# is it normal for one teat to be larger than the other



## bigred (Oct 14, 2012)

I have a doe that is due any day now and I notice tonight one teat is larger than the other is this normal?


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## sarahtreadway (Oct 25, 2012)

That sounds like mastitis. I would bottle feed the kid . Mastitis is an infection in the udder, so you should try to keep it as steryle as possible. Before it gets any worse.. When it gets bad its really ugly..some teats have been amputated. Mostly though it prevents kids from being able to nurse off that teat because its too large.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

If it looks swollen, red, hot or has lumps in it its probably mastitis otherwise it may be normal. I have one doe with a noticeable difference of size between teats. You may want to test for mastitis once she kids just to be sure.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Sometimes if one orifice is larger than the other (orifice is the opening of the teat) then there may be a difference in teat size. Make sure the milk looks normal and her teat doesn't look red, swollen or hard.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Another consideration for difference in teat size, especially in does who have freshened before would be that she had single kids previously and they were only nursing one side, if this happened and the doe was not milked by the owner to keep her udder evenly producing, the unused side would dry up and affect her production as well as the look of her udder with future freshenings. The same would happen if she'd had a case of mastitis that was untreated and caused damage to the tissues.

Unless her udder shows heat, redness or feels lumpy on the larger side, do not milk her especially if she's due soon...once she delivers, you can express the teat plugs and test the colostrum with a CMT... Jeffers Livestock Supply carries them at a reasonable price and if you order one now, you'll have it ready to use when she does freshen.


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