastitis here, you cant' clear scar tissue from mastitis, or clear mastitis by milking or applying anything topically to the udder, it is an infection in the deep tissues of the udder. Vicki

[Blossomgapfarm]

Thanks Vicki. I used the tea tree oil diluted in corn oil. I rubbed it on me first to make sure it would not burn. Sure smelled good! I am using hot compresses about 5 times per day with massage and milking. This doe's right side looked completely empty prior to freshening but now it is hard like muscle (not rock) and knobby.

I will cut some of her grain - she is getting about 3/4 lb of sweet all grain but I can add alfalfa pellots to make up the difference. How much grain do you feed at 4 days fresh? I have the vit c and will start her on it when I next go out.

I don't believe she has mastitis at this point. Her udder is not hot, red or very painful. She stands for me to massage and does not act like it hurts at all. She is not acting sick at all either.

I appreciate the comments.

Dawn

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Instead of decreasing the grain, add oats to it, to cut the molassas. Alfalfa pellets are wonderful of course, but make sure she is eating at least a pound of real grain each day, along with her alfalfa pellets. There is probably little to no whole grain in your sweet feed. I increase from 1 pound the end of pregnancy to 1 pound at each milking after a few days fresh, a doe would have to be milking over a gallon a day and very young to get more grain than that...they get more if they are excellent milkers and loose weight, they get less if they are poor milkers, or gain weight Vicki