# First Freshener development



## NorthArrow (Jun 6, 2018)

This is my keeper Nubian doe born March 2017 and a series of pictures of her udder development as a first freshener. I always find it fascinating. Does anyone else have a timeline to share?

About a month before freshening is when I noticed her udder beginning to develop.










Then a couple weeks later:










Three days before freshening:










Two days after freshening. Her udder was congested right after kidding and I couldn't tell much. But now that the congestion is going down and she's coming into real milk, her udder is softening up and is easy to milk. I will take another set of photos when she is a few weeks fresh.



















And here is her dam's udder for the heck of it. I think this daughter is an improvement over her dam.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is a nice way to keep track. I hope the congestion goes away.


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

I just love udder pictures.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Very nice udder!


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## Mossyrock (Mar 21, 2017)

This is great! I was looking for timelines like this before my girls freshened!! Definitely looks like your doe is an improvement over her dam, nice 

I took photos of the development of my FF Nigerian Dwarf does this year.

My girl Kismet probably a month or more out from kidding (excuse the hair....and the cut. It was a very cold winter!!!). She ended up having triplets.


Maybe a few weeks out?
[url=https://flic.kr/p/26RdDoh]

Day before kidding
[url=https://flic.kr/p/KfrT8F]

And then 3 weeks fresh! 10 hr hold.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/26Dpkcu]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/25bhjrm]

And then this is Caprice, who freshened with just a single.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/247UQvp]

Day before kidding
[url=https://flic.kr/p/269tZRL]

6 weeks fresh, 10hr hold.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/269txWj]

I'd love to see more, too, who else has a photo timeline??


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

I don't have pictures of before but this is my FF Nubian 30 minutes from kidding.


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

my camera broke so I cant get pics of 10 hour hold, but I have a time line on my LaBoer doe Letty... 
*Letty's turn!*


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

I have one question ? Are those teats actually long enough to hand milk them ? The udder is very nice.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

TexasGoatMan said:


> I have one question ? Are those teats actually long enough to hand milk them ? The udder is very nice.


All the does here have really good teats for hand milking. I don't like big teats because they are harder to squeeze the smaller teats you can milk with two fingers if you have to.


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

TexasGoatMan said:


> I have one question ? Are those teats actually long enough to hand milk them ? The udder is very nice.


Yes, I milk her well! I only hand milk, she is 1/2 Boer so smaller teats (about 2 in long) but a lot richer, creamier milk! her mom has nice big LaMancha handles.


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## Mossyrock (Mar 21, 2017)

TexasGoatMan said:


> I have one question ? Are those teats actually long enough to hand milk them ? The udder is very nice.


I'm not sure who this question was directed to  but I will answer. My ND girls are all hand milked. Kismet especially has wonderful hand milking teats. Super easy!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice.


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

I was directing the question to MossyRock, because those teats look short to me in the photo and it is difficult to get an actual size in a photo. I don't do a two finger milking process. My hands are extra large in glove size and a short teat is very difficult for me to grip and milk. I need a teat that is 3 inches long and a fair size around in order for me to be able to get a good grip and properly milk.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

TexasGoatMan said:


> I was directing the question to MossyRock, because those teats look short to me in the photo and it is difficult to get an actual size in a photo. I don't do a two finger milking process. My hands are extra large in glove size and a short teat is very difficult for me to grip and milk. I need a teat that is 3 inches long and a fair size around in order for me to be able to get a good grip and properly milk.


I have xl lady hands too. Might be cause my nd is my first lady i have milked other than a cow many moons ago... but she isnt horrible to milk for me. I do put most of my hand on her udder though and just kinda roll my fingers into a fist. My middle and ring fingers get her teats mostly. I am kinda excited to breed my mini nub this fall.... to see what kind of dream her lil teats are to milk though! Cause even now hers are a bit longer then my gracie's are. And.... my mother laughs her head off at hubby and i talkin bout my goaties teats. Hahahahha. She has some memory issues and asks frequently bout milkin my gracie.


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## Mossyrock (Mar 21, 2017)

TexasGoatMan said:


> I was directing the question to MossyRock, because those teats look short to me in the photo and it is difficult to get an actual size in a photo. I don't do a two finger milking process. My hands are extra large in glove size and a short teat is very difficult for me to grip and milk. I need a teat that is 3 inches long and a fair size around in order for me to be able to get a good grip and properly milk.


Kismet has actually very nice sized teats, I just took a video of hand milking her that I will post! I have pretty decent sized hands for a woman.





Caprice does have shorter teats and is more of a two finger milker. I grew up with full sized dairy goats and I was really worried what milking my NDs would be like, but it's actually way easier than I had anticipated. I have one doe with TINY teats, but she is now sold! Easy milkability is going to be a big cull-factor here


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

This is me milkin my gracie! My hands are a tinny bit more on her udder. So nice to see i am doin it right. . Even though i know right is what gets the job done in the end.


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## ISmellLikeGoats (Oct 4, 2017)

TexasGoatMan said:


> I was directing the question to MossyRock, because those teats look short to me in the photo and it is difficult to get an actual size in a photo. I don't do a two finger milking process. My hands are extra large in glove size and a short teat is very difficult for me to grip and milk. I need a teat that is 3 inches long and a fair size around in order for me to be able to get a good grip and properly milk.


Same here...remember that Seinfeld episode "She had man-hands, Elaine!"...yeah that's me. I have really long fingers (and toes for that matter) and wear a mens size L glove. Not that it fits me in the palm, as my hands are narrow, but they fit the length of my fingers.

You'd like my FF Nubian, she has big handle-bar teats. My whole hand can go on nothing but teat.


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## ISmellLikeGoats (Oct 4, 2017)

2 weeks fresh (FF)


















This morning at 33 days fresh.


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