# Clogged teat? New question 7/14



## Itchysmom

For the past two when I milk Sasha I have had a bit of a problem. I have been starting with her smaller side then moving to the bigger side. Yesterday morning I started milking like normal and when I got to her bigger teat it was plugged? Let's say I pulled on it and got nothing! So, I massaged the udder, wiped it down with my warm cloth again and after a few pulls the milk started coming out. Just a tiny stream at first, then it came out normal. This morning same thing, but it took me a bit more work to start the stream. I did check to see if it was plugged/clogged and didn't see or feel anything different with her udder or teat.

Is this something that is normal? I am a bit concerned. Is there anything I should look for? The smaller side is not giving me this problem.

Thanks!


----------



## lissablack

*Re: Clogged teat?*

Maybe it would help to milk her twice, she has all day to build up that plug. I have had this happen and after awhile we got over it, but it might be also a good thing to be watching extra carefully for symptoms of mastitis.

Jan


----------



## liz

*Re: Clogged teat?*

Do you see anything in the filter after you've strained the milk?

I have on occassion felt when a teat would come "unplugged", as I would squeeze , I would feel resistance then bam a full stream, it was on those days that I would see a tiny hard ball of white...almost like a plug made of milk. My doe milked fine, never any mastitis.


----------



## Itchysmom

*Re: Clogged teat?*

Jan: I have been deciding where or not to milk her at nite also. Her kids are on her all day and her udder does not look full when I seperate them at 7pm. I then milk her between 6:30 and 7 am.

liz: I see nothing when I strain it. No clumps, nothing. It's like I squeeze, nothing comes out. After I use my warm cloth and massage it a bit, squeeze a few more times, it starts coming out in a thin stream, then POW! This did not happen before, just the past two mornings. These are the two mornings after I started seperating the kids at nite. Could that be it, since they are not nursing at nite, it then plugs up from lack of stimulation?


----------



## liz

*Re: Clogged teat?*

Are you stripping her out once she is separated from her kids? The kids saliva has something to do with sealing the orifice once they're done nursing...not sure though how it works but I know I've read it somewhere. Try stripping her out and see if it happens the same way when you milk the next morning.


----------



## Itchysmom

*Re: Clogged teat?*

No, I haven't actually stripped her out yet. My hands get very cramped, so I am building up to that! I will try tomorrow and see. Would stripping her out, then turning the kids on her make it hard for the kids to get milk? I know they literally attack her once I let them out! First morning they actually knocked her hind legs out from underneath her!

Oh wait...you mean strip her out at night? I haven't done that as I do not milk her at night. I can try tomorrow as it is too late right now.


----------



## liz

*Re: Clogged teat?*

I mean to milk her out once the kids are put up for the night, take what is left in her udder before the over night fill.


----------



## Itchysmom

*Re: Clogged teat?*

Got ya! I will do that tomorrow and see if it makes a difference. Guess I just can't get away from milking twice a day can I!


----------



## liz

*Re: Clogged teat?*

There likely won't be much left in her udder at night, but the act of expressing what milk there is may solve the issue with the teat plug by flushing the orifice before a fill up.


----------



## WarPony

*Re: Clogged teat?*



liz said:


> There likely won't be much left in her udder at night, but the act of expressing what milk there is may solve the issue with the teat plug by flushing the orifice before a fill up.


Yup, I started to just take a good squeeze or two from each teat and then dip it in teat dip when i pulled the kids off at night and in the morning it was easier to get them started back up than if I just left them alone after the kids had nursed the night before.


----------



## Itchysmom

*Re: Clogged teat?*

Thanks guys! I will try that tonite. I'm glad to hear that it is not a major problem in the teat department!

This is what it was like this morning....The small side was not a problem, got a bit more than quart out of it and I think I drained it pretty good. The larger side was a royal pain! I could not get any milk out of it on several tries. I massaged, also wiped and massaged with my warm cloth, bumped it, etc,. Sasha acted like it hurt for me to touch it. I knew I had to get the milk out as she was most likely uncomfortable with the udder so full. I finally got a small stream to come out. She kept lifting her leg as if to tell me it hurt and to stop what I was doing. I persisted and finally got a got stream. During the whole time milking this side she kept up the leg lifting. I finally gave her a swat on her hip and said NO! I think I got it pretty much emptied...took awhile as I was fumble fingered this morning on top of everything esle! So, both sides are pretty much empty for me. Am I hurting her or do I just need to be presistant and make her let me empty her? Why is she acting like she is in pain when I milk that side?

Then I let her stand in the pen while I gather things up. I then let the kids out and they immediately go to her for breakfast. She will have nothing and I mean nothing to do with them. Won't let them drink at all! I even saw her lift the doeling with her horns and give her a toss. I do not know if she is letting them drink now...about two hours later. I assume she was sore and did not want the kids to hurt her more.

