# Having Trouble Emptying Udder



## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Alright, so I've been milking my does for nearly two weeks and I think I'm having trouble getting their udders completely empty. This might be obvious, but how do you know when they are empty? I get to the end of milking and my doe Bella, her udder still looks like it's got some in there. I'll bump and massage, get a few squirts, bump again and get a squirt, move to the other teat and do the same thing and when I return to that first teat I'll be able to get a little out. If I'm still getting a little milk then she not empty right? But Is it normal to take that long at the end or am I doing something wrong?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you massaging the udder? You need to massage, not just bump.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I tried that for the first time today and while I got more, I still am not sure that I got it all. She's still nursing two kids, so is it possible she's just holding a lot back?


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

The udder won't feel completely empty. There's tissue in there, and sometimes it's thicker/meatier if kids are still on them. Milk until no more comes out, bump, massage, try again to see if anything more lets down, then strip the teat. There is always the possibility that she's holding back for her kids, yes, but even an empty udder will still feel like there's some substance to it. The flatter they milk down, the better though.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very good advice above.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Calistar said:


> The flatter they milk down, the better though.


By this, do you mean the flatter _you_ can get them down, the better? Or the flatter the doe can be milked down in terms of udder conformation the better?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If your doe has a meaty udder, it will not milk down flat. If she doesn't have a meaty udder, the udder should have a flat appearance.


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

MellonFriend said:


> By this, do you mean the flatter _you_ can get them down, the better? Or the flatter the doe can be milked down in terms of udder conformation the better?


The flatter in terms of conformation. But, as an appraiser told me, it's unrealistic to expect a doe with a high-capacity udder to milk out completely flat. So I don't worry about it too much. I have other priorities. In theory, the flatter YOU can get them milked down the better too, but that's just from a production standpoint. If you're leaving milk in the udder, she will start to produce less. But once you get to the point where you're only getting a few drops out of each side, she's empty enough that I don't think it matters much.

I'm (hopefully) attaching a photo I took last night of one of my does after being milked out. It's blurry but you get the idea. She has her kids on her during the day and I milk her in the mornings. (Just milked her last night because we're doing milk test today.) She is a high-producing doe and she just never gets even close to flat. I'm also attaching a photo of her before milk-out for reference. I have another doe who I will try to get a photo of for you. She only had one kid this year and her production has dropped a LOT. She went from being my highest producing doe last year to second from the bottom this year. But, her udder milks down nice and flat this year lol!


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

I don't know what's up with the duplicate pictures, I did my best


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Thank you so much for the pictures! I am glad to know that they can still look full when they aren't. I feel like my doe's udder is so well attatched that it never gets that "saggy" look I was expecting.


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## Harriet_and_Hens (Apr 26, 2015)

I'm glad it's not just me. One doe that is in milk right now has what I believe to be a "meaty" udder - sounds like yours! I can milk and milk, message, bump, milk more, etc. seems like forever and ever. While another doe of mine I can milk out pretty much 100% - like there is not a single drop left in her. I was starting to get worried-ish though because for some reason I have "milking-amnesia" when it comes to this girl and I feel like in years past I was able to milk her out 100%... Either way, her milk is good, she gives a lot and seems happy about it so I'm not complaining


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