# Doe might not be producing enough! HELP!



## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

I had a doe just kid Nov 30th and noticed yesterday her udder was alot smaller and then today I seen her refuse to let her kids eat!!! I put her in the milking stand and put her kids on her but had to hold her legs because she kept kicking at them.They were so hungry and then I think she didn't have anymore milk because they kept sucking and unlatch bump her and it just seemed like they were getting frustrated.She did great at first and thought no problems.So I'm very worried.What can I do? I tried milking her but I have only done it once and with my lack of experience I don't know if I wasn't doing it right or if she truly had no more milk.I'm so worried them babies aren't getting anything.What do I do? :help: :hair:


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

I would Not use a milk replacer ...I would use cows milk with a little corn syrup added and bottle feed them. Your doe might have dried up especially in light of the fact that you can not milk her and the babies are probably suckling hard on her and that might be why she kicks. Cow milk is so much better than any of the milk replenishers. You need to get on this right away and if you do not have any corn syrup just give them the cows milk until you can get some. Good Luck !!


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

Thank you so much!! I'll get on it right now.Any reason why she would dry up and is it to late to keep getting milk from her? I know there is still some in her because when they first started suckeling milk squirted out the sides of their mouthes.


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

Just fed them and between them both they ate 7oz.Is that enough? Took some convincing and they didn't want it at first but then figured out there was milk and was sucking like crazy.poor babies  One tried nursing from mom again and kept switching teats so I know now there isn't much in her.DANG IT! I really wanted her to feed them.What went wrong you think?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

What you can try to do is separate mom from the kids for a few hours, since they readily accepted the bottle this shouldn't be a problem. Separating for 6-8 hours will be plenty of time for you to see if she fills at all, and the kids won't starve either. 

Try it tonite if you are able to be up and out with mom in the morning....If you put her kids in a dog crate where they can see her it will be best and they won't be able to nurse but you can give them a bedtime bottle so their bellies aren't empty, enabling you to see just how full she gets. If you separate at 9pm, she'll have plenty time to fill for a 7 or 8 am check...even 6am would do.


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

Ok I'll try it and post in the morning the results.I just can't understand what could have gone wrong for her to dry up or her not to produce enough for them. :hair: :sigh:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I had a doe do that to me too....worry about wether her kids were getting enough as she had a small udder. With my girl though...she was producing just enough for the kids, and since they pretty much sucked her dry, each time I checked her she was empty, until I separated them, then she showed me that her udder was big enough to hold 2 cups in 12 hours.

Unless those babies bellies feel empty and they aren't acting like week old kids or pooping/peeing, then I'd have to say that mom is making enough. Please update in the am....I'd like to hear the result, though I won't get chance to see it til after work


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

she may be taking a bit longer to come into her milk -- leave the babies with mom and supplement as needed.

is this the doe who had blood in her milk? or was that someone elses doe :scratch:


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

No that wasn't my doe.Everything went normal up until now.  I hope that's the case and everything is fine.I just seen her kicking her kids when I was out there and seen her udder was so small I worried.That makes me feel so much better. :wink: Can I over feed them with the bottle suppliments? Will they eat even though they are full? I just am not sure and want them to have enough.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

What breed are we talking about? how old are they?


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

The kids are Mini Nubians and they are a week old tomorrow.Mom is a 2 yr old Nubian and this is her 2nd freshening


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

ok I would give more then 5 ounces at a time less is better at this point so they demand more from mom to increase her production but they stay fed.

How often are you able to feed them?


Is mom drinking? does she have access to a salt lick or minerals? they need salt to produce milk. THey also need to drink to produce milk. Entice her to drink more by giving her warm water or warm molasses water.

Check her for mastitis with a mastitis test strip.


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

I work from home so I can feed them around the clock.I bring her warm water twice a day and she has a mineral block but doesn't seem like she's touched it lately :scratch: I was gonna go to the store tomorrow in fact to get her loose minerals because it concerned me.She ate those for sure.I don't think she cares for the block.I just got the block because I have a bad goat who tips the bucket every day and waists all of it :angry:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

get a mineral feeder that is screwed into the wall :thumb:


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

On my list of to do's trust me! :wink:


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

Good they took the milk ...sounds like you got some sound advice here and the best part the kids are feeding. Minerals are important so you are doing all the right things.


