# Udder question



## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

My 2nd freshener Saanen Alpine cross has an udder that seems "hard inside". She milks out fine, although only gives a quart per milking. Her udder will still look rounded and feel hard inside after milking, although it gets a little softer. She has a really nicely attached and round udder, but it's not very big. It's not swelled up and painful or anything, the hardness is inside, if that makes sense. I have had a doe swell too much after kidding, and the udder is hard, but then it's taut and hard on the skin. Her 2nd set of kids are growing fine as did last years. Her milk looks fine and tastes wonderful. She has no symptoms of any illness. I have heard talk of a meaty udder. What exactly is that?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

a meaty udder is one that has alot of mammary tissue and no room for capacity...I have a pygmy cross doe that literally has no udder, just a handful of skin over glands with teats sticking out. Your doe may be like that but because she is a dairy breed, her udder is bigger.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

How long has it been since she had her kids? Sometimes does can have edema/congestion for quite a while after kidding...most of the time it clears up within a couple weeks but other times it sticks around to some degree for months. If It is edema or congestion it will soften up gradually...if it is "meaty udder" it will never go away. The "meaty udder" is just excess mammary tissue.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

It's been a little over two weeks. Can a meaty udder still look normal?


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Also, I'm thinking a quart for a 2nd frehsener isn't very good? Babies are seperated for the night. I swear there is still more in there, but after a quart she doesn't let much out. Her udder seems small, too. I will get a pic in here.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Probably about 11 hours of milk. 2 weeks fresh. We bought her mom at age 4 an she has a really big udder and gives over 3/4 gallon at her peak.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

This pic makes it look bigger than it really is. I need to try a different pic.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Didn't get the top shaved too well!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

She has a nice udder! When you milk her out, does the udder shrink? Or does she still look as though she's got a fill?


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

It shrinks a little, but it keeps it's round shape and looks like it has milk still.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

At just 2 weeks fresh, she's still got those glands working overtime....I notice with my newly fresh does that the glandular tissue is greater than when they are at 8 weeks fresh. I'd give her a few weeks for any edema to go away and the swelling to go down.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

She was up to quart and a half this morning! The milk comes out of the teats easily but after a quart I have to massage a lot to get her to let more out. I think I could have gotten even more.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

That is great! Sounds like she may just need more time to "soften up".


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