What creates a self-milker?

[christij]

I heard that if a doeling nurses to long that she stands a higher chance of self-milking herself. Is this true??

[Wendy]

I had 2 does that were bottlefed as kids that self nursed. I culled them. I am not going to feed a goat that steals the milk from us.

[ozark_jewels]

I don't think so. The one doe I had that self-sucked was bottle-raised by the breeder. I saw her start the habit. She had birthed triplets and was laying in the birthing fluids while cleaning and slurping it up. She followed it back to her butt by turning herself into a "U" shape and when she came to her teat she started cleaning it up, then just started sucking the milk. I've dam-raised many, many kids. Some as long as 6-7 months.....none have self-sucked. Its not genetic either. None of my self-sucking doe's doelings have sucked themselves.

[bumpus]

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Remember this ... all baby goats that like the milk weather or not they nursed mom or nurse from a bottle the milk taste good.

When a goat is making milk, the milk is under pressure and there is pain.

Some goats will turn there head and mess with there udder trying to stop the pain.

If the tits are starting to drip milk because there is so much pressure, and she gets this taste in her mouth she will start licking up the drips. If she gets a tit in her mouth and gets more milk, and she figures out how to get it over and over you now have a self-milker.

If you are wanting to milk her and save the milk for your self you could put something on her tits that does not taste good and she will not suck and you can save it for yourself.

Just make sure that you wash of the bad tasting stuff before you milk here and when you are finished milking put some more back on the tits.

What ever you use that tastes bad make sure it wont hurt here or burn here tits.

Someone else may know what you could use for this purpose that would be safe and not hurt the goat and is not poison.

bumpus
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[chamoisee]

I've never had a self sucker, and I've even fed milk to adult does. My does can't reach their udder though. They have long bodies (and long necks, actually), and the udders don't swing forward far enough for them to get any.

I can imagine though, that it would only take one time of the doe tasting her own milk to become a persisitent self sucker. I guess if I had one that I really wanted to keep, I'd put one of those cones on her head like they do for dogs that have had surgery. Oh my, wouldn't that amuse the others!

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by chamoisee

My does can't reach their udder though. They have long bodies (and long necks, actually), and the udders don't swing forward far enough for them to get any.

That won't stop a really determined one. The one I have is long and her udder is well placed and far back there. So what does she do?? Sits on her butt like a dog, cranes her neck far back, sticks her leg out to the side and grabs the very end of her teat.

[vancom]

Val is a veteran at the self-sucking thing! She was indeed way too close to her dam--heck she was still nursing at age 1 year when we purchased her with her dam. I think that's one reason why we tend to bottle feed the babies now so we dont end u with another Val. Her dam was sold last year, and Val is still at it, now with her own teats. But she is still a heavy milker--we cut down to one milking a day and get nearly one-half gallon regardless.

I have found that if I teat tape her at night, she milks out well in the a.m. so maybe that's the secret.

Vanessa
near Nashville

[Idahoe]

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

That won't stop a really determined one. The one I have is long and her udder is well placed and far back there. So what does she do?? Sits on her butt like a dog, cranes her neck far back, sticks her leg out to the side and grabs the very end of her teat.

Same here! I have a self sucker who I tape up to keep her from stealing my milk.

She was weaned by her dam at a normal time. She and her dam had their kids within a few hours of each other (three does kidded in one night!). While the self sucker was in active labor, her dam hovered over her lovingly, and there were the teats right in her face. She nursed her dam a few times, birthed her kid, and after that I saw her nurse her dam several times .

Then sadly her dam died from overeating disease. It did not take her long to discover she herself had the same apparatus. She lays on the ground, curls into a U shape and lifts her leg. She can only suck a little at a time due to the contortion. I tape her up and so far so good. She is such a prolific milker for a FF, I'm willing to work with her for a while. Do they stop once they start or is it ongoing?

[christij]

For those of you that have a SS does it seem that all of them are really heavy milkers??? From what I am reading it sounds that way.

And I have seen Emily's SS and boy does she fill an udder out even if she does self-feed.

I don't have the problem but I did/do have doelings that I tried weaning at 4 months but when we went on vacation they all were reunited. It's only been for two weeks and one is sold and the other has a possible home.

I was just curious what the odds were. Thier mom was averaging 2 qts a day and has never shown this trait.

[chamoisee]

I don't know what causes it, but I don't think it's dam raising. I've dam raised hundreds of doelings and not wound up with a single self sucker.

[bumpus]

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Don't let any goat suck another goat that is ready to have kids because they are drinking the colostrum that her kids need to be healthy.

Separate them if the starts.

bumpus
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[southerngurl]

A guy down the road has a Jersey that does that. Every time at milking time she was empty as can be. He put this pole on her neck, it was about 25 ft long LOL. Was so funny to see this jersey walking around with this extremely long pole sticking out either side LOL. Anyway, he said the next time he went to milk it was like a bowling ball it was so full. I told grandpa (lives by them) about the tape and he tried that and it worked. So now he just tapes her. She looks a little less rediculous now.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Is the tape like the paper backed bandage tape?