# Doe sucking her own teat



## sandraH (Mar 1, 2013)

Anyone see that happen before. She lost her kids. I thought she was drying up then I saw her doing that.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Most self nursers begin when their udder is left too full they hurt...once they realize they can reach it, and goats do love milk, then a hibit if formed and is very hard to break....I just brought one home on purpose lol....Her owner said she tried everything to break her...
we began milking her 3 times a day...my hope is to keep the pressure off her udder will also keep her mind off it lol..so far we have increased her production by a quart We dont know if this will be a long term solution, we hope it works lol
...other ideas are
a very wide collar, making it impossible for her to bend her neck and to reach the udder, a cone,like a dog wears after surgery....both of these can be snag dangers..so if you are not home to keep watch, ???
a goat bra...made of breathable fabric, and some use tape to tape the teats...most does can get them off...


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

If you tape the teats REALLY well, she shouldn't be able to get it off. Took me a few tries to find the perfect way to keep it on. I find wrapping the teat itself real well works better than tapping the teat to the udder itself.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Had a self nurser here a few years ago... never did break her of the bad habit but did inhibit her from doing it by making a stiff wide collar that prevented her from reaching her teats.


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## sandraH (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks.


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## NativeNubiansRanch (Dec 2, 2013)

I would milk her a lot . There might have been so much milk it started to hurt without kids milking on her or anyone milking her it would start hurting bad driving her to get rid of the milk herself


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I had a doe do it as well. Give her sage. I got the fresh sage at the store and give it twice a day and she will dry up in just a few days.


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## francismilker (Oct 22, 2011)

My grandma used to have a self nurser and she fixed it with a yoke she made out of a forked bois'd'arc limb she strapped around her neck like a collar. Everytime she tried to nurse one of the thorns on the limb poked her so she got the message pretty quickly. 

I've also heard that self nursing can be tied to mineral deficiency.


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