# What is up with this doe??



## wylie1 (Mar 28, 2012)

I have 2 does (pure nubians) that both kidded March of 2012. Both gave me big, healthy triplets. I let them nurse the kids till they were 8 weeks, which they did easily. Then each doe got to keep a kid, the rest were sold, and the does weened the kid they kept naturally. I milked them the entire time, and the kids were weened completely by 6-7 months. 

I deciced to stop milking around November, so I began the drying off process, milking less and less. I had not milked either goat since December. 

The past month or so, I had noticed one does udder was getting full on one side, and looked really lop-sided. The other does udder was getting full too, only on both sides. Finally, about a week ago, I thought they looked sort of uncomfortable, so I decided to put them on the milk stand and see what was up. Oh, and both does seem absolutely fine, eating, browsing, walking fine, (aside from having big udders) nothing abnormal at all. 

Since it was kind of a spur of the moment decision, I just used a 5 gallon water bucket that was out in the barn and milked them both into it. I must have gotten almost 3 gallons from them together. I didn't want it, so I just dumped it out. 

The doe with the lop sided udder went back to normal, and since then hasn't filled up too much. She still looks pretty balanced, but is getting fuller slowly. She's large/good sized goat, and has always had a nice udder.

The other doe...she's a different story. She's a big girl, and looks 4 months pregnant even when she's not bred. She eats like a shop vac on over drive, and has always had a "fat" udder. Her udder went down to a more normal look, and looked okay for a couple days, but I could tell it was getting bigger again. Yesterday, I noticed she looked huge and uncomfortable again. 

This morning I put her on the stand and milked her again. This time I was ready and had my regular milk bucket. She gave me 91 ounces. 

That's the back ground, sorry it's so long. 
Now here's my questions. Is this milk good enough to use for soap making? It had no clumps or chunks, and smells good. It looked maybe, a little thin. I didn't taste it though... I probably should have. 

Next, is this normal? Shouldn't these girls have dried up? The vet said they just likes to make milk. (Louise, the big girl, had a precocious udder and filled with milk before she was ever even bred) I don't know if this is a good problem, or a bad one! :?

I'm planning on breeding these two does again this fall, and I'm wondering if the milk is different after they kid, or is it always the same? They do have pretty much the same diet, I just gave them more grain when they were nursing.

I don't suspect mastitis, maybe I should do a CMT to be sure? 

Please! Any thoughts on this will be so very welcome!! Thanks!
Deb


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would go ahead and do a CMT just to be sure. But it sounds like you may have a "problem" with a precocious udder with your one girl. Maybe just keep her in milk. The milk should be fine and you should be able to drink it if you want to as long as no mastitis.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Sounds like a precocious udder on the one doe and possibly on the other, although when they fill unevenly it is always good to check for mastitis just to be safe.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

A high protein diet, like that from good quality alfalfa and/or a diet high in clover can help to cause this. If you do either of those with a heavy milk production animal, its not that uncommon to see a doe start producing milk at just about anytime. The milk should be fine for just about any use.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Even bucks from milky pedigrees will produce milk. lol There is a LaMancha buck that gave so much milk his owners milked him and put him on DHIR for one test year!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree..for the even sided gal, as long as the milk is good..use it, sounds like she could stay in milk and wont need to be bred every year....I would not milk a lop sided udder however..it could cause it to be lop all the time..I would go a head and breed her if it becomes an issue...
I have a almost 13 year old saanen who decided to begin producing milk ..her last kidding was almost 2 years ago!


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

ptgoats45 said:


> Even bucks from milky pedigrees will produce milk. lol There is a LaMancha buck that gave so much milk his owners milked him and put him on DHIR for one test year!


Oh my gosh, really? That is too funny.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Yup. Here is a link to the website he is on. Just scroll down to "Thrill" http://luckystarfarm.com/referencebucks1.html I haven't found where it says how much he milked, but he has a pretty big "udder"!


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## canthavejust1 (Oct 12, 2012)

Whoa!! Mr. Thrill's udder....wowsa!


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Even though I know fully well it can happen, that is just disturbing to see...


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## wylie1 (Mar 28, 2012)

Thank you all for the replies! I'll check my lop sided gal for mastitis tomorrow, and will just milk the other one. I guess instead of breeding all three, I'll just breed two of them. I like that idea! 

And...they do have lots of good browse and clover around here. I even give alfalfa sparingly...No wonder I have chubby goats. 

Thank you all again!

That buck with the udder...Wow...


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## Rev144 (Jan 22, 2011)

ptgoats45 said:


> Yup. Here is a link to the website he is on. Just scroll down to "Thrill" http://luckystarfarm.com/referencebucks1.html I haven't found where it says how much he milked, but he has a pretty big "udder"!


OMG...... My Lamancha doe is a great grand daughter to Mr. Titty.... I have great grandson to him too..... His Titties are only 1 inch long though!

http://www.adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.aspx?RegNumber=L001585928


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## bessmiller (Jan 23, 2012)

ptgoats45 said:


> Yup. Here is a link to the website he is on. Just scroll down to "Thrill" http://luckystarfarm.com/referencebucks1.html I haven't found where it says how much he milked, but he has a pretty big "udder"!


That is SO WEIRD. I had no idea that could happen.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

My first buck had an udder similar to Thrill. i was shiny new to goats and ended up with a buck that milked and most of his daughters had precocious udders.


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