Anudder update on my udderly frustrating udder issues

whinnyninny · #1 05/23/08, 08:59 PM

Hey now, no one ever accused me of being funny or clever.

The good news is, both sides of her udder are the same size now, pretty much symmetrical. The bad news is that when we went to milk her last night, she was as empty as a hermit's address book. A bit shrivelled and wrinkly... on that side, anyway (the other side where the kids nurse still had milk). I went to look at her again this evening, and it doesn't look wrinkly now. I was able to touch it for about 1.3 seconds before she kicked my hand away, and it feels a bit firm (last night it was squishy) so we will try to milk her again tonight when DH gets home, and hope she hasn't dried out somehow. She will tolerate the kids prodding that side of her udder with their noses, but they don't seem to try nursing yet (as she hasn't let them do that in the last 2 weeks!) I still have some hope!

Her udder is still pendulous- of course that will never improve. But it reaches right to her hocks now (instead of below), and she doesn't seem to be at much risk of stepping on it or catching it on anything inside her pen.

I have the idea in the back of my mind that I *may* have to feed these kids a milk replacement if her milk supply is dwindling. If she will no longer give milk out of the one side, I don't think they'd both be getting enough out of the other side. (How can I tell, anyway? By weight? I believe they are 1/4 pygmy...)

Zone · #2 05/23/08, 09:05 PM

If you do have to get an additional source of milk for the kids and you have no access to goats milk, go to the store and get whole cows milk. It is better than milk replacer by far.

whinnyninny · #3 05/23/08, 09:30 PM

Okay, thanks!

There's a hormone-free milk on sale at the store that comes in quart-size glass bottles, for $2 each... I grabbed 4 bottles yesterday (thinking I could sterilize the bottles and keep goat milk in there). I can go back and get some of the bottles of whole milk.

nehimama · #4 05/23/08, 09:39 PM

Maybe she's finally letting the kids nurse on the other side, and you just haven't seen them at it? I've never heard of a doe drying up overnight, but I guess anything is possible, huh?

NeHi

whinnyninny · #5 05/23/08, 09:47 PM

There was milk in the other side, though (the ones the kids normally nurse off). So I don't know...

whinnyninny · #6 05/24/08, 09:09 AM

Well, we tried milking her again last night, and nothing whatsoever came out of that right side... I suppose she really has dried out! The area around the teat is a bit wrinkly and soft feeling. There is still milk on the other side.

Now I think I know why I got her for such a "good" price.

I thought it would've been because she was a cross-breed and not currently in milk at the time! (Lesson learned!)

I'm trying to talk DH into selling the bunch of 'em for $200 or so... we'd lose a bit of money, but it'll be spring before we're able to get milk out of any of these goats, and that'll only be with the older doeling (and I don't know how good of a milker she'll be).

LaManchaPaul · #7 05/24/08, 09:40 AM

Quote: "Now I think I know why I got her for such a "good" price. I thought it would've been because she was a cross-breed and not currently in milk at the time! (Lesson learned!) "

I understand your “good” price issue very well. It seems the farm where I bought my little herd is a good “horse trader” AND the “experienced” person recommending the farm knew the issues; but neither one disclosed the problems. I’m with you! Each time I read an article/post about culling a less desirable animal, it simple reads that some inexperienced goatherder-wannabe will get a “good” price. Expensive lessons; nonetheless, I love my animals. Paul

whinnyninny · #8 05/24/08, 09:43 AM

Yeah, that's what worries me about trying to sell them. But there are a lot of people around here who want to buy goats for cheap (often for meat though, not for milking... and mine are Boer crosses). I can't be keeping these animals though, as I want them for milking and not for meat...

Alice In TX/MO · #9 05/24/08, 12:41 PM

I think all of us go through awkward goat learning experiences when we start out. Everyone I know well with goats started with one breed or cross, and then their herd evolved to something else.

We started with two mini mutt goats because we were intimidated by full sized goats. Took us about a year to get over that and get real dairy goats. We're still learning and making changes.

It's easier to sell out and start over than to try to breed up.