kids nursing only one side

xoxoGOATSxoxo · #1 04/14/08, 06:16 PM

Sighhhh. The 2 bucklings born yesterday are only nursing one side of mamas udder. They are nursing the side with the bigger orifice, which I assume is easier to drink, because it is easier to milk. I am currently milking out the un-nursed side and freezing the colostrum.

I put them on that side when they are hungry, but they drink a bit and then stop sucking, and trot away or to the other side. They wont nurse there for more that 30 seconds. Her udder doesnt feel any different, but there was one little milk clot that plugged the teat for a sec and then came out, and also there are some little buttery balls, the size of the head of a pin, that came out when I strained it. (There was some hairs in it, so I strained it.) I dont know if thats why the kids wont nurse, or just because of the size of the orifice.

I dont know, is colostrum supposed to have little buttery balls in it? They are white and squishy. I've only milked colostrum a few times, when kids were born and had to be tubed or syringe-fed. I dont remember any little balls.

The refuse to nurse on that side on their own, I have to hold them. And not for very long. So how long can they survive sharing one half and udder? When do I have to fed them the colostrum I've got frozen for them?

joyceb · #2 04/14/08, 07:31 PM

Abby,

I'm not an expert at all - just a beginner, in fact. But when I read your post I thought of the does that have triplets & quads... I wonder if, since you are milking out the neglected side, it wouldn't be just fine. In quads you'd have an average of 2 to a side. If you are making sure she doesn't get engorged on the one side I would think the 2 kids would be alright.

Again, I'm a beginner. But this is my best guess. I hope someone more knowledgeable will come along soon!

Best of luck,

Joyceb

tmfinley · #3 04/14/08, 07:38 PM

I don't have personal experience here, but have heard some talk on here or dairygoatinfo.com about taping one teat so the kids can't nurse of of it and have to go to the other one. You could tape it for half of the day and take it off for the other half. Just an idea if you don't want to milk her out constantly.