My first kidding...and an udder problem

Aimee · #1 03/22/12, 01:05 PM

I finally got my first goat, Mabel, a friend last week so was able to bring her home. She had been at my friend's house until I got her a friend. Mabel is LaMancha. New friend is Sonya and she is Sanaan.

We thought that Mabel was pregnant but didn't know for sure. She had been running with Myotonic goats when I bought her but the owner said that there was no way the buck could have gotten her pregnant because he is too little. LOL

Yesterday, she was acting really weird. She kept licking the LDG puppy. She finally went into labor and had a buckling. We watched and waited for a possible second one and finally had to massage the afterbirth out. Mabel, even during labor, kept licking the LDG. She and the LDG both cleaned the buckling off.

Buckling has been nursing fine. I did notice that he seems to only use the left teat. This morning, the other teat looked really swollen. I tried milking out of both sides and could not get anything to come out of the right side at all. The left side I could get a stream out of it.

I got a warm washcloth and applied it to the swollen side and tried again. Nothing. Ugghhh I know that it hurts her too and she is being so patient with me. She has such tiny teats

Does anyone have any other suggestions for me?

I'm attaching a picture of the two of them. I am positive that Mabel is copper deficient and am planning to get some copper boluses too.

My first kidding...and an udder problem - Goats

My first kidding...and an udder problem - Goats

Lizza · #2 03/22/12, 01:39 PM

Congrats, what a cutie!

You are going to have to keep working at it. Take a bucket of the hottest water you and her can stand and use towels to put compresses on that teat, then keep milking it out. It won't be fun but as long as you can get the milk moving she should be fine. Once it is less tender, he'll start nursing on it too, it is probably hurting her so it's a double edge sword, it hurts so she won't let him nurse on that side and because he doesn't nurse it, it just gets worse. Good luck!

Lizza · #3 03/22/12, 01:43 PM

Oh, and I would use some raw coconut oil if you have it or whatever good oil you have around to help you milk out the teats. Put some oil in a small jar and float it into your bucket of hot water while you are putting hot compresses on her, once you are done with the compresses, pour the now warm oil into your hands and then massage/milk her udder with the oil, it will help.

Aimee · #4 03/22/12, 01:46 PM

Thanks morningstar. I am heading back out to try that

Lizza · #5 03/22/12, 01:52 PM

Keep us updated

Alice In TX/MO · #6 03/22/12, 02:15 PM

With only one kid, you are probably going to have to keep daily (twice a day) watch on that other side. The kids develop preferences.

Aimee · #7 03/22/12, 02:49 PM

No luck yet. I spent probably about half an hour. When the water went cold, I just massaged her udder in between trying to get milk to come out.

It started raining and the goats all went in the shelter so no room for me in there too at the moment. I will try again when the rain stops.

Didn't I read somewhere about there being a plug in each teat that you get out each time that you milk a goat? Is it possible that the plug is stuck? Probably not

I do plan on milking Mabel twice a day but figured that I would give her a week to get the colostrum out before I started milking her for myself.

I am going to be a crazy goat lady LOL I started with Mabel. Then Ozark Jewels posted about having a sale on bucklings so I got a bunch of bucket babies. Then finally found Mabel an adult friend so I could bring her home.
I now have
Mabel, a four plus year old first freshener LaMancha
her unnamed buckling that is half Myotonic
Sonya, a three year old Sanaan (in milk)
her unnamed buckling that is wethered and is half Nubian
Nick, a LaMancha buckling from Ozark Jewels who is going to be my herdsire
Chuck, a LaMancha buckling from Ozark Jewels who I am going to try to train as a pack goat
Zephyr, a LaMancha doeling from Ozark Jewels that I adore
Beth, a Nubian doeling from Ozark Jewels that is my daughter's
(I picked up three other bucklings from Ozark Jewels but traded one to Lonelyfarmgirl for some rabbits and the other two went to my friend that had been boarding Mabel for me)

I have a friend that is going to buy goat milk from me for her son that can only drink goat milk. That should almost pay for hay for everyone LOL

Backfourty,MI. · #8 03/22/12, 03:14 PM

Sounds like you have quite a little herd started there. Wait till you have more babies every year! They are a lot of fun though & so darned cute.
Your little 1/2 myotonic buckling is very cute!

