# Doe hasnt had kids and is producing milk?



## jgute17 (Sep 10, 2016)

I recently got two Nubian/ Nigerian mix goats for free from a family who was moving nearby they got them two years before as rescuses and didn't know much about them besides their breed when i wen to pick them up i noticed her udder was huge and the lady said it had just always been like that ever since she got them she obviously didn't realize it was full of milk when i got home i milked her to relieve some of the pain she probably had she hasn't had kids and was in a pen with 2 horses and another weather who i have with me those were the only goats on the property so theres no way she's pregnant if she hadn't been milked in 2 years wouldn't she had dried up by now I'm wondering how she is still producing and if i keep milking her ( I'm thinking once a day ) will she dry up or will she keep producing? i would like for her to keep producing since i make soap out of the milk. I'm trying to figure out how this is possible if its just her breed? because as far as i know a doe has to be pregnant or have had kids and freshen in order to be producing milk. she also moves around a lot and hated me milking her wondering if thats because she was probably sore from her udder being so huge wondering on how to cut down on her moving so much and how to tell when to stop milking for that session . Thanks !


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Milk her out. If she was honestly like that for 2 years, she could have mastitis.


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## jgute17 (Sep 10, 2016)

ksalvagno said:


> Milk her out. If she was honestly like that for 2 years, she could have mastitis.


I've had her for about a week and a half now so i don't think she has anything wrong with her because as far as i know they only live for 24 hours if they have mastitis and she seems like a healthy goat (eats, moving well,clear white milk).
I'm just trying to figure out how she could be producing ?


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

I have a four year old doe who has been increasingly precocious for two plus years. If it gets tight I do milk her. Keep an eye out for mastitis! So far mine has not had it. I'm considering trying to just milk my doe consistently or have the udder surgically removed... 

If you milk all the way out it may trigger increased production. Just milk enough to make the udder feel soft. If it's not hard I'd just do a couple squirts to do a mastitis check and to visually inspect the milk.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Mastitis does not cause death within 24 hrs. Mastitis is an infection in the mammery (udder) gland. 
If their are clots, clumps or yucky milk she very well could have mastitis. She could also be a self sucker!


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## jgute17 (Sep 10, 2016)

Goats Rock said:


> Mastitis does not cause death within 24 hrs. Mastitis is an infection in the mammery (udder) gland.
> If their are clots, clumps or yucky milk she very well could have mastitis. She could also be a self sucker!


her milk looks perfectly healthy (not to watery not to thick very white and smooth) her udders don't look abnormal at all or have any color that is alarming and she is acting normal so I'm not really concerned about her health more like how its possible she's still producing


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

jgute17 said:


> her milk looks perfectly healthy (not to watery not to thick very white and smooth) her udders don't look abnormal at all or have any color that is alarming and she is acting normal so I'm not really concerned about her health more like how its possible she's still producing


Not sure who told you that mastitis kills in 24 hours, but happily not true!

Did you see my above post about my doe? They call it being precocious. It's a hormonal thing common to high producing lines where a maiden doe ( never had kids) will produce some milk. Some like my does have a TON of milk.

I would periodically check her for mastitis and/or milk a little off if she becomes uncomfortable.

Do you hope to breed her?


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I would be concerned about this doe if she has "always been like that". Something is going on here. Either she is a self sucker or has some mastitis going on. An udder does not stay full for 2 years without being milked out, which you don't believe the previous owner did. I would check for mastitis in the udder. You felt she was in pain when you got her and needed to be milked - if she hasn't been milked in 2 years it could be something else the previous owner is not aware of.


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## Melinda29 (Apr 19, 2016)

I'm guessing that she had kids a few years ago and is a very precocious producer, and the other two goats have been nursing off her ever since, or she's nursing off herself, or both.


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## fortspringwatergoats (Sep 16, 2016)

PLEASE TAKE HER TO THE VET!! I beg you! Take that goat to the vet! The vet is alway your best bet!


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## jgute17 (Sep 10, 2016)

fortspringwatergoats said:


> PLEASE TAKE HER TO THE VET!! I beg you! Take that goat to the vet! The vet is alway your best bet!


she has been vet checked and is healthy ...


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

I am usually a strong advocate of seeking veterinary treatment, however I believe in this case it really is possible this doe is healthy and has had a full udder for years. 

I say this because I have one like it. In my case the doe was bred at a year to kid as a two year old.

She had all signs of pregnancy including some udder development then bloody discharge then nothing. She has never a been ill. Despite passing some bones...

I have tried different things to get her to settle since then without success.

The past two years she has come into more and more milk.

She is more at risk of mastitis so I keep an eye on things. But she is healthy.


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## Mhairi (Jan 7, 2017)

It was common in the country to massage a maiden goat to produce milk, no kid needed, don't know how long for.


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