Continue- try again next year- sell?

[mominpa]

Okay-- This is my first time having kids, and milking mammas-- I know I messed up a bit the first 2 days-- and now I'm not sure what I should do--

We had our first baby last Monday (8 days ago)-- I left the mamma and baby together for almost 3 full days (read that somewhere-- bad I idea-- didn't milk her at all) She was a GREAT mamma-- then we separated and she CRIED for days (has no voice now) baby took too bottles like a champ-- and now is fully bonded with my boys.

Bottom line-- we've been milking her 2x a day since day 3-- and she gives us about a 3/4 pint of milk!!! The one teat has NO milk coming out of it-- it is empty and "coldish"...the other we get all the milk out of (Now I know it is due that is the side baby drank out of)

This is her 2nd kidding-- her previous owners did not milk her-- just let her raise her twins last year-- so this is her first "milking" and she has is REALLY good on the stand.

But-- it is a good bit of work and time (I have 2 babies of my own) for only 3/4 a pint!! Do you think she will increase her milk supply or is she basically a FF due to not being milked before-

Wondering if I should give her baby back to her-- and wait until next year-- and milk her ASAP-- or keep trying to get her to be a better milker next year.



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Also have 2 boer/nubian mixed mammas-- with SUPER SMALL teats-- I left the one that kidded Friday with her baby-- I tried milking her 3x but whoa she is has small teats-- and I think what I've been reading here they will get bigger next year? (even if I don't milk her?) Or should I continue to milk her? She is wild as a deer!! She is a first time mamma.

Any thoughts or ideas would be GREAT!!

Thanks

[Patty0315]

What breed is she ?

Did you worm her when she kidded ?


I would be concerned with this one teat and treat for mastitis.


What are you feeding her ?

Patty

[chamoisee]

Why did you take the kid away after three days? I can understand dam raising (but I would milk the doe 2X a day every day from the first day), but to take the kid away after mom and baby bonded?? That would break my heart. Don't think I could do it.

I suggest a mastitis test. Was her udder hard and full when you started milking her? She may have udder damage from the previous owners not milking her at all.

[Patty0315]

Did this side have milk when she freshened?

[mominpa]

She is part Nubian and part ? (she is built just like our Saneen)

I did worm her 2 days after she kidded (forgot the first day)

Her teat that is empty is not hard at all or warm just soft and small just like when I finish milking the other side.

I wasn't going to separate them for 2 weeks (read that somewhere) but then 2 people (who have goats) said "Oh no get that baby away from mamma if you ever want any amount of milk" so I did-- it was heart breaking-- I was really confused --

I don't think she has mastitus-- she doesn't seem to be in any pain-- and it is soft, and just empty.

So do you think she will increase her milk this freshening??

Not sure if is should continue or not....

She gets 3 cups of feed each milking-- plus hay available at all times and water as well at all times.

[goatkid]

Keep milking her. Goats come into more milk at about two weeks fresh. If the baby was only sucking one side and the other has started to dry up, she may never produce to her full potential this year on that side. I had a doe do that one year. She did wind up making a decent amount of milk and the next year, freshened with a balanced udder.

[SheriM]

This is just my opinion, but I have does out in the barnyard who back up this theory. The first lactation seems to have a huge effect on their future production. I have two purebred Nubians from very good milking lines (dam gave 3 liters per day) but for their first lactation, I let my two girls raise their kids. To this day (they'll be 6 years old this year) they can't produce enough to even bother milking. Conversly, I had a scrub doe (dairy cross mutt) who lost her first kid, so I milked her. That gal went on to raise kids every year and when they were 3 months old, could take them away and get 2 liters of milk per day for as long as I wanted. So, what I'm saying is that since she's already freshened once and just raised the kids, she may never produce as much as she would have if she was milked that first time.

[Snowpuma]

I get 1 quart in the evening off my girl with baby on her (buckling is 3 days old today) people say a lot of things...go with your gut. She only has one baby but is poducing great.

There is still hope for the other side but it may not turn around...bring out a santized warm bucket of water...tiny bit of clorox bleach 2T per oz I belive with two wash cloths and a pale, paper towel or what you use to dry teat, tupperware, plastic ice cream bucket and rub her udder with the nice warm wash cloth, toss the first wash cloth in empty bucket, dip her teat, dry, toss paper towel out, milk (make sure you use a light bumping motion) rub with warm wash cloth 2, dip, dry, spray w/ fight bac, do this at every milking to see if it will turn around.

How long has baby been away from moma now?

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Is she getting any alfalfa?