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

Results are in after seperating mom and kids last night.She does have milk and it's clean...no blood so couldn't be mastitis.I think they are just greedy little piggy's :ROFL: She didn't like me milking her and kept kicking so I just milked her enough to relieve the preasure and then reunited mom and babies.Her one teat seemed more difficult to get started.Like it was plugged but being a newbie I guess it's just my milking skills  
Thanks everyone for the great advice! Really put my mind at ease.I wont suppliment right now because the more I do that the less they will take from her and the less she'll make if I'm not mistaken.


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## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

Congrats, I am so relieved for you! You have the right idea - the less they demand from her, the less she will produce. It's a good idea to milk her in the morning to help increase her production. She should get better and better at it as she gets use to it. But you could wait another week before starting that. When babies are about two weeks old you could start separating them at night so that you get a chance to milk mom in the morning. Then let them eat. The combination of you taking the milk, then them demanding it, will increase her supply. You can also feed some of that milk in bottles after they have pestered mom for a short while so that they are not hungry - and you get the added bonus of bonding time with the little piggies! :greengrin: Practice makes perfect with milking. The more you do it, the better you'll get because you'll figure out what works and what doesn't!

Oh, and my buck kept spilling his minerals. No matter where I put it, every day he'd dump it. And I thought..."well, that's going to get expensive!" So, rather then having to buy more and more minerals I got those mini feeders from Jeffers and mounted two for my does and two for my buck. Now no one can spill minerals or baking soda. Soo worth the investment! lol Plus I like the loose minerals more as they eat them much more readily then the blocks.

Here's a link to what I got: 
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/pro ... f_id=16759

I didn't get the black racks or anything, just the buckets. Good luck!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

this is the mineral feeder I use. I have one in each stall

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/pro ... f_id=13201

glad to hear she does have milk


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

Yep that's what I use pennylullabelle.I guess I could srew it into the 2X4 and problem solved.I watched them little hoggies wouldn't leave her alone.How do I know they are both getting enough to eat? It doesn't help with her teats being so small makes it hard for me to milk her.I just use my two fingers and thumb.I'm sure I'll find my rythem and have no problems except her nearly putting her foot in the bucket.She's a kicker. :angry: It's been a week since she's kidded and wondered why her milk has an off taste to it(goatie)? Is it because it's still to early yet and she still has that colostrom? I handle the milk like I should so I don't believe it's that. :scratch:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Glad to hear that the kids are keeping her dry and that she's not drying up. I don't milk for my use before 3 weeks so I can't say that her milk is off tasting because it's just been a week for her, the colostrum is normally out by the end of the 3rd day.


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## JessaLynn (Aug 30, 2009)

I had a friend come over and look at Gracie and her udder and she said it looked good.Kids bellies are full and she's just holding her udder high is all.That was so reassuring let me tell ya.She said her teats aren't chapped and no lumps on her udder.She said most likely they are chewing or constantly trying to suckel and it's just painful right now with her never had kids on her before.Now I can understand that.Thinking back when I nursed my children it's basicly the same.OUCH at first and then it's no big deal as time goes by. She also said pull one of the kids and bottle feed him if I think they aren't getting enough.So I'm just gonna keep a close eye and see.


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## pennylullabelle (Nov 22, 2009)

That sounds like a helpful friend! You're lucky


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

personally I wouldn't pull any of the kids, just supplement a feeding or 2. IF you do end up pulling one make sure the other is nursing from BOTH sides. If you don't its likely the baby will only feed from one and the other can blow out. I have one like that, as she had a single that only nursed one side. The udder looks terrible and deformed. You can search my other posts for a picture of it.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I wouldn't pull one either....as long as they are nursing and have full bellies, she's producing. Pulling one will be as Crocee said, the kid left with mom will already have established his "side" and some kids will not nurse both sides leaving your doe with a lopsided udder....not pretty and may not even out with the next freshening.

Heres a link to a site that has the type of mineral feeder I use...hubby made a 4 foot one for my girls and a 2 foot one for my boys. Simple, cheap and the goats like them. http://www.gorge-usboergoats.com/our_barn.htm


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