# Just freshened doe- no milk!



## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

I got my Nubian Whitney from the son of a breeder whom I respect & admire. The breeder moved away and left her goats with her son. The goats were bred too young and not fed properly. When I brought Whitney home this summer she was in milk, stunted, skinny, anemic... And pregnant.
Fast forward to today. Whitney looks great. She delivered a beautiful kid and she loves her baby. Unfortunately, she has very little milk. Very little udder. 
I milked about a tablespoon of colostrum out of her and am giving the kid a bottle (I had more colostrum in the freezer). 
Will her milk come in shortly? She was an excellent producer when I bought her so I know she CAN give milk. She's been dry for about three months do she should have had time to prepare for this lactation. 
Has anybody ever dealt with this?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

sometimes milk is slow to follow the kidding....keep supplementing baby until hopefully that happens...congrats on the new baby


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If she was rebred soon after giving birth and was neglected, even with good food now I'm not surprised that there are still repercussions from the neglect.


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

I'm not surprised either. I don't hold this against her at all. She is a really well-bred goat that fell on hard times. 
I'm massaging her udder and milking what I can every four hours. It seems her udder may be getting a bit fuller. She has her kid with her and I really hope the kid will start nursing and not rely on me for all her meals. She hasn't had any success at nursing so I won't be surprised if she concludes that I'm her food source. 
How long should I give the kid colostrum before mixing in regular milk?
Do I have any reason to hope that eventually the doe could be baby's only food source? Or no?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would do 24 hours of colostrum. There is always hope but be prepared.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

There is aways hope...: ) after 24 hours baby can have all milk..


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Ok. Thanks so much!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All great advice.


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

A little update: Whitney has a little more milk today, so that's encouraging. I'm putting the kid under Whitney every four hours. She nurses like crazy but occasionally cries in frustration. Then I give her a bottle. Enough to keep her live and well but still a bit hungry. 
I can only hope that she's rooting around her mommy when I'm not there. 
I have been massaging Whitney's udder and getting some milk when I try (after the kid nursed). 
The kid is feisty & strong. Whitney looks really good.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Hopefully her milk will fully come in. Although it helps if she has enough that you can do fewer bottles.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I hope everything works out and she gets more milk and can feed her kid. But where are the pictures?


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Thank you.
This is Bridgette.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

awe she is a doll.....even if mom cant feed her...she can raise her with your help : ) best wishes


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Wow nice kid. Again good luck hope it all works out.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cute!


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

So I just spoke with the guy who had Whitney before me. Remember that he is the son of my goat mentor. An amazing breeder that has raised and shown Nubians for 40+ years. She has a few star milkers. She moved 5 states away and left her goats with him until she can get set up to keep them again. She came back last summer and was furious at their condition. She sold me Whitney and another doe. 
So, anyway... I just spoke with him and all the other does have kidded and what do you know?!?! They all had singles and aren't producing any milk! *shocking!*
I encouraged him to call his mom to see if she has any idea why the goats aren't producing milk...
Hopefully she'll get involved and save her animals before any of them die. (He's into organic and therefor doesn't deworm either... Yikes!)


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Was there a thick placenta?


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

That is so frustrating! But, that baby is sooooo sweet. Honestly I've seen a lot of super cute baby goats around here but, that baby might take the cake.. I'm in love with those ears!!!


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Aww, thank you. She is a sweetie and I'm in love with her.

I didn't notice anything abnormal about the placenta. What would a thick placenta indicate?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

High selenium is one thing for a thickened placenta.


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

We actually have low selenium levels in our area. 
Thank you. I love this forum for learning!


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Tonight Bridgette (the kid) refused her bottle. Whitney's udder is growing and I got a nice stream of milk from each teat when I squeezed.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Good! I would weigh her daily to be sure she is gaining.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Adorable.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

There is a line of Nubians that is notorious for not coming into milk for a week or so after kidding. It's been a long time since I've raised Nubians though, and I can't remember which line it was.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> Tonight Bridgette (the kid) refused her bottle


so glad mom is getting some milk....now on baby...refusing to eat is a sign she does not feel well OR she is nursing mom????

...this can be from getting too much milk and she cant digest it all..it sits and becomes toxic...it can be from constipation....or illness.....I would start by getting her temp 101.5-103.5 is normal range...see if she is pooping....how does her tummy feel? flat anf firm, sunken in, pooching out...watery?? ect...

how much does she weigh, how much milk is she getting per bottle and how often?


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

ksalvagno said:


> Good! I would weigh her daily to be sure she is gaining.


Good idea!


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Baby is nursing from mom. She has also quit crying in frustration when she does. 
I've not taken her temperature. She is pooping, peeing and practicing her *boing boing* antics ;-) She seems very healthy. 
I offered her a bottle this morning and she refused but then ran over to her mama, nursed, peed and continued playing.
I'll watch her closely but I think all is well. Hooray!!
I don't know if I'll be able to milk Whitney for my own use but there's always next year, right?


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

goathiker said:


> There is a line of Nubians that is notorious for not coming into milk for a week or so after kidding. It's been a long time since I've raised Nubians though, and I can't remember which line it was.


That's very interesting! I wonder... 
Whitney comes from some national showing, star milking line but I'm not familiar with it at all. I just have a few Nubians for the milk. 
I may call the breeder and ask. I've been hesitant to contact her because I don't want to seem like I'm "tattling" on her son. Since I recently did so regarding the anemia that my girls had when I brought them home...
One interesting thing about this family line is that they are SO quiet and docile!! And smart! My other Nubians are mindless screamers compared to these girls. I borrowed Whitney's half brother to breed my other Nubian ladies and he was such a gentleman. I have fallen in love with this line!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> Baby is nursing from mom


Yahooo..That was what I was hoping!!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad she is nursing. When she cries out frustrated when she is nursing it might mean momma ran out. 
Does she nurse from both sides? If not teach her the other side too. Be persistent. After she is a little older, she will go back and forth. 

Unfortunately yes, no extra milk for you.


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## VVFarm (Dec 14, 2015)

Reopening this thread...
Mama goat has had enough milk for the kid, whom has been thriving. Both look well.
Now that the kid is about ready to wean I wonder what I should do with Mama?
Should I leave her dry and open to continue to build herself up? Breed her right away and hope that her next lactation will be better? Milk her once a day as long as I can (hey- a pint a day is better than no milk, right? But not worth being tied to a milking schedule either) to stimulate her internal calendar?
I know you all will likely say it's ultimately up to me, but what would YOU do if she were yours?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Definitely not breed her back right away. I would personally milk her.


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