Post partum hardness in udder

PrettyPaisley · #1 03/30/12, 07:34 PM

I tried to milk the new momma Eliza tonight so I could pull the babies and she gave very little milk and her udder was very hard on the left side. I figure the lack of milk came from the kids being on her all day but the hardness I don't get. Does that have something to do with just giving birth?

Donna1982 · #2 03/30/12, 07:36 PM

Are you sure she is letting down her milk for you?

LoneStrChic23 · #3 03/30/12, 09:18 PM

How long ago did she kid?

Could be a congested udder. Warm compresses & vitamin C chewables will help.

KrisD · #4 03/30/12, 09:20 PM

If one side is hard it is usually because the kids are NOT nursing that side. The side they are nursing should be soft. Keep trying to milk her every 3 or 4 hours until it softens up. Try warm compresses to help her let the milk down. Peppermint oil works well too if mixed in the warm water. The is a very common new freshening problem.

PrettyPaisley · #5 03/31/12, 06:37 AM

She kidded Wednesday right at 3:30 pm. I tried to milk her last night about 7:30pm - just over 2 days after kidding.

How do you hold a warm compress on a goat's udder that isn't interested in being milked? I had a hard enough time trying to the tiny bit of milk out of her I did!

I guess I hold it on her while she is eating in the stand?

KrisD · #6 03/31/12, 08:56 AM

Yep put her on the stand and give her something she likes to eat. If you have to you can tie her legs to the legs of the stand if she kicks. Shannon you need to get that milk out so it doesn't get worse. If you breastfed your own children you know what engorgement feels like. It doesn't feel any better for the doe.

motdaugrnds · #7 03/31/12, 09:04 AM

I have often seen hard udders on does who have just kidded. The newborns usually take care of that in a few days because they keep butting her udder with their noses. However, what I sometimes do is put the doe on the milking stand and massage her udder...hard. (Just helping the little ones.) I will milk just a little to make sure she isn't plugged and that the milk isn't salty; however, I think more times than not the hard udder is just the collostrum that has not started to flow well.

Cliff · #8 03/31/12, 09:16 AM

Had a doe who lost her udder to e coli mastitis so hard freaks me out a little. As soon as I notice a hard udder - and I check specifically for udder condition frequently after kidding - I do the warm compress/massage/frequent milking thing. Gotta get that pressure off so the blood can flow to the tissues properly.

Alice In TX/MO · #9 03/31/12, 10:19 AM

What Cliff said.

chewie · #10 03/31/12, 10:58 AM

glad you posted this, my last one to kid has this same thing.

PrettyPaisley · #11 03/31/12, 02:38 PM

Yes- I breastfed both and I do recall the pain of engorgement. Several times I would have taken a baby-ANY baby-just to get some relief.

She let me try to milk her again and didn't fight. I still didn't get much milk but I did the warm compress several times and tried to massage even though I have no clue what I'm doing. I could feel two very hard lumps in her udder and I tried to work on them the most-she stood still and let me. I hope I can fix her up-I'll try it again shortly.

Thanks.

goatkid · #12 03/31/12, 04:42 PM

Have you tested the doe for CAE. Sometimes that can be the cause of a hard udder.

noeskimo · #13 04/01/12, 02:14 PM

I'm having the same problem, hard udder and a singleton. Massage, warm compress, and frequent milking is what I'm doing, but.....Why not cold? Why wouldn't the cold reduce the edema better? Sorry, I know what to do but I want to know why.

Hollowdweller · #14 04/02/12, 10:21 AM

CAE tested?

Cliff · #15 04/02/12, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noeskimo

I'm having the same problem, hard udder and a singleton. Massage, warm compress, and frequent milking is what I'm doing, but.....Why not cold? Why wouldn't the cold reduce the edema better? Sorry, I know what to do but I want to know why.

Because the heat dilates the blood vessels, increasing circulation in the area. Blood circulation is what suffers when the udder is so tight like that. The high pressure really slows down the circulation. You need the blood to be flowing well to nourish and bring oxygen to the tissues as well as to carry off the by products of cell metabolism and the extra fluid. No blood supply = cellular death and furthur injury.
Not a goat guru, just a nurse

chamoisee · #16 04/02/12, 01:56 PM

When colostrum stays in the udder, hardness is often the result. Even when kids are left on the dam, the udder should be emptied completely at least once a day, from day one. Most dairy does produce a lot more milk than the newborn kids can drink. It might be worthwhile to test for mastitis as well.....and yes warm compresses, etc.