# Uneven udder, one side dried up?



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

My doe's single kid left the farm 4 days ago, and I started milking her. Left side, great teat & good stream. Right side, slightly smaller teat but milked fine. Next day when I milked left side, it milked totally out really fast. The last 3 days, left side is still empty. What happened? Did I do something wrong? Will it fill up again?


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What side did the kid nurse on? Were you milking while nursing?


----------



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

I saw him nursing from both sides.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Were you milking her while he was nursing?


----------



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

No, I just started to milk her the day he left the farm.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

This is what happens when you leave a single kid on a doe. OR even multiple kids that only take one side to start out. One side of the udder is always going to be easier for the kid to get milk out of. It only takes a few days for the udder to start to become lopsided. As the kid(s) get older they will take both sides more evenly but by then the damage is done. Not actual damage mind you. Now you can work at trying to make the udder even but its a difficult thing to do and still make take you will past next years kidding. If you dont make an effort to even it out, it will remain uneven and will most likely get worse with the next kidding as the kid(s) again, take the easier side first.

Now here is what causes that. A udder is made to expand and contract. As it fills and expands, it stretches the udder. Thus why its called a mammary. OR milk memory. After a lactation of this expansion and contraction, the udder capacity is increased and will do so with each lactation. Now if you allow one side to expand more often then the other, then you will be left with a lop sided udder. Kids that eat off of just one side or mainly off one side will keep that side from expanding to capacity and thus keep it from stretching.


----------



## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Well said


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

I understand what you're saying. Thanks so much for your wisdom! But I don't understand why she never really looked uneven with the kid on her, and why the 1st time I milked her, the (now shrunken) left udder was full and milked great. Then next day, wham, it emptied and won't refill. Any further clarification?


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It sounds like that side wasn't used as much and dried up. Kind of one last fill and done.


----------



## kimmiesuebruno (Mar 28, 2015)

TDG...How do u correct the unevenness?


----------



## Sylvie (Feb 18, 2013)

kimmiesuebruno said:


> TDG...How do u correct the unevenness?


Yes, how do you correct it?


----------



## Sylvie (Feb 18, 2013)

Oops, double post.


----------



## GoatieGranny (Jul 26, 2013)

Could she have a little udder congestion going on in addition to what Dave exlained? I would get some good balm/salve and be sure there is peppermint in it. Massage her good every day, both sides of her udder, but especially the smaller side. Even do it 3 or 4 times a day if you can. After you massage her, take out all the milk you can get. This technique has helped us with Bella's uneven udder. (I've been working on her for 4 days and today she was even. I'll continue to do it for several more days.) Also, if you want to help her get more milk, you can buy "MoMilk" from Molly's Herbals and/or feed raspberry leaves.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

correcting it is time consuming and will take dedication. You pretty much have to do to the other side what was done to the easier side. Need to let the side the kid took expand while keeping the non used side from filling. Now if its not a mastitis and the side that wasnt used is just done, then thats the hard part. Just keep milking the side the kid was on twice a day. Might get lucky and end up with a fairly even under in a few months.


----------



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

Thank you for all of that. I'd like to know how to correct it, and what to do prevent this in the future?


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Already posted on how to correct it. To prevent it, pull the kids and hand milk. If its not an easy udder to milk and or if you dont wanna bottle feed. You can pull the kids off say after the first week and separate them. Then 2 or 3 times a day bring the doe to her kids to feed. Once they are done, strip the mom out the rest of the way.


----------



## laurelsh (Jun 26, 2013)

That's intense. Goatgrannie, I'm going to get some udder balm with peppermint like you suggested. I'm not trying to get high milk production, just want her healthy.


----------



## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

What about milking out and taping the easy side so the single kid has to nurse the other side?


----------

