# Milking before kidding because of enormous udder



## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

I have a 6 year old Oberhasli doe who is due in 10 days. 5th F. She is huge this year, and her udder is ...quite frankly....astronomical. I'm used to them filling up and getting really large and stretched and shiny before kidding, but this is way, way out of normal. There had to be 2 gallons, easy, in there. I know you aren't supposed to milk any out because of colostrum loss, but I just had to. She couldn't walk, she couldn't lay down, she was in pain. So I milked out a gallon and have frozen it in quart baggies. It was very yellow with colostrum. She still has a huge udder and she can now walk, but I may have to do it again. I know I will have to feed the babies the milked out colostrum to make sure they get what they need. Has this ever happened to anyone out there? What was the outcome?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Can you post a picture? I have seen a goat do this and freshened with severe congestion. Udder was super unnaturally large however. I'm hoping your mama is just an over achiever. 
Research that I have found still make it unclear to me when colostrum is actually made. Some say some time before kidding other say 30 minutes prior to kidding. Even some say after they kid they let down colostrum. It's been some time since I read up on this. Maybe some one has recent info on this.. Her comfort is important.


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

I'm in the same boat here with my oberhasli girl! I wish I had some advice for you but I've been trying to answer this question myself with not much luck. 
My poor Stella is hauling this around with 3.5 weeks to go until her due date! She's not as big as your girl sounds but she just has so long to go and it just keeps filling! I'm so stressed by it. Her's started with a precocious udder on the left side but now both sides are growing. She's a 3 yr old FF. Good luck with your girl!!


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Your girls is very nice looking. Her udder is very large considering she has a long time to go. The udder on my gal is easily twice this size and it's ugly. The weight has stretched it down below her hock, and it's never been like that. So stressing!


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

It sounds like swing bag to me. the mussels and tendons break down and the bag hangs low. it is genetic you often find a young doe that has a shelf on the front of her udder will break down I watch for self's on my girls and I cull the kids from that doe and when the doe breaks down i cull her.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

do not milk early that will risk does kids. no colostrum kills kids
by the way kids have a hard time finding the spickets on swing bag does. watch the kids weight for a few days


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Thank you for the replies! I have saved the colostrum and will give it to the kids when they are born, just in case what is in there is watered down now. Yes, this doe (my very first goat and I have much better genetics now) did indeed have a shelf. You're right. Her udder has always been carried high until ....all of a sudden.....man, is it drooping and low and huge. Maybe a goat bra?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Is the udder lumpy and missformed? Can you get a picture? Yes a bra of some sort can help support the weight but won't help the discomfort of stretching tight. I'm betting when she kids that colostrum will become thicker and richer for babies.


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Udder is not lumpy or hard. No heat. Very pliable and soft when I milked out a gallon, and there was probably a gallon left in there. The milk, colostrum, is thick and yellow.


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Nashville Nancy said:


> Your girls is very nice looking. Her udder is very large considering she has a long time to go. The udder on my gal is easily twice this size and it's ugly. The weight has stretched it down below her hock, and it's never been like that. So stressing!


Yeah that sounds rough! Poor girl.. sorry you are dealing with that. One vet suggested I do occasional relief milking if the udder gets very tight or the teat starts stretching out, just milking enough to relive the pressure. But that being said, he also mentioned that you do indeed increase the risk of mastitis by removing the plugs.. so damned if you do damned if you don't! I've done this twice with my girl because she was SO uncomfortable and I sprayed the teat orifice with fight bac afterwards and made sure she was standing until it dried. I know it is not ideal to milk anything at this point but if it's hurting her until she can't walk or lay down then it seems like you don't have much choice?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Sounds like other than abundantly full its a healthy udder.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Thank you , everyone! I appreciate the advice. I really did not want to milk her to relieve pressure, but her teats got so stretched out they were almost nubs. I didn't see how a kid could grab onto them. So, I did indeed milk out a bunch, left a bunch and I will give the kids, when born, some of her saved colostrum just in case. Three days til due date


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

A trick I read was to clean the teat really well, and your hands, of course, then put a dab of elmer's glue over the teat orifice to help seal it up. 
At this point, though, she's probably made her own seal again, so it's likely not worth it. 
Hope all goes well with her kidding!


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Please update when she kids! I would love to see the Ober babies! Hope everything goes well


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)




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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Save the colostrum! Freezer bag and freeze in small amounts! (ice cube trays work good too!)


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Today is my doe's due date and her poor udder is filled again. Snapped a photo for everyone.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Oh my land. 😱 I can see why you milked her. I hope you can get that under control once she kids.


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Goodness, she is sooo full. Will more than likely be kidding soon and letting her milk down even more. If you hadn't have relieved her pressure some, don't know how in the world the udder would hold all the milk this doe is making. Happy kidding and easy birthing to the both of you.


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Poor girl! It is huge! Hope those kids are hungry when they come out!


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

Ouch! Glad you took some of the pressure off!


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Has the doe kidded yet or is she still holding them hostage? 🥳


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Today is the end of being overdue 1 day. She is eating an drinking and very uncomfortable with her huge tummy and udder. She is in a kidding stall by herself and seems happy about that. Come on babies!!


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

It's that darn doe code I keep hearing about.  Tell her she has fans from all over waiting to see her kids and just go ahead and birth those twins.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Oh wow, poor girl. 
Hope she kids soon.


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Overdue day 2. She is chewing cud. She just looks at me when I check on her many times a day. She looks like she is giving me the finger. LOL


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

You know what Nashville Nancy, she is likely tired of carrying those little ones around as much as the waiting game is tiring. Might be "the finger look" sure enough, those last few days of pregnancy seem to drag on and on whatever form the mother to be lives in. The birth will be soon, my guess is by Sunday night early Monday morning.


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

Babies are here! 2 boys, and one girl. All doing well. Pictures in a bit.


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

Nashville Nancy said:


> Babies are here! 2 boys, and one girl. All doing well. Pictures in a bit.


Yay! Congratulations! I'm so glad all is well.


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)




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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

This is after I milked that horrendously large udder after the babies had eaten their fill. Tummies were all round and full. Doe was still very large, but the babies had nursed all the milk out of one side, plus some from the large side... I was concerned they would eat themself to death, so I milked out the other and got 3/4 gallon. She is finally deflated now, thank goodness. Photo of the colostrum I saved from the first time I relieved pressure on her udder....I am going to heat it up and try to bottle feed some of it to babies.


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

Cute! Those are some big babies! No wonder she felt she needed to make all that milk for them.


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Congratulations on the birth of those beautiful triplets. All that abundance of milk was to feed her litter of kids, plus some extra. Glad you were finally able to milk her out, she will be much more comfortable now.


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Glad it went well! They are so cute! She must feel so much better


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cute!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Congratulations on the kids! So glad she can have an empty udder! That must be such a relief for both her and you!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

A big congrats.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

How's you doe doing? Have you noticed any problems with the kids since you milked early?


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## Nashville Nancy (Feb 11, 2021)

All the babies did just fine with no problems! I was worried about milking her out before the birth, but everyone did great. Her udder is no longer ballooned up. I let the 3 triplets have all the milk....I don't take any. I don't want to put a bigger burden on her, although she is feeding all three with no problems.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

That's good to know! Thanks for the update.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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