# Goat stopped letting down and I worry she'll dry up or get mastitis



## Totesmgoats (Jun 12, 2020)

Hi everyone, 
I'm a brand new goat owner and I'm so excited! It's always been my dream to have a little family dairy to supply our home with milk and goat products and it's finally begun! We purchased our new goats just a few days ago. I'm not in a rush to be fully functional in our milking just yet and am just enjoying getting to know the goats, but our milker has stopped letting down.
I knew she was a bit of a temperamental milker when we got her, the previous owners said they milked her once a day and she was still giving milk to her kids who had been weened weeks prior. 
Our first night home (Tuesday) I was able to express a small amount of milk until she appeared to be empty. The next morning I spent an hour with her, but no milk. Then that night (Wednesday) she let down as soon as I walked into the barn and after 30 minutes we had over a quart of milk! It's now Friday morning, and although I've attempted milking her twice yesterday and again this morning I'm getting nothing.
I spend about an hour with her, brushing her, petting her, talking (and even singing) to her. I do the massaging, the bumping, all the things I can think of, but nothing. I even check in a few hours later to see if she'll let down.
Her udder isn't hard, and not soft like it was after our big milk session on Wednesday. It also doesn't feel as full as it did then either.
So I guess I'm asking - what do I do? Should I just keep trying? I'm worried that she could get mastitis if she's holding milk in, especially now that she doesn't have any kids to feed. I'd love to have her in her milk for a while longer, but I'm running out of ideas!


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Be patient but you have to keep trying if you do not want her to dry up. She is stressed from coming to a new home, weaning the kids and a new routine. You need to do the same thing every time it is time for milking and sometimes say the same words as goofy as that sounds. I say upsey daisy when i want the girls to get on the stand.... let me not say it and try to get them up... yea right lol! Even my hubby and son now say it when they milk for me. The longer she holds that milk the more she will dry up. You can try warm compresses to get her to let down. Ask the old owners what their milking routine was... how they did it step by step. Goats are horrible for change! 

Just an example... this mornin i was late for my mornin chores. My ff doe has been doing really well on the stand for me lately. She was a nightmare to start with. But this mornin i was late and she was a bit more full than norm... she has fits at me. Acted like a turd on the stand... this has not happened in a while. All because i was thirty minutes late.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:nod::up:


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Follow the same routine at the same time. (A little leeway later after the routine is well established is ok) I milk a bunch, but try to stay at the basic routine. They learn to let down.
When you milk, do you gently squeeze the teats or pull on them? Squeezing like using a pastry frosting tube works best. (Dont mean to infer that you do not know how to milk, but sometimes people just aren't as familiar with goats).


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## Totesmgoats (Jun 12, 2020)

So update, we're now in day 3 of no milk at all. Her udder doesn't seem as dull as it did on Wednesday when we had a really easy let down and a lot of milk. I've been massaging and bumping the udder and it doesn't appear to be congested or hard, I'm wondering if being away from her kids is causing her to dry up? Apparently Google searching "how to tell if your goat is drying up" yields no helpful results.
Its disappointing, especially after such a good start our first two days. But it hasn't been a week yet, so unless wisdom tells me otherwise, I'm just going to keep trying...


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## Totesmgoats (Jun 12, 2020)

Goats Rock said:


> Follow the same routine at the same time. (A little leeway later after the routine is well established is ok) I milk a bunch, but try to stay at the basic routine. They learn to let down.
> When you milk, do you gently squeeze the teats or pull on them? Squeezing like using a pastry frosting tube works best. (Dont mean to infer that you do not know how to milk, but sometimes people just aren't as familiar with goats).


Thanks! I gently squeeze. She's little so it tends to be just two fingers and my thumb.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

What all are you feeding her? Is she drinking her water? Is she an only goat, or are there others? ( just trying to figure out how to help you get her back into milk).


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## Totesmgoats (Jun 12, 2020)

Goats Rock said:


> What all are you feeding her? Is she drinking her water? Is she an only goat, or are there others? ( just trying to figure out how to help you get her back into milk).


Alfalfa and a grain blend along with a small amount of nutrition balancer. She is eating and drinking as far as I can tell. It's just her and a wether right now but we have at least one more goat joining us at the end of July.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

That is a good diet and she has a friend. It may just take a while for her to get used to everything. Keep on milking her, do you know when she kidded? 
I have a doe that finally weaned her kid after 10 months. I didn't need her milk, so really never pulled the kid. Kid is bigger than mom! Soon as the kid was weaned, the doe went dry. But that was 10 months, I am thinking your doe had young kids?


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## Totesmgoats (Jun 12, 2020)

Goats Rock said:


> That is a good diet and she has a friend. It may just take a while for her to get used to everything. Keep on milking her, do you know when she kidded?
> I have a doe that finally weaned her kid after 10 months. I didn't need her milk, so really never pulled the kid. Kid is bigger than mom! Soon as the kid was weaned, the doe went dry. But that was 10 months, I am thinking your doe had young kids?


She kidded mid-March, so it's a bit early, but I think you're right she likely just needs to get used to her new home.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

March, yes she should still be in milk. Hopefully, she comes around soon for you.


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## Totesmgoats (Jun 12, 2020)

Update! She finally let down and gave me milk tonight, about 350ml! Thank you for your help and encouragement!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

(dance):goodjob:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

YAY 

:goodjob:


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## TxCoffeeCrew (May 10, 2020)

I brought home a doe in milk May 9th who freshened mid March; her previous people had been milking her every day. I'm feeding her alfalfa pellets and she must be milked once a day her udder gets huge. During my learning curve learning to milk her I had no milk stand and she was in a new place with new herdmates. I think I lucked out though; her milk production only dropped once since I've had her.. she's kinda a handful too! 
Try the alfalfa! It's worth it! Perseverance! Best luck.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:great::goodjob:


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