self sucking doe

Earthbound · #1 11/03/07, 05:53 PM

I have a 5yr old saanen/nubian cross pet goat that is a precocious(sp) milker. She has bagged up 3 yrs in a row, I left her be on the vets advice and all went back to "normal" for another season. well this year she not only has bagged up again on the one side mostly, but yesterday while receiving her brushing she , sat down on her behind and started sucking her own nipple...tummy was rumbling so she was getting something......now I don't care at all that she is doing this, but i also don't want her to harm herself by prolongling this process? Why don't i milk her you ask, well I work 12 plus hours a day on the farm here and literally don't have a spare minute in my day. Right now, I came in for a 10 min. break, and off i go again until dark. i have had milk cows and goats in the past, but learned that it was just one to many things on the list to do. SOOOOO, .....
I called the vet and he suggested that i starve her to dry her up, he used the word starve and then said that the spca, would not like the term but thats what needs to be done, he also said that if she had mastitis, that she would be sick and down on her side......needless to say, i won't be taking any of his advice and deleted his number from my phone.
Now my question is, how DO i dry up a self sucking piglet? Or do i let nature go on for a bit and see what happens? I took a few strips off her earlier and checked for mastitis, all looked good.......no clumps etc..... i actually had my buddy that has worked in dairy farms all his life do the check and he said she was clear....
I'm just confused......
corry

Kshobbit · #2 11/03/07, 06:02 PM

It won't hurt her to do it. You don't want to milk her. She will dry up after awhile whether you do anything or not. I would put her on grass hay and litttle to no grain for a few weeks. That is not starving a goat, just cutting back on the extra feed she is making milk with. I bet she would make a great milk goat!

Earthbound · #3 11/03/07, 07:03 PM

She sure would make an excellent milk goat! Thanks for the advice, I just wanted some sort of confirmation that she'd be OK. I have her on local hay, mostly grass and such and cut out her grain ration a week or so back. Her ration was little to none as she just loafs all day with her sister. thanks a bunch !
corry

Goat Servant · #4 11/10/07, 07:23 PM

You could also infuse the teats with "Tomorrow" or "Today" for cows to dry her up. I forget which is which but you probably are familier with it. Some folks don't like to use it cause it is a medication, but then again if she is self sucking maybe it wouldn't be a good idea unless you put one of those plastic dog funnels on her head to really freak her out.