I'd keep up like Morningstar said. I would think with all the milking you've tried on that teat that you would have already got the plug off. It's almost like a tiny hard scab that you can't see that usually comes off when the babies first start nursing. I usually check to make sure though when the kids are born.

Lizza · #9 03/22/12, 03:16 PM

No, the plug isn't really a "plug" like you are thinking of, it isn't stuck. What happens is that when mastitis sets in the milk duct (ducts) become inflamed and when something is inflamed like that the milk ducts get small, then the milk backs up and gets thick, even clumpy, and colostrum is thick very thick already.

You should keep in mind, there isn't going to be a lot of "milk", it will be a thick yellow cream, almost like pudding (kind of), it won't be white and there won't be much of it. It is a dense health food packed full of nutrients and immunities for the young one.

Yeah, it's one of the joys, you are just going to have to keep up at it and if it gets bad enough you will have to talk to the vet about antibiotics, if you can get that milk flowing though and she doesn't get a fever, she'll be fine with your continued help.

Aimee · #10 03/22/12, 09:24 PM

I did finally get a little to come out of the right teat. I will keep checking her out every time I go out. Usually three plus times a day.

Thanks. Off to bed for me...

SpiderLegs · #11 03/22/12, 09:40 PM

Right now you need to get that milk out. Empty her udder on the left side, it will make the right side easier. Then milk out the right side, don't give up, don't stop. She needs to be emptied on both sides at least once a day.
If not:
She will back up and be in pain..... already there.
She will develop a fever.
She will reduce her milk supply, no demand, in pain, tissues swollen tells the body that something is wrong and to stop making milk.

The plug might be still stuck, or she is just too swollen, she might also be congested. Somethings it takes a few hours for a couple of days to get the milk flowing like it needs to do, feeding her some Vit C, and raspberry tea leaves will help.

KrisD · #12 03/22/12, 11:06 PM

Aimee no time to go to bed. spiderLegs is right it will get worse if you don't get her emptied out. It takes hours of work to get them emptied when they get to that point. She can develope mastitis if left too long, not too mention it is excruciatingly painful for her. It will be 10x's harder to do if you wait. You HAVE to keep working on this.

Whisperwindkat · #13 03/23/12, 05:29 AM

Get some chewable vitamin C tablets and start feeding a couple to her when you go out, also lots of massage on the udder and working out as much milk as you can. I use Vick's vapor rub or peppermint oil. They seem to help loosen up the congestion. But loads of massaging and just keep at it as much as you possibly can. Blessings, Kat

Aimee · #14 03/23/12, 07:17 AM

When I went out this morning, she was much better. I was able to milk out both sides.

If problems arise again--Are Vick's vapor rub and peppermint oil able to be used when a kid is still nursing?

I will get some vitamin c today too.

Thanks everyone
Leaving for work soon. Will be able to check on her again this afternoon but I'm pretty sure she is going to be fine.

chamoisee · #15 03/23/12, 12:15 PM

Has she been tested for CAE? I don't mean to alarm you but sometimes udder congestion like this can be due to CAE.... :-(

The plug is usually just a small crusty thing on the end of the teat. Whenever a doe kids, it is a good idea to get a good strong squirt out of each teat to make sure that the plugs are off and that both teats are working well for the new kid(s).

KrisD · #16 03/23/12, 11:22 PM

Seriously not trying to sound snotty but your doe looks like her toes are too long. She is standing on her heels and her pasterns are getting weak. She needs a trim and needs the toes taken down. Please don't be offended by me saying this.