# Can you milk after first freshening?



## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

I have a young Saanen doe (1 yr old) producing more than her kid will drink and she seems _very_ uncomfortable. He's also drinking nearly exclusively from one side so her udder is stressed on the left.

She kidded two days ago- will this even out as her body adjusts to how much her kid requires or should I milk her? Also, if I milk her, how soon after the kidding should I wait?

I am happy to milk her I just want to be sure it is okay first.

Many thanks!


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## GCKRanch (May 27, 2014)

Our first doe to kid this year is having the same issue with that whole one-sided thing. We don't raise them as dairy goats, but one side of her udder was huge, which can be painful. I think it would help her out if you acted as a second kid and milked the unused udder. But I have fiber goats, not dairy, so maybe they have another opinion.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

You will need to milk her completely out twice a day to keep her comfortable and prevent her udder from becoming permanently lopsided. 
I always milk my does out 2x a day from the day they kid.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yes, definitely start milking her and make sure she is completely empty at least once everyday. Not milking is what ruins the young udder.


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

That is fantastic to know, thank you very much. My 'somewhat new to goats' logic led me to think that it would be best to leave it for at least a week. I will start milking her tomorrow morning then.

Would it be at all advisable to start taking the kids off the does at night, milk the does in the morning and then put the kids back on them throughout the day? I think that's the process I read about...


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I personally don't separate the kids at all until they are of weaning age/weight. Just milk whatever excess she has, her kid will start drinking more as he grows.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Normally, pulling the kids for the night starts when they are 2 to 3 weeks old. By then, they will start nibbling a bit of grain to help keep them through the night.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

By leaving a single kid on, you will see the udder start to become lopsided. One side is always easier to milk/get milk out of then the other. So kids will take from the easier side. As the kid grows and start taking enough milk from that side. It wont expand like the other side is. Even milking twice a day you are very likely to see this happen and could leave her lopsided for years. If its not a concern then no worries. But if you want to make sure her udder stays even, Id suggest taping the teat every other day and force that kid to take the other side as well.

Even with twins this usually happens at first. Cause again, one side is easier then the other. Id still tape the easy side every other day until the kids are taking both sides. Grats on the babies!


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Just reread the original post, about him nursing the right, leaving the left. ALL my kids prefer the right side on all my does, doesn't matter if they are singles, twins or triplets. Wonder if the right side generally flows better than the left?


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

I don't personally think I will need anymore than her excess so I will leave him on her for now I think.

What do you do with the milk with colostrum in it? I could feed it back to the kid but that sounds like a recipe for latch issues.

Also, what do you recommend to use for teat dip/udder wash if a kid is still on the doe?


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

You can freeze it for a later date, feed it to chickens, dogs, pigs, etc, make soap, give it to an animal shelter, many different things you could do with it.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Neat observation. Ill have to pay closer attention to see which half the kids like.


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

Sorry, I edited in a further question before realizing someone had answered, lol

What is a recommended teat dip/udder wash if there is a kid still on the doe? Is there a good homemade recipe?


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

The only doe I have that the kids don't like the right side on, is my 3yr old doe that had a bit of a blow out :lol: They prefer the smaller side on her, the other side is past her hocks and milks 2 gallons a day on that one side alone.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

For an udder wash I just use warm water with a squirt of dish soap and a tiny splash of bleach. And rinse the teats with the same thing after milking. Dry with a paper towel or cloth, and apply a bit of udder cream or balm.


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

You use the bleach on does with kids still on them with no problems?


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Less than a capful per gallon, and yes, it's fine. I use it on all the does, regardless of whether or not they have kids nursing.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

You can also use baby wipes, or warm water with a few drops of soap and a couple glugs of apple cider vinegar works pretty well too.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Personally I would freeze the colostrum, that's stuffs like gold!  

Now that I think back to last kidding season, I don't remember seeing a kid drink from the left side unless two were drinking at the same time.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

A cap full of bleach per gallon of water is pretty much the standard in food places. When someone is cleaning a counter or a table with that white rag, it just came outta a bucket with a touch of bleach in it. Its effective enough to kill bacteria but no where near strong enough to harm anything else.


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

2 of my does have 1 kid but for the other one this is the second time and there hasn't been any issues. For this first timer though her kid doesn't touch the left time unless I guide him there but then won't stay on for more than a second or two.

Thanks for confirming the bleach solution  I have only ever used it for cleaning in animal health and containment facilities but have now seen a few solutions for dairy purposes.


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