Help!! Doe not letting down milk

valcwby01 · #1 05/03/10, 01:18 AM

My yearling angora doe has NO milk. She had the doeling this morning. She is small and seemed REALLY skinny after the birth. I got some Nutri-Drench down her and the kid and got some really good alfalfa and grain down her. She seems like she is starving!! I don't understand why. All the other does that have kidded thus far have NOT been this skinny, all have been wormed, and all have been grained. I have a doe that lost her kid to the neighbors dog and we have milked her out to feed the kid. I also had another doe kid today and got some colostrum from her and got it down the kid. I just went out to check before bed and the little doe is trying to nurse to beat the band, and the little doe is not moving away, but still no udder. I now have to fight the little one to take milk from the other doe now. Could she be getting milk with NO sign of an udder, other than very little teats? I am getting worried!! I feel so stupid for not being prepared for this with all the years raising goats!!

RiverPines · #2 05/03/10, 01:31 AM

I raised Angora goats for a time.
You should, for starters, never breed angora does till they are 2 and over 60 pounds. They are the slowest growing breed of goat. Between growing fiber and having to grow in body its stressful on their systems to breed them so young.

As for the milk issue I have heard of does that waited till after kidding before making an utter. She may be slow to get going. Let the kid suckle to stimulate milk production and bottle feed her colostrum from another doe till this mom hopefully starts producing.

The kid shouldn't get nutra drench! Only colostrum for the first 24 hours. If the doe doesnt start producing after 24 hours put the kid on bottled goats milk from some one else or whole cows milk.

Worm the mom now too if she wasnt right before kidding. Kiddding causes worm loads.

How is her mineral intake? She needs loose minerals and with some copper in them. Its myth Angora goats dont need copper.

Also go milk her and see if you get anything at all.

valcwby01 · #3 05/03/10, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverPines

I raised Angora goats for a time.
You should, for starters, never breed angora does till they are 2 and over 60 pounds. They are the slowest growing breed of goat. Between growing fiber and having to grow in body its stressful on their systems to breed them so young.

As for the milk issue I have heard of does that waited till after kidding before making an utter. She may be slow to get going. Let the kid suckle to stimulate milk production and bottle feed her colostrum from another doe till this mom hopefully starts producing.

The kid shouldn't get nutra drench! Only colostrum for the first 24 hours. If the doe doesnt start producing after 24 hours put the kid on bottled goats milk from some one else or whole cows milk.

Worm the mom now too if she wasnt right before kidding. Kiddding causes worm loads.

How is her mineral intake? She needs loose minerals and with some copper in them. Its myth Angora goats dont need copper.

Also go milk her and see if you get anything at all.

I realize that angoras should not be bred before they are a year. This was NOT a planned breeding. Her and another yearling got bred when one of my bucks broke down their pen to get in with them. The other yearling has put on more size than this one, but even she still has me worried!
As for the Nutri Drench, I read it and it stated it was safe for newborns, and was DESPERATE! This is the first time I have dealt with this and panicked. I am going to worm her again, she was wormed right before she was bred by suprise!! I then got some Valbazen, and didn't worm any of them while pregnant due to the warning it could cause miscarriages. Is it safe to worm with now, or should I go to the feed store and get something else?

I have tried all day to milk a little from her and only managed to get a few drops each time from one side, each time it has been drops from the same side. And yes, I know how to milk, I grew up milking a cow twice a day. This is why I DON'T have dairy goats, I HATE MILKING!! But I did milk out 8 oz from the doe that lost her kid. Got two oz down the doeling, and that was the last time she ate without a fight! Am I doing something wrong? I have NEVER had a bottle kid/lamb. I guess I have just been really lucky. But now I end up with more in my lap than in the goat!!

valcwby01 · #4 05/03/10, 01:48 AM

Sorry I meant bred before two years of age, not a year of age. Sorry, little frazzled here.

RiverPines · #5 05/03/10, 02:00 AM

Some kids are fighters when it comes to a bottle. They just want teat more!
Cant blame them.
2 oz of colostrum is good. Just keep working on it and encouraging that kid to suckle. I hope mom starts producing. Bottle kids are not easy and Angoras are more fragile of a breed to begin with.
I have seen many an angora kid stunt in growth on bottles unless they had plenty of raw goats milk.
Can you feel any udder at all?
I have had goats with pretty small flat udders that didnt look like much but you could feel it there. Bra size AAA?

A small udder can produce enough.

Have you milked her to see if you get something out?

valcwby01 · #6 05/03/10, 02:14 AM

I just went out to check AGAIN and their is a SMALL bump growing where all the other girls have at least a B cup!

I tried milking her AGAIN and at least got a short squirt this time. Still a no go on the bottle with the doeling. But the doe that lost her kid that I AM milking now seems to be REALLY releived that she is getting milked.

RiverPines · #7 05/03/10, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valcwby01

I just went out to check AGAIN and their is a SMALL bump growing where all the other girls have at least a B cup!

I tried milking her AGAIN and at least got a short squirt this time. Still a no go on the bottle with the doeling. But the doe that lost her kid that I AM milking now seems to be REALLY relieved that she is getting milked.

Well with the kid working that udder, hopefully it will grow and keep growing!!!
Getting something out at least tells you its trying.

I have a feeling it will be fine. Just keep doing what your doing. Mom is going to need extra of everything to put any weight on too.

I would keep giving the grain, alfalfa, hay minerals and that nutra drench for a few days wont hurt. Mom is going to need all she can get to make milk, make fiber and grow.
But with extra help, she can do it.

Her after birth passed ok I hope?
How is mom with her new kid?

valcwby01 · #8 05/03/10, 02:53 AM

Just got back in and mom and doeling are sleeping. She passed her afterbirth about 1/2 hour after delivery. She is a GREAT mom. Cleaned the baby REALLY well, in fact, she did a lot better than some of my experienced does. She keeps her baby close and talks to her, just no milk. Well, another squirt this last time. I think that everything will be fine also, just a little jumpy still since, like I have said, this has never happened to me with any of my does.
This fall, the yearlings and weanling does are getting moved to the next county into lockdown. How many wanna place bets the bucks will still try to get to them!!LOL
Riverpines, thank you SO MUCH!!

RiverPines · #9 05/03/10, 03:13 AM

Glad mom's hormones are saying your a mommy!!! LOL
Maybe tomorrow that udder will surprise you. I sure hope so.

Accidents happen. Sorry I thought otherwise.
Just the thought of young breedings make me panic.

I had a oops too with a persistent escape artist of a buck. Got my 5 month old pygmy that was our favorite. We had to shoot her to save her kid. The buckling was 6 1/2 pounds and stuck in a ball inside her because of absolutely no room. Couldnt get him out because there was no room to maneuver him. He was stuck unable to move anything. Then she laid down from complete exhaustion and we tried everything to get that kid out. We got to the point we knew we were loosing her and her kid. So we did what we had too and saved the kid.
I did a C section in less than one minute.
My DH shot mom in the head and as fast as he shot, I went to work.
I never did anything like that before. Just glad I knew my goat anatomy. I apologized over and over to mom the entire time.
The kid took only not even a minute to get breathing.
After ward I just shook so bad, I couldnt control the shaking. Then I broke down and cried like a 2 year old. Still makes me choke up thinking about it and its been 3 years.

After all that our bucks got penned away from the does with cattle panels and 2x4 wood framing and field fencing over that so no one could squeeze through either!!!! I became paranoid.

I am glad you situation came out well. Its terrible when it doesnt.

Glad too mom likes being a mom! Thats a big help I think.