Self Nursing Doe

#1 07/29/04, 03:38 PM

Hi All --
I just found this forum and it seems like a great place to learn a thing or two. I was hoping that someone may be able to help me. My yearling milker has started to nurse herself. It started when we were trying to dry her off. I guess she just didn't like the pressure build up. Anyway, she is an above average millker, for a yearling and culling is not an option. Is there anything that I can do or put on her to stop it. I have already tried to use a udder support brace. It took her 3 minutes to get out of it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
-Susan

CathyJK · #2 07/29/04, 04:25 PM

Maybe a couple of things:

Could you put Bitter Apple on her teats (it's the stuff you use to stop dogs from chewing on stuff--not harmful just yucky tasting maybe you could discourage her touching them at all)

OR

Could you put a dog cone on her? You know, the ones you use for dogs (again with the doggy stuff -- I have dogs too) when you don't want them to lick wounds or sores.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

nappy · #3 07/29/04, 07:09 PM

A couple years ago I had several goat kids born around the same time. One kid couldn't resist sucking on the others ear tips. After a few days of this the ears became swollen and hot. I used the Bitter Apple for dogs on the ears, and that behavior ended immediately. It seems as if this might be an option for your doe.

Nappy

Laura Workman · #4 07/31/04, 03:28 PM

A combination of teat tape and bitter spray should take care of the problem - it has for me on a couple of occasions. I went into some detail about this combination a few threads below in a thread entitled "weaning" (http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=53154). Just remember that even though you're trying to dry her off, you shouldn't let her get too full or you can cause udder damage and possibly mastitis. It took me three weeks to dry off my Oberhasli doe, Pico, she was such a persistent milker. If you want to know how to dry a doe off without causing problems, please let me know.

mary,tx · #5 08/01/04, 08:02 PM

I've had good luck with plain old Bandaids.
mary

Gailann Schrader · #6 08/02/04, 12:14 PM

Teat tape twice daily after milking... or once daily after milking if you are trying to dry her up. Tape up & down the teat (like down and back a finger) and then AROUND the teat, leaving enough "expansion" room when the teat fills. I use regular silk, paper, and/or cloth. Don't see a difference in them really.