Do I have a teat problem?

[Jolly_Rancher]

I have a first freshner. She is doing very well milking giving a solid 2 qts a day and increasing daily. It has only been 2 weeks.

I noticed this morning her right teat has sprung a leak right next to the reghular opening. She has had a nice strong solid stream from both teats.

I should say, I am new to milking as well as her, so we are learning together. She has been very easy going and patient, eating and chewing, no stomping.

I worry about this extra squirt. It is not huge.. just a small spray.. will it grow larger? Is it a problem? Is it normal?

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

In bright light, turn her teat up so you can really look at what you are seeing. Does she have a double orifice? A smaller hole that looks exactly like the bigger hole? It is what this sounds like as does with really good dairy skin usually leak milk off the sides near the tops of their teats, not the bottom.

A double orifice is a fault, if she isn't registered it's no that big of a deal, if she is, I would throw the paperwork away.

But really look, does can get little calcium deposits wedged near the bottom of the teat, or little pieces of skin, which kind of devide the normal stream and make one part of it spray out....but if you see two distinct holes, it's a fault, like extra teats are. Hereditary, and the reason why her kids are really just meat kids, you dont' want to perpetuate a fault like this in the breed. Vicki

[Jolly_Rancher]

I did a thorough check and milked her tonight. It was just a fleck of something this morning.. *breath*

Thank you Vicki, you are a moutian of knowledge..

Amazing how large that hole is when you are looking straight at it and then.. squeeeeze!