Is this colostrum?

minnikin1 · #1 06/17/08, 11:51 AM

I have doe who was due to have her second kidding. (She is new to me, I bought her bred).

Her pregnancy seemed to be progressing normally, and then one day I noticed she had dropped significantly. I expected kidding was imminent and watched her closely.

Instead of kidding, she has been slimming down and losing her udder.
For a week or so I suspected miscarriage, but still - I hoped I was wrong.

I never saw any sign of an aborted fetus, no blood, guts or goo. She never showed signs of crying or mourning...

Anyway, it dawned on me how long I will have to wait now to get her in milk and it put me in a complete panic! I need milk desparately!

So I thought I would try to see if I could bring on the milk before too much time elapsed from when she lost her kids or had false labor...

I put her on the stand this morning to see what I would get. (I am a completely inexperienced milker, BTW. Excepting stripping sheep teats... I've never done it.)

At first there was nothing and I was about ready to let her get down when I noticed some wetness. Then I started to get copious amounts of thick yellow substance. It wasn't lumpy and didn't look like pus, but it was gooey - approaching an egg yolk! Very hard to clean up...

So what is that? Can I cause her harm if I continue to milk her out a tiny bit each day? Is it possible I can get her flowing with no kids?

What if I'm wrong and she IS still pregnant, but just fooling me with her slimness?
(Former owner lost breeding records and can't tell me when I can give it up as a lost cause.)

crazygoatgal · #2 06/17/08, 11:57 AM

Have you felt her side for movement? Does she have loosened ligaments near the tail?

sungirl · #3 06/17/08, 12:15 PM

I would leave it in her for now. Can you get your vet out to run some simple blood tests? Is there any fever? It is odd no signs of kidding, do you have a LGD that might have ate the fetus? Or licked her rear clean?

Patty.

minnikin1 · #4 06/17/08, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sungirl

I would leave it in her for now. Can you get your vet out to run some simple blood tests? Is there any fever? It is odd no signs of kidding, do you have a LGD that might have ate the fetus? Or licked her rear clean?

Patty.

Yes, I have an LGD.

minnikin1 · #5 06/18/08, 01:55 PM

Anyone? Do you think that yellow stuff I milked from her was colostrum?

She looks and acts completely healthy/happy... eating well. It's WEIRD.
Hubby thinks she's still pregnant..
I can't feel kids moving, though.

Alice In TX/MO · #6 06/18/08, 02:58 PM

Yes, or milk/colostrum in the phase of being reabsorbed if she aborted.

PlowGirl · #7 06/18/08, 08:24 PM

Was it sticky on your hands like honey would be. If yes, it's probably colostrum. In any case, it might be a good idea to go ahead and milk her out and save it, on the chance that she does kid after all, you'll know that there's plenty of colostrum. If she doesn't kid, you can start keeping the milk for yourselves. If you let it go too long if she's aborted/absorbed, she'll dry up and then you will be that much further behind.