Precocious milker ???

pookshollow · #1 06/30/08, 04:42 PM

I noticed the week before last that Emily, a dry yearling Alpine/Saanen, had a bit of filling in her teats. She was over for a cuddle just now, so I thought I'd have a look.

She has milk in one side of her udder!

How do I deal with this? I certainly don't want to be milking her or doing anything to encourage it. She gets grass hay, pasture and minerals - no grain.

sungirl · #2 06/30/08, 05:48 PM

My Saanens doe that some times, you can start milking her or just watch it and see what happens.

Most times that means you got a gallon per day milker in waiting!

Patty.

RiverPines · #3 06/30/08, 06:03 PM

I have a pygmy that did that.
She was 4 and never had kids yet she gave milk!

pookshollow · #4 06/30/08, 06:14 PM

Quote:

My Saanens doe that some times, you can start milking her or just watch it and see what happens. Most times that means you got a gallon per day milker in waiting!

Her mother is a little grade Alpine, still milking 16 months into her lactation, and showing no signs of stopping. She was milking over a gallon a day at her peak. Her grandmother is a good quality Saanen, giving 6 litres at her peak this year. I always figured Emily is going to be good, but this is kind of scary!

Otter · #5 07/01/08, 07:02 AM

Since it's just one side, watch and make sure she isn't self-nursing.

Cara · #6 07/01/08, 08:55 AM

Also watch for mastitis. My goat friend has a beautiful first freshener that showed a precocious udder and freshened with it. She's been fighting with it ever since.

pookshollow · #7 07/01/08, 09:24 AM

Well, see, that's my concern. Is it better to milk it out, thus encouraging more production, or leave it alone, possibly causing mastitis? This is going to be a really nice little milking goat, and she's my bottle baby, so I don't want to cause problems.

sungirl · #8 07/01/08, 10:24 AM

I have done both ways, I left the doe alone and she did freshen a bit uneven but when she freshened for the second time she was even. On the other hand, I have milked them and did it untill they got bred. The ones I milked were even and I found had a higher amount of milk on their first real lactation. Since they had been milking for the second year. I would milk her side out since she is a dry yearling and not a young doeling still doing most of her growing.
I would like to see what Vicki thinks about this subject, she must have had some of these does before.
Patty.

Otter · #9 07/01/08, 11:52 AM

I will say that I have no experience whatsoever with this in goats. I believe that mammals are not all that different from each other in some respects and will say that I have seen humans and cows start to leak (or sometimes pour) milk well before birthing. They were more comfy when milked and had plenty of colostrum for their babies. I'm with Cara in that I would worry about mastitis and I'd milk her. But that is just my opinion based on dairy cows and people.

pookshollow · #10 07/01/08, 12:49 PM

I decided to milk her out, rather than risk mastitis. Didn't get an awful lot, but noticed what looks like dried milk on the empty teat. So, I put teat tape on both sides - we'll see if she's self-sucking. I have noticed her rootling around down there on occasion, so it wouldn't surprise me.

I guess, if worst comes to worst, I can milk her out once a day in the evenings. I've got my hands full in the mornings - milking three experienced does and trying to train a FF to the milkstand, all before work!

tioga12 · #11 07/01/08, 03:28 PM

Personally, I always let my does alone if they have a precocious udder. It's a good sign of their future milking potential, but milking a precocious udder can be risky: it can ruin their udder and you may never be able to milk them later. Sometimes the udder will go away all on its own over time.

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #12 07/01/08, 03:37 PM

It's not a percocious udder if it is just one side. Percocious udders are hormonal and considering I have a buck that milks, we have lots of doelings who very very young will come into milk. It's actaully one more of the reasons I don't do dry yearlings. Come spring their will to milk is so great they will simply form an udder although not bred.

You have a doe with one half. If would milk out that half, dry cow it with Pirsue and send the sample in to be cultured. If you do not have a local lab you can drive it to on ice, make sure you send it in (LSU does free tests still, info on goatkeeping 101) in a styrofoam ice chest filled with ice packets, if it gets to a lab warm they will not run the test. Also don't go giving anything until you get the sample sent off.

It's likely subclinical staph. Did she nurse her mom? Do you heat treat and pasteurise? Vicki