calf on goat? saggy nubians.?

chewie · #1 07/12/08, 04:28 PM

i recently was talking with an older man who was telling me how he used to put a calf on his dairy goats. wouldn't this ruin the udder??

and as another thought--seems i see more nubians with those long saggy udders than other breeds--are they more prone to this than other types or have i just seen an unusal amount of saggy nubians?

**mygoat** · #2 07/12/08, 04:39 PM

Yes, allowing anything to nurse the udder will cause udder damage. I pull all kids at birth and milk 2x per day.

You probably are just seeing more ILL BRED nubians than other breeds.

topside1 · #3 07/12/08, 06:09 PM

This topic comes up from time to time...if you let a calf nurse a goat, well lets just say your not to bright if you try. The goat would suffer, a calf's strenght and sucking ability will destroy an udder. Of course that's just my opinion. It's literally a ridiculous to even consider such an idea. Sit on a bucket, hand milk the goat, and then feed to the calf.

**ladycat** · #4 07/12/08, 06:43 PM

My mother used to milk her goats and then give the milk to the calves with bottles.

Putting a calf on a goat is a really bad idea.

chewie · #5 07/12/08, 06:49 PM

that's what i thought! this old guy was telling me how great it worked, but i just kept thinking prolly not so great for the goat! we've raised cattle for years, and i just cannot see that working out very well, the way a calf goes at a teat. i've had them rip the nipples off a bottle, and if they get that rough with a goat, gosh that'd have to be painful and cause so much damage! glad i wasn't the only one thinking it was a stupid move!

JKB07 · #6 07/12/08, 09:40 PM

I guess im the STUPID one on here.... I bought a 6 year old reg. nubian doe three years ago. When i bought her she was one month fresh. I got her from a good friend, he said she was the nicest goat her had, always trying to steal everyones babies. Anyways, i milked her twice a day and fed it to the calf for about 4 weeks, then one day the calf was standing there waiting for me to finish milking, then the calf just walked up to Nana and started nursing, I thought it was a really bad idea, but the next day I looked out and Nana had her leg hunched up letting the calf suck. Well I let it continue and eventually the calf got to big, then Nana would walk the calf into the barn and hope onto the milk stand and let the calf nurse . From then one she was my nurse goat, I wean the calfs at 3 months. She raises two calves a year. Her udder had NO damage what so ever until2 months ago, when I was trying to dry her off, she got mastitas in her right quarter. Im just going to retire her, she done her work. But honestly, no damage for three years. So it can be done!

JKB

cmharris6002 · #7 07/13/08, 05:34 AM

My Uncle showed me a pic of a goat he used to have like the one in JKB's post. In the pic she was standing on the milk stand nursing a big calf. She did it every year with no problems.

Christy

topside1 · #8 07/13/08, 07:07 AM

There's no doubt that it can be done, but is it really worth it?

JKB07 · #9 07/13/08, 12:53 PM

John,

I guess it all depends. I wouldnt do this with my whole herd, thats for sure! But, when i was looking to buy, I new I was going to raise calves with her, and when she took over that was that. She is registered nubian from pretty good line so I had no trouble taking orders on her kids, so they were sold as bottle babies. I would say it is worth it if you have a doe, like Nana, who wants to do it and really seems to enjoy it. She wont let any of her calfs out of her sight. But, if you put a doe on the milk stand and try it, and the doe seems like shes being tourchered, I would say it wouldnd be worth it to the doe.

JKB

topside1 · #10 07/13/08, 03:04 PM

Nana is no doubt one special Nubian...I'm sure you will take good care of her. I wish her well in retirement....TJ

JKB07 · #11 07/13/08, 07:03 PM

Thanks John, so lon for retirement, she came into heat yesterday, and today I found the buck in with her.... and yes the deed was being done. So looks like Nana will kin in december. No more calves for her though, Im goin to let her raise her kids.

JKB

Jcran · #12 07/13/08, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewie

are they more prone to this than other types or have i just seen an unusal amount of saggy nubians?

Wouldn't that be saggy Nubian boobians? Otherwise I picture a swaybacked goat

Minelson · #13 07/13/08, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jcran

Wouldn't that be saggy Nubian boobians? Otherwise I picture a swaybacked goat

Ha! Good one

chewie · #14 07/13/08, 08:44 PM

as in an udder that hangs like a bowling ball in a pillow case!

Starsmom · #15 07/14/08, 06:07 AM

I know a lady that has a doe she uses for nursing calves. A wonderful gentle gal with her udders nearly dragging the ground. Her udder has been destroyed by this. The owner doesn't care, she said it makes milking easier. I disagree with that theory, but to each their own. The doe doesn't seem to mind.

Alice In TX/MO · #16 07/14/08, 06:21 AM

I guess, like you said, to each his own. If he's not raising show goats, then a low slung udder is not an issue. If his goal is to raise calves, and the goat udder is just a tool, as long as it works, then the situation in fine.

As has been said many times on this board, there are as many ways to raise (feed, breed, care for) goats (and an udder) as there are goat owners.

coso · #17 07/14/08, 11:34 AM

I remember dad letting a calf nurse a goat one time (normally we just milked by hand then fed them the bottle) as far as the nursing I don't think it would be any worse then handmilking or using a milking machine. It is just the calf hunching thing. The calf we tried would hunch and about lift the goat up off the stanchion. I think you would get mastitis because of udder injury very easily if you tried this on a continual basis.

JKB07 · #18 07/14/08, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coso

I remember dad letting a calf nurse a goat one time (normally we just milked by hand then fed them the bottle) as far as the nursing I don't think it would be any worse then handmilking or using a milking machine. It is just the calf hunching thing. The calf we tried would hunch and about lift the goat up off the stanchion. I think you would get mastitis because of udder injury very easily if you tried this on a continual basis.

Udder injury has nothing to do with the contracton of mastitis...

JKB

coso · #19 07/14/08, 01:20 PM

I beg to differ. Udder injury is one of the main causes of mastitis.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/DS120

JKB07 · #20 07/14/08, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coso

I beg to differ. Udder injury is one of the main causes of mastitis.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/DS120

According the the thread, the only injury that would cause the goat to contract mastitis would be an open wound. For example, if the goat is gored by another goat in the udder, or cutting the udder open on something like barbedwire. Besides those few cases, all mastitis is contracted through the teat. Conculding that a calf nursing on the goat would have nothing to do with the goat cotracting masitis.

JKB