# Goat with uneven udder, one is hard just kidded



## zatsdeb (Jan 20, 2008)

My goat just kidded, a few months ago her udders were the same size, then one got bigger and the other did not. The dairy I bought her from said sometimes they get that way and then after they kid and I start milking it evens out... After she kidded a few days ago her udders were pretty full, and now the one is hard as a rock. She is not hot, no redness.. you can get a few squirts out and it is just normal milk, the other side is normal milk... but it is so hard, the whole udder, I tried massaging, hot compresses... it is not getting any better, tried parsley.. and it is still very very hard.. the teat is not, The goat dairy said that they would buy her back from me, he didn't think it was mastitis, I may have to do that, but she has a adorable little baby girl... I don't mind bottlefeeding, my other question is if My goat doesn't get better after doing all that I can do, and the vet can do, I have an older milk goat, she hasn't had a baby for 2 years, but I just checked her and she still has milk. Is her milk still good?? I don't know if I should start milking her again and then throw away them milk for a few days?? and then use it for the baby???? First I have never had problems like this before and I have had milk goats for about 8 years now, and the Goat man at the Dairy's, Son is a vet. I never heard of a goat having milk 2 years after stopping milking her.
I hope someone has some answers for me before I end up taking the goat back to the dairy. she is very sweet, a white saanen named sugar.


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

could the old goat be sucking herself keeping her in milk?
It was just a thought that crossed my mind from what ive read in the past.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you able to get milk out of that side? Have you tried peppermint oil?


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Can you take her over there and have them evaluate the problem? A goat dairy will certainly have more experience with milkers then a novice. I'd try that first. Is the kid only nursing one side? Good luck, ray: :hug:


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## zatsdeb (Jan 20, 2008)

the baby is nursing mostly on the one side, the side that is hard she tries, but doesn't get but a swallow... we don't know if she is getting enough from the good side, she nurses until it is empty and then keep trying and trying.... she gives up and then goes back later when there is more milk. The goat man comes here... does house calls.  I didn't try peppermint oil, just udderbalm.


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## zatsdeb (Jan 20, 2008)

fd123 said:


> could the old goat be sucking herself keeping her in milk?
> It was just a thought that crossed my mind from what ive read in the past.


I have heard of that but I don't think she could reach... she is really fat and huge... she is like a big cow.. my husband fed them too much a few years back, and she never did lose the weight.


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

I had the same problem with a hard udder on one side. I milked her, put warm compresses, and massaged her like u did but it took a couple of days to see results. In the mean time we supplemented the twins with a bottle and after those couple of days we were able to get one to latch on. The next morning they were drinking off that side by themselves. All was fine from then in out.


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## zatsdeb (Jan 20, 2008)

nubians2 said:


> I had the same problem with a hard udder on one side. I milked her, put warm compresses, and massaged her like u did but it took a couple of days to see results. In the mean time we supplemented the twins with a bottle and after those couple of days we were able to get one to latch on. The next morning they were drinking off that side by themselves. All was fine from then in out.


We have been doing a lot of massaging and udderbalm, and warm compressess.. my husband does it when I am at work, I put her in the back yard so I can get to her easier.. Also the goat farm we got her from gave us a gallon of milk in case the baby needs more, she didn't drink much tonight, she is nursing all the time from her mommy, and she does nap, and wander around exploring, my hubby is worried that she is not getting enough because she is nursing all the time. She does nurse on the hard side also so she gets the milk that comes out there too, and the massaging does seem to be working, it is still hard, but I can feel it getting softer in spots.. guess with only one baby nursing the baby does seem to be getting milk every time she nurses.


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

I have a goat cam and watching them while I was at work is part of what suggested I had a problem. They were nursing constantly and when I got home from work their bellies were really sunken in. I panicked, but I got some milk in them and that was the first priority then I could work on Mom. Yours might be alot worse then mine and it is good that you are feeling soft spots appearing. I think that means it is working. I really hope things get better and easier for you.


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## nursehelg (Jul 5, 2012)

My goats were doing the same thing. The baby was only nursing from one udder. And two days ago their udder was really swollen and full. I just went ahead and milked her out on that side. Today her udders were the same size but I milked way more out of the one the baby does not want to nurse from. I got a pint and a half from both goats total. If udders work anything like human breasts do then every time the baby nurses, milk is let down on both sides. So if the baby only nurses on one side and gets full then that milk just sits in the other udder. My poor girl was so uncomfortable, and she was kicking at the sore udder. I wasn't planning on milking for at least two weeks but looks like plans have changed because my kids can't eat as much milk as the does are producing. I am going to freeze this milk for use with the next kids if milk is needed. I will start collecting milk for us next week. We can't wait to try it. My doe has been better since I started to milk her out. It did take a couple days but she feels much better now.


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## zatsdeb (Jan 20, 2008)

nursehelg said:


> My goats were doing the same thing. The baby was only nursing from one udder. And two days ago their udder was really swollen and full. I just went ahead and milked her out on that side. Today her udders were the same size but I milked way more out of the one the baby does not want to nurse from. I got a pint and a half from both goats total. If udders work anything like human breasts do then every time the baby nurses, milk is let down on both sides. So if the baby only nurses on one side and gets full then that milk just sits in the other udder. My poor girl was so uncomfortable, and she was kicking at the sore udder. I wasn't planning on milking for at least two weeks but looks like plans have changed because my kids can't eat as much milk as the does are producing. I am going to freeze this milk for use with the next kids if milk is needed. I will start collecting milk for us next week. We can't wait to try it. My doe has been better since I started to milk her out. It did take a couple days but she feels much better now.


I had that problem with one of my boer goats a few years back, having only one baby but things eventually evened out after milking and encouraging the baby to nurse the other side. I wish my goat had this problem, that would be easier cause I could milk her out.. her udder is hard.. was hard as a rock, but with massage is is getting less hard, but still is hard. there is milk there, the baby is nursing both sides not getting much from the hard side but at least there is milk, the other side the baby drains it... she seems healthy, she is nursing well, and jumping and playing with her mommy.


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## zatsdeb (Jan 20, 2008)

*Re: Hard Udder Getting better now!*

Good news, her udder is softening up, think between the baby nursing non stop...  and massage, just took a long time, The goat farm guy thinks it was congested udder, possibly brought on by the hot weather we had. Baby is doing great and so is mommy!


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

Thats GREAT!!! Its nice to read about a good outcome in this section once in a while!! KUDDOS to you for not giving up on her!!!


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