Lopsided Udder?

[WildernesFamily]

Hi, I think this is my first post on this forum as a goat owner We got goats about a month ago. We currently have three - one is on loan from a friend, she wanted someone to milk her goat until she needs her again as a stand in when her other goats start kidding. Well that got us hooked and we soon bought our own goats - a 2 year old FF Alpine (Ping) and her baby, an Alpine/Mancha cross.

We love them dearly and I still can't get over how much I *love* having goats!

Anyway, Ping has a very lopsided udder. Her right side holds twice the amount of milk as the left side. Is this normal? Will it even out with a future freshening? Her doeling was left on her for three months before we bought them. We started putting the doeling away for the night so we could milk in the morning and now we have moved onto having her away from her mama all the time. We get almost a gallon a day from Ping.

[Cheribelle]

My Allison also first nursed a single kid, and now has a lopsided udder. It LOOKS lopsided, but I still get a quart out of each side.

[mekasmom]

Originally Posted by WildernesFamily

Anyway, Ping has a very lopsided udder. Her right side holds twice the amount of milk as the left side. Is this normal? Will it even out with a future freshening? Her doeling was left on her for three months before we bought them. We started putting the doeling away for the night so we could milk in the morning and now we have moved onto having her away from her mama all the time. We get almost a gallon a day from Ping.

A previous case of mastitis, before you got her, can cause a lopsided udder. But if she is giving almost a gallon a day I wouldn't worry too much.

Congratulations on your goats. They are fun, aren't they. Enjoy them.

[April]

I have two does that had singles their first kidding and had lopsided udders that I worried and fussed and fretted over. They only had their babies a couple of days, too. This year, their second freshening, both of their udders are nice and even and going strong.

[Sherrynboo]

I got one of my Toggs at a discount ($60) due to a lopsided udder. She still gave about a gallon a day but we had to resort to a Maddigan's Milker as the teat was so large and filled up that it took forever to get it milked down to a comfortable size. She was freshened once after that and still has the same udder problem but is a really good milker in spite of that.

Sherry in GA

[WildernesFamily]

Thanks so much everyone. Well, I'll wait 'til next year then to see how it goes, but not stress about it in the meantime. Even if it stays lopsided, she milks well so that's okay.

I should have been polite and introduced myself with photos of my girls, sorry! Here they are:


This is Lilly, our "borrowed" goat. Also herd queen. Ping is standing on the right.


This is Ping and Poppet. Poppet makes me laugh because she has such a funny face


Beautiful Ping


Ping's udder, taken this morning. It has really improved a lot, even just since last month. Her teats have gotten bigger and don't stick out to the side as much as they first did. You can see how much bigger the right side is.

Anyway, thank you again, glad to know I don't need to fret about it

[pookshollow]

That's a decent udder. I'm quite certain that it will even up next time she freshens, especially if she has twins, or you keep her milked out.

A friend 'lent' me a Nubian FF, for showing purposes. She has absolutely NO milk on one side. I'm drying her off and we'll hope she gets better next time around.

[Govero Farms]

I have one doe is like that. I dont understand why. She NEVER nurse. I handmilked her. She never had mastitis. It drive me insane!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Speaking personally, ahem, I'm not exactly symmetrical, either.

[Govero Farms]

Okay Alice. lol. That what I was wondering about her.

[motdaugrnds]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with Ping's udder. Since she isn't a show goat, what difference does it make if they are not perfectly even?

I do know udders are quite forgiving as each year they can redo themselves.

[WildernesFamily]

Thanks again everyone for putting my mind at rest

Originally Posted by motdaugrnds

I see absolutely nothing wrong with Ping's udder. Since she isn't a show goat, what difference does it make if they are not perfectly even?

I do know udders are quite forgiving as each year they can redo themselves.

Thanks! I'm not too worried about them being even, it's just awkward to milk using two hands and have one side keep on giving milk for twice the long as the other.

Maybe I'm just a little bit whiny. Hehe.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Poppet produces after her first freshening. Everyone who has seen her has said that an Alpine/Lamancha cross should make a very nice dairy goat

[Pony]

That udder looks good to me.

Congratulations on entering the Wonderful World of GOATS!