Unbred does "in milk;" is it an epidemic?

Zilli · #1 06/22/12, 08:40 PM

I didn't want to hijack Minelson's thread about Flossie, but........

........now I have two does "in milk" who have no reason to be that way: my yearling LaMancha/Saanen doeling, who will be bred for the first time this fall/winter, and a 12-year-old pygmy/nubian/togg/saanen doe who hasn't had babies in eight or nine years.

If it were just one, I would shrug it off, but I'm wondering why I would have two does bagging up with milk.

And I haven't looked that closely at my other does yet.

Is it just a coincidence or could there be some environmental issue that would cause me to have more than one doe doing this?

Alice In TX/MO · #2 06/22/12, 09:12 PM

Feed have Soy in it?

Zilli · #3 06/22/12, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Feed have Soy in it?

Nope.

The only feed they get is alfalfa hay and browse.

And loose minerals, of course.

They don't even get any grain (the only one who gets grain is the doe that I'm milking).

Donna1982 · #4 06/22/12, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Feed have Soy in it?

I was wondering the same thing. Zilli are you totally sure they didn't get bred?

Zilli · #5 06/22/12, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donna1982

I was wondering the same thing. Zilli are you totally sure they didn't get bred?

LOL

Only if by immaculate conception. I don't have a buck.

A few years ago, the older doe did bag up and had milk. I left her alone and she eventually dried up.

I do have the two bottle babies in with them. They will be six weeks old on Monday.

Donna1982 · #6 06/22/12, 11:34 PM

Well at least you don't have to worry about flying sperm then lol. If they were line I would leave them be.

Zilli · #7 06/22/12, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donna1982

Well at least you don't have to worry about flying sperm then lol.

BT/DT!

LOL

Quote:

If they were line I would leave them be.

And that's what I'm going to do; it just seems weird that I have two doing this at the same time.

I checked the two old pygmy does that are in with them and they seem fine (as in, no milk). I have a few other older does I need to check tomorrow.

Freya · #8 06/23/12, 01:45 AM

Will goat babies nurse on a "dry" goat and "cause" it to start producing?

Zilli · #9 06/23/12, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freya

Will goat babies nurse on a "dry" goat and "cause" it to start producing?

I don't know the answer to that, but as far as my two little babies, I don't see that as a possibility at all.

I take the babies the moment they hit the ground and bottle feed them. They have never nursed, not even on their own momma, and they have only been with the other goats for the last two weeks or so (they are now six weeks old - almost).

I thought about it and I just don't see it as a possibility, even if it's possible.

The younger doe (the yearling) - just by virtue of her friendly and easy-going personality, maybe she would let them - but her teats, even though she is producing milk, are still tiny and I just don't see any indication that she has been suckled. And I certainly haven't seen any activity along those lines. And I'm out with them a lot during the day.

And they don't seem to pay her much attention, anyway, that I can see. They are much more likely to hang out with my yearling Boer wether than with the doe.

And the older doe - I don't see it as a possibility at all. At twelve years old or so, she's a bit of a cranky old lady and she doesn't think much of these two babies and I just can't imagine her letting them get within three feet of her teats. LOL

fffarmergirl · #10 06/23/12, 07:01 AM

Wouldn't it be neat if it was genetic, and you bred a breed of goats who didn't have to be bred to produce milk? I'd buy a couple!

mekasmom · #11 06/23/12, 07:54 AM

Most people would love to have this concern. Precipitous milkers run in families, and I would love to have a family of them.

Minelson · #12 06/23/12, 11:03 AM

Yay!!! I'm not the only one!!

Zilli · #13 06/23/12, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mekasmom

Most people would love to have this concern. Precipitous milkers run in families, and I would love to have a family of them.

Actually, the two does aren't related.

I'm not going to milk them. I'm swimming in milk now with the one doe that I am milking - you know, the one who actually went and visited a buck about six and a half months ago.

phantomriver · #14 06/24/12, 08:47 AM

I have a SaanenxAlpine that was a precocious milker. She produced about a quart once a day if milked and started at 16 months. It was good milk too. I got a deal on her too (only $100) because her seller was afraid that she might develop udder problems as she wasn't completely symmetrical in her initial development. Anyway, she's had no problems. I milked her until I bred her and then dried her up. I stressed that she was going to pop for about a week or 2 and then in simmered down. She freshened completely symmetrical though I can't say how much she produces since she feeds her twins plus the kids of a boer doe who is a slack mom and kidded around the same time. I guess with all the prolactin in her system she is very motherly.

Zilli · #15 06/24/12, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phantomriver

I have a SaanenxAlpine that was a precocious milker. She produced about a quart once a day if milked and started at 16 months. It was good milk too. I got a deal on her too (only $100) because her seller was afraid that she might develop udder problems as she wasn't completely symmetrical in her initial development. Anyway, she's had no problems. I milked her until I bred her and then dried her up. I stressed that she was going to pop for about a week or 2 and then in simmered down. She freshened completely symmetrical though I can't say how much she produces since she feeds her twins plus the kids of a boer doe who is a slack mom and kidded around the same time. I guess with all the prolactin in her system she is very motherly.

I talked to my friend with the dairy about it yesterday. She couldn't explain why I would have two does doing this at the same time but she didn't see any reason for concern.

She said it's common, most likely a hormonal thing brought on by the long days and lush vegetation.

She said I could milk them out if I wanted and that if they look really full, that I probably should relieve them.

So far, I don't see that happening, although I'm a little concerned about the old doe. Only one side has milk; in fact, I wonder if she had an unrecognized case of mastitis that I didn't catch because the empty side has like a hard knot where the teat meets the udder. I know she didn't have mastitis over the two or three years way back when that I milked her but she did bag up three or four years ago. I left her alone then but I wonder if something happened around then that I didn't catch. So, between the two of them, she is probably going to be the one for me to watch the closest.

The yearling is adorable and such a sweetheart (it's that Saanen thing

). She's used to being on the stand and I'm 100% sure she would have no problem letting me milk her out, if it becomes necessary.

But her momma is giving thirteen pounds a day right now, and even with the two babies getting a half gallon each a day, that still leaves more than enough for the house. If I needed the milk, I would probably be tempted to milk the other two, but at this point, I'm happy to just let the yearling continue being a baby until I breed her this fall/winter and the old doe to just keep doing her retirement, old lady thing.