08/10/09, 08:12 AM
|
 |
More dharma, less drama.
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas Coastal Bend/S. Missouri
Posts: 30,482
|
|
|
Sophie's reprieve
Funny how things work out. We have an Alpine that was bought under duress, and she has a HORRIBLE udder that is so bad that we don't want her genetics in our herd. We wethered this year's kids and were planning to send Sophie to the processor.
We just weaned Sophie's wethers and moved her downhill to be in the doe herd for a few days. She bagged up so hugely, I was milking her some twice a day, not milking out, but relieving the pressure.
Our old sweet LaMancha doe, Princess, has some kind of udder issue going on. Her udder is very hard and congested. (She is CAE negative, so I know it's not that problem.) She's making milk, but we were watching the her week old kids in concern. My milking partner and I hadn't mentioned it to each other till last night, but we both thought they just weren't thriving as they should.
This morning, I milked Sophie and brought in Princess's doeling. She's always a bit more cautious than the buckling at being handled, but at the first offering of the bottle, she sucked down 6 ounces. The buckling did the same a few minutes later. Sophie's milk now has a purpose, and I'm glad. She won't have to go to the processor! WOO HOO!
After they have had her milk a few days, I'm going to see if we can get them to nurse Sophie. They should be familiar with her smell at that point, and they should smell like her from the inside. This is fascinating!
Alice
__________________
Alice
* * *
"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus
|