My next concern is that the kids are too young for her to wean, only a month old. I have seen her walk away from them in the past few days when they want a drink...like she is trying to wean them. They really don't eat their grain, but do eat hay and grass and drink water. They still had a little grain left over from last nite in their pan and will not even think about eating any in the morning while I am milking mom.

This is so confusing! :roll: Do I keep doing what I am doing? There are no clumps or blood in her milk at all. I will milk her a bit tonite after I put the kids away and see that makes a difference tomorrow morning.

edit: Ok I just saw the kids drinking..whew!


----------



## goathiker

Two things, make sure on the big side you are only milking the teat. It can be difficult sometimes when they are overfull to determine where the udder tissue starts. Sometimes you have to lift up a little to help release the milk. When you first start push a little milk into the teat to inflate it well and then wipe the end with a cottonball soaked with a little alcohol. This will help disolve the keritin block.
Is she getting her vit. C? I give 4 adult tablets daily until all udder issues are resolved. Garlic can also help udder health and sometimes resolve sub-clinical mastitis. I squeeze 2 gel caps onto the milkstand grain twice a day. Both of these things increase circulation and reduce soreness and weird little things that can pop up.


----------



## Itchysmom

Thank you for that info! I will check to make sure I am not too high when I start to milk that side. I think I maybe at times! I have not been giving her and vit C or garlic. If I add garlic itwill taint the milk won't it? I am wanting to make cheese, which I guess a garlicy taste wouldn't matter, but hubby uses it in his coffee.


----------



## luvmyherd

I think they have to consume a lot of garlic to taint the milk. I put a clove in with their morning grain with no ill effects.
As to the kids nursing; I have two that I almost NEVER see nurse. But Mom is empty at night so I know they are.


----------



## goathiker

Our milk started tasting better after I started using the garlic. I think because the antibiotic properties help them fight off bacteria before it can take hold. It also has the side benefit of making their coat so soft and their skin healthy and supple.


----------



## Itchysmom

Can I use fresh garlic? That is what we use alot in cooking and for use as an antibiotic ourselves. Or I have dried garlic too.


----------



## liz

Fresh is best, dried works well too.


----------



## goathiker

If you have a garlic press you can squeeze the oil of a couple cloves on her grain too. If she won't eat the cloves that is, most of them love garlic though. The gelcaps I have are simply the oil in a capsule. My family eats up all the fresh garlic I try to buy for the does...they won't touch something that looks like vitamins.
If she won't eat the vit. C tabs you can powder the whole jar in the blender and give her a teaspoon or two on her food. You really can't overdo vit. C easily.


----------



## Itchysmom

Thank you!

I will have to wait to get the Vit C til I can go to town again, but I do have fresh and dried garlic. We use it alot!

I milked her a bit tonite, just about 1/2 a pint. Hopefully it won't be hard to get her going in the morning. Looks like I will be milking twice a day now!


----------



## liz

Are you milking her totally out once the kids are separated for the night? Milking her out to empty will make it a bit easier to start milking...is this a 8 or 12 hour fill?

The larger side could be because both kids are nursing that side while one kid is nursing the small side...she'll make what's being taken and if you have a little piggy taking twice as much, thats why she's lopsided


----------



## Itchysmom

This morning was easier! Still had to squeeze a few times before milk came. The orifice on the bigger side seems smaller? Like the stream is nos big as before. :whatgoat: I started with that side this morning. Still got my 1/2 gallon.

Last night liz I only took about 1/2 pint. Tonite I will just milk her out. I put them up at about 7pm and go out in the morning about 6:30...so almost a 12 hour fill.

Now, this milking out thing. How do you know when you have actually milked her out? Yes, I know...no more milk comes out  But, if i finish with one side and go to the other, then I can go back to the first one and get more milk. How is this supposed to work?


----------



## liz

I go back and forth and will bump and massage until I can get no more. When it's barely half a squirt, I don't try again, I just wipe her udder and let her off the stand. As long as a doe is nursing kids, her mammary glands will produce 24/7 at a constant rate so you'll always have a few drops left even if you think you got it all.

I totally empty udders when separating at night, though mine don't usually get a 12 hour fill as I separate at 9pm and milk at 430am, I still get 3 cups from my older doe at peak.


----------



## Itchysmom

I totally emptied her udders last nite after I put the kids up. Her bigger side was still a bit clogged this morning, but better. Used to be that side was easy, now the smaller side is easy! I will keep on truckin"! Still getting a 1/2 gallon a day from her, which is good. I made cheese yeaterday!


----------



## mltgoats

*clogged teat*

Goat had twins last night. Noticed they were only nursing the two small top teats. She allowed me to try to milk the lower ones. I mainly wanted to see if the seals were broken. One side was fine but the other side looks like a black head. Tiny white stringy stuff. I managed to get about an inch and a half out and then got nothing. She was lifting her leg as if that teat is sore so I stopped. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Took what I milked from the good side, put it in a bottle but babies refused to nurse it and cried for her.


----------



## ksalvagno

You just have to keep working on that side. You will end up with mastitis problems if you don't.


----------

