# Bringing doe back into milk



## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

I bought an alpine/nubian cross doe today. She is 7 and had her kids in April. The woman that owned her was already starting to dry her off but she said that she thought I could bring her back into milk. She's only been home a couple of hours, but I was just giving her a quick going-over while she ate- trimming hooves etc, and I wasn't able to get any milk out whatsoever.. I am a total newbie with milkers, I only have youngsters right now. Any tips for bringing her back into milk?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

IF she has an udder at all, you can start to try bringing her back around by milking her very often... like 4-5 times a day or as often as you can get her onto the stand...each of those times give her alfalfa pellets and only 2x per day give her an allotted grain mix.


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## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

She does have an udder, and it seems like it feels like there's milk in there, but not a lot. Even if no milk is coming out, should I still "go through the motions" each time? How long should I "milk" for if I'm not getting anything?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It does make it harder to come back into milk if you don't know how to milk. I would just keep practicing. What are you doing to milk her? I mean how are you trying to milk her?


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## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

ksalvagno said:


> It does make it harder to come back into milk if you don't know how to milk. I would just keep practicing. What are you doing to milk her? I mean how are you trying to milk her?


I'm following the instructions I've read/seen that say to "close off" the teat with thumb and forefinger and then squeeze down from there... I thought it was pretty straightforward but I must be doing it wrong because I'm not getting anything, and even when I feel liquid it wants to go back up into the udder...


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## Goat_in_Himmel (Jun 24, 2013)

Newbie myself, with a fairly small-teated Nigerian, and what works for me is to use two hands to milk one teat: I close off just above the teat with my left hand, and with my right hand, kind of press my fingers in sequence against my thumb, index to ring, with the teat in between my thumb and fingers, of course. When I let go with my left hand to allow for refill, I am also gently bumping up on the udder to stimulate letdown. When one hand opens, the other closes: squirt, refill, squirt, refill. It's the fastest system I've come up with, the doe doesn't seem to care, and it can't be any worse than what that little ruffian of a kid does to her! Because it breaks down a movement that is complex for one hand to do, into a simple task for each hand, the two-hand method might help prevent milk from going back up, which is what happened when I tried one-handed milking.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Bump and massage her udder to stimulate her as a kid would until you do get some production.

It can be done, just takes a good bit of time to do so


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## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

Thank you guys for your help! I got a little over a cup from her this morning.



Goat_in_Himmel said:


> Newbie myself, with a fairly small-teated Nigerian, and what works for me is to use two hands to milk one teat: I close off just above the teat with my left hand, and with my right hand, kind of press my fingers in sequence against my thumb, index to ring, with the teat in between my thumb and fingers, of course. When I let go with my left hand to allow for refill, I am also gently bumping up on the udder to stimulate letdown. When one hand opens, the other closes: squirt, refill, squirt, refill. It's the fastest system I've come up with, the doe doesn't seem to care, and it can't be any worse than what that little ruffian of a kid does to her! Because it breaks down a movement that is complex for one hand to do, into a simple task for each hand, the two-hand method might help prevent milk from going back up, which is what happened when I tried one-handed milking.


THANK YOU for suggesting this. I started off with two hands and once her orifices "cleared" (thats what it felt like sorta) I was able to milk with one hand.


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## hallsthirdacrefarm (Mar 30, 2011)

Congratulations. Doesn't it feel great to get that first milk out of your goat...it's payoff and quite a success milestone in goat ownership. I still feel the belssing of owning goats every time I'm getting that milk in my bucket.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

awesome! isn't it exciting when you get milk out?!?


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## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

It was the MOST exciting thing ever. Lol. I texted the hubby a picture, and "Got milk!!!"

She's a sweet goat, but is pretty rough looking right now. I wormed her when I brought her home and I'm looking into finding somewhere to buy a copper bolus for her (don't have a way to weigh out the cow ones). Her feet were in pretty bad shape and I got them looking better, but they still need work. I think I will just have to do a little bit at a time now until they look like they should. Need to put some weight on her as well. I think with a little TLC she'll look better. My youngsters are show goats and are so so pretty, so she looks a little sad next to them! haha.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

awwww!!! we love pictures, so feel free to post some!

Jeffers sells copper bolus sized for goats and sheet (4 grams).


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## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

I will get some pics asap  I shaved and bathed her today.. she looks like she feels sooo much better haha.


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## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

Here she is. Sorry about the quality, just a cell phone pic. I need to get out there with my DSLR but it's just so darn HOT.


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

That is great!!!! Keep at it!


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## Cali (Aug 2, 2012)

I've been milking 4x day.. not getting much at all, just a few squirts from each side. But hubby tasted it and he says its great, lol.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

She's cute. She does look thin along the spine and neck. I'd try and get a fecal and be sure the wormer got everything. I'm not sure being me, I would go ahead and get her back into milk with her needing weight. You could slowly up her feed (calcium and protein) if you are going to milk her to try and balance putting weight back on her.


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