# Weird teat FF



## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

So my FF kidded last night and today her kid is clearly nursing one side. Should I milk this side of her udder out? I want to help the little guy nurse both sides, but I don't want to waste colostrum.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Yes. You can try guiding him to that side but if he's determined to stay on one you need to milk her out so she doesn't get mastitis, and also to keep her production up. When he gets bigger he'll probably want more than she could put out on one side. You can freeze the colostrum in case you need it in the future.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Definitely milk out the colostrum and save it. You may have to keep milking the one side.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yep, I agree.


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## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

Okay, done. I milked her through the day to relieve the pressure and what's left had me confused...That side of her udder feels nice and empty, but her teat is still enormous. I also feel hard lumps in her udder (if a human breast, think areola area). It reminds me of a plugged duct due to engorgement, and I remember being told to keep nursing to unclog them. Now if I keep massaging the lumps and milking, will that ease her discomfort? Once the swelling goes down in the teat I'm hoping the kid will nurse that side, but even with gentle encouragement he seems to overlook it completely. And who'd blame him, the 'normal' teat is way more his size...
ETA: I'm not kidding any more this year, and I am doubting colostrum would be 'good' for 12 mos in a freezer since human milk doesn't last that long. Thoughts?


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Colostrum lasts until next kidding season, it will be good until then. At least it was for me...keep milking out that side until the kid starts drinking more. Massaging will help, maybe with some peppermint oil in case of congestion. Is her udder hot or swollen?


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## 4-HGoatGirl (Jul 5, 2013)

I wouldn't toss the colostrum for anything. If you have any friends that need colostrum its always great to have some on hand, plus like cayontrailgoats said, it should last till next kidding season. Just keep milking in my opinion.


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## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

Okay, great. And thanks. How long after kidding is it so valuable for? Like at what point does it stop being amazing, wonderful colostrum and just become regular 'milk' that a human would drink? Only wondering because my freezer is tiny...lol...
No heat or swelling that I could see, and no weird chunks/flakes in the milk.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Depends on the goat. Some will be clean after a few days, others can take several weeks. The best colostrum for kids is within 24 hours but the taste can still linger.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Sydmurph said:


> Like at what point does it stop being amazing, wonderful colostrum and just become regular 'milk' that a human would drink?


Most animals only produce colostrum for 2-3 days following birth.


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## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

Okay, now things are getting weird....milked out she's still lumpy, though its getting better. So I go out to the barn and she is acting verrrry uncomfortable, maa-ing and hollering at me all day. This is world's most un-vocal doe. She's panting like mad and passing some discharge. Do we have a serious problem now? This is what I'd call acting labour-ish. What if she didnt pass the placenta (or worse?) I took a few pics, what do you all think?
And if anybody knows why I cant upload more than one pic at a time, please help!!


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## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

Sorry guys, one at a time for now...by the way thats the left teat after being milked out. Full its about 4x the size of the right teat, which is tiny, about 2 joints of my pinky finger and I have slender hands.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

What does the discharge look like?


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## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

Here is the discharge. Nothing too unusual I'd say nor profuse. However I havent seen much of anything come out after, which I find odd. i recently commented on a friends doe peeing red tinged urine 3 weeks after kidding, and apparently thats normal for a while as the uterus expels all the 'stuff' and shrinks. Again, nit unlike human women. Pixie's urine is clear and mayyybe a drop or two of stickiness at her vulva, and I only notice that bc shavings/hay are sticking.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Sydmurph said:


> I'm not kidding any more this year, and I am doubting colostrum would be 'good' for 12 mos in a freezer since human milk doesn't last that long. Thoughts?


Colostrum can be frozen for up to