# Yearling doeling nursing "HELP "rant"



## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Okay so I let one of my does(marigold) raise her doeling(peony) last year because she lost the first one. And I have not been able to wean peony. Marigold was dried up while pregnant and peony stopped nursing so I thought all was good. And now marigold is in milk again and peony is nursing AGAIN. Last year marigold didn't give more than 1/2 gallon a day so it was fine for peony to have it. But this year marigold is making 1 gallon a day so we are milking her. Peony now has diarrhea from nursing ALL the milk off marigold. Is there any way to make her stop nursing?

I tried tieing her up but she just about lost her lag so that's a no go. I also tried penning her up but she just jumped the fence.
I tried talking to my mother about selling her but all she would say is "If you sell one more goat I sell all the goats" So selling her is off the table 
* Rant *
As you can tell my mother is getting tired of my goats she says things like "Do you know how much these goats are costing me every month?" and "These things are more trouble then there worth" And all I can think is ""well if you would let me get my license and let me get a job I would be paying for them"" I am 18 and I don't have a place to call my own. I want to get a job and get my own place For my goats. I know what all the adults are thinking right now "You don't know what it like having to pay bills and take care of every thing on your own" And you would be right I don't know and I want to know!!! Okay I am done now :sigh:


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I would tape the teats.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Wouldn't that give her a rash? I milk her twice day so I would have to take it off every time I go to milk.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

It's really hard when someone else is footing the (ongoing) expense for something we love. Have you pointed out to your mom that you will always need to be selling goats? As long as you are milking them, you will be breeding them. As long as you are breeding them, you will be either selling them, or becoming overrun with them. (or both, in my case!!!!)

Talk with your mom about the overall vision for why the 2 of you even own goats, and what are the friction points for each of you, and what strategy may alleviate that friction. As an example, if excess breeding pressure is an issue, but both of you want milk, discuss the idea of changing to Saanens, who can often milk for a few years for each breeding.

That was just a for instance. I have no idea what your friction points are.

Now, for milking the doe you have... apparently you do not have the kid(s) from this last pregnancy? So you want the milk to go to you and not to your yearling? And you are concerned with the health of the teats if you use tape?

Consider only milking 1 time a day and allowing your doeling to drink the other half a day. For instance, if you milk in the a.m. tape in the evening, milk in the a.m. and let the yearling nurse the rest of the day? Or if you milk in the p.m., then tape in the a.m., milk, and let the yearling nurse overnight. 12 hours being taped, 12 hours being untapped. This last will actually discourage continued nursing, because the yearling will want to sleep during the night, not just eat.

Use an athletic tape, not Gorilla tape, and it just won't be that sticky.

We dam raise unless there is NO other option. We have no issues with yearlings wanting to continue nursing, so I'm flying a little bit blind.

But definitely try to have that 'dreams and goals vs frustrations' talk. Your mom might have had the idea that having a goat is like having a dog, and be confused by the continued breeding/selling issues that have come up.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

We need to know for sure if that doe is indeed preggo right now?
If she is, you will have to sell the yearling or put up a hotline and fence her in another area with a goat friend. 
If she is alone, she will panic and try to get back to the others. 

It is not fair of your mother to say not to sell the doe, it will help with the feed bill, ect, she is complaining about, doesn't make sense to me. 
I have my goats pay their own way. And not selling some here and there, does not help and your mom again doesn't make sense saying so.

You are 18 now and should be able to go out and find a job. Your mother should be encouraging you to do so. Unless she never wants you to leave and that in some parents happen, but if you feel you need to break away, do you have a grandmother or aunt ect who may be able to take you in, so you can achieve your goals and take the goats with you or figure out something with your mom? Tell your mother you love her but you need to start your own life. 
To take some burden off of her, as she seems unhappy with the situation right now. 
Or if you are to stay there, ask her to help you so you can help her with expenses, by getting that job, that seems to be a good remedy.

It is good you want to be your own person, there is nothing wrong with that and if I were your mother, I would praise you for it and be very proud of you. :hug:You are a strong person and I highly commend you for it. Be strong like you are, you are a very special young women.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

If you don't want to deal with taping the teats (which would be a good place to start) you could also get an udder net (also known as an udder support net); some are made for goats. That way you can clip it on and off for milking.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Okay I am going to try and answer all the questions 
1:Marigold is not pregnant she did just have a single buckling(That we sold) there is a story behind why I took the baby(If you want to know just ask)
2:I am not that worried about her teats but I am worried about peony 
3:I want all the milk so I can make cheese 
4: they are both Saanens :razz:
5:I have to laugh a bit but my mother used to breed dogs pure bred German shepherds and train them to be cancer sniffers and "see and eye guide dogs" So it is a bit like owning a dog for us 
6:She wanted the goats first we are following the bible and only eat clean animals 
7:I think the reason she doesn't want me to go is because of my oldest brother lets just say there was a girl and a baby and LOTS of money!!!
8:That and I am home schooled(along with my other 5 siblings)
9: she is very attached to all the goats she absolutely loves them all!!
10:We tried penning peony up with hot wire and other goats but she wants her mother she can jumped chain link fence 
11:I don't think peony is pregnant I was hoping she was after the breeding fiasco(again just ask if you want to know) but now I am not sure she is

Did I get all the questions?


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

I might need one of those udder support nets for our cow so her calves can't nurse ::


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Oh, you're in a tough spot for a while, until you can "graduate" and put some small distance in there so you can figure out your own life path.

I don't think you need worry about Peony, because nursing won't hurt her. I understand about needing the milk for cheese. That requires gobs of milk.

It does not sound like your mom would seriously sell the goats if Peony was sold, but it also sounds like taping is your best, cheapest option at the moment, and maybe look into the support net when you have money.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

OK, so it is complicated. 

Peony sure is a handful, LOL, and escape artist. 

Teat tape is gentle on the teats, if you can get some. Or use the other idea's, good luck.


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## GodsGarden (Feb 6, 2015)

I feel your pain. I had a doeling weaned and then her mom went though a "I need babies" crises and asked her over a year old pregant doeling to come back and nurse. The doling ended up having her kid and would still nurse of the mom. Funny really, lol, two way nursing. 

Anyway, I make a bag out of some sort of soft material like flannel sheets. Slip the bag on over the udder a tie it on. Has worked for me. Then they can be together.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Update: Okay so I made an udder bag for Marigold and it worked but only for that day because she figured out how to get it off. So back to the drawing bored. And after trying other things I think I found a way to keep Peony from nursing. Tea-tree oil it seems to have worked 
This is a picture of Marigolds udder after all day of being with Peony :fireworks:


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad you found something that works.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Once upon a time i had a doe who self-nursed. I slathered her teats in dawn dish soap. That worked.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad you found a remedy. 

She sure has a big udder going on there.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

toth boer goats said:


> Glad you found a remedy.
> 
> She sure has a big udder going on there.


She gives 1/2 gallon each milking. But milking her is a pain she has very small teats.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I see that, but that is good with how much milk she gives you.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

How did you make your udder bag?


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> How did you make your udder bag?


um with some baling twine and fabric.
I will try putting it back on her in the morning and taking a picture so you can see


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Ok, thanks. I've got two CAE positive does that I need to keep the kids off of. I've leaving them together, just bottle feeding. Kids aren't actively trying to nurse, so they really just need something slight to discourage them. I've been using teat tape but after one week their teats aren't doing so well


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Sorry I haven't gotten pics of the udder bag/net. Marigold tore her teat open to the point it was gushing milk every were. It's doing better now but milking has only gotten harder :sigh:


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## alicejane (Jan 15, 2014)

Wow, this is funny. I doubt that tape would keep peony out. I think maybe wrapping or making a coat for marigo. I think there are patterns on line. You need one to fit loose around her bag. I might try using a human vest she could step into and tie up on the other end. You might need to put somekind of hot spice on it to detour peony. She will probably try to get in. I seen thisbproblem in calves a lot. Good luck


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

alicejane said:


> Wow, this is funny. I doubt that tape would keep peony out. I think maybe wrapping or making a coat for marigo. I think there are patterns on line. You need one to fit loose around her bag. I might try using a human vest she could step into and tie up on the other end. You might need to put somekind of hot spice on it to detour peony. She will probably try to get in. I seen thisbproblem in calves a lot. Good luck


Ya tape didn't work she just pulled it off and drank the milk. I was worried that she might have swallowed it but she seems fine.


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## alicejane (Jan 15, 2014)

Wow! I had never heard about the udder bag wrap before so I looked on line about how they are made. Seems they haven't perfected them yet but look promising. Looks like some of the oils might work. Don't know if they will effect the milk. I thought about the vicks salve but thought it might effect the milk.. you can use it on some animals to stop licking or pecking.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Here are the pics of the udder wrap I made. I had to put it on Luna because marigold wanted nothing to do with it.


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## alicejane (Jan 15, 2014)

I looked back at marigold and her bag looks enormous. Looks to me like it would be hard to milk out. Is her bag always that big. Seems like the vet gave one of my does some meds to help the milk come easier? How did she hurt herherself? Just wondered.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

This is the first year she had given this much. Her first freshening she only gave about 3oz a day. Because she miscarried on day 132. And last year she only gave 1/4 of a gallon a day so we let her baby peony have it all. I don't give meds for milk she is just giving that much. As for her teat I don't know exactly what happened. All I know is that she wasn't whiting to be milked like she always was. So I called her and she came up from the back 70 acres. She had milk all over her lag and that side was empty. So maybe she found some down fence and tried to go through it.
Its doing much better but I am drying her up so it can heal faster. My mother will just have to get over it I will not lose a doe like this.


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## mariella (Feb 23, 2017)

Marigold healed up all the way. And Peony has stopped nursing and is more then likely pregnant. Marigold is still in full production and never dried up but the teat is healed so all seems right with the world(for now).


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a doe who is allowing her yearling doe to nurse. When she kidded, there was no colostrum. I had to pull her twins and bottle raise them. As soon as my last 2 does have kidded, I am putting that doe in the maternity pen to keep her away from her daughter.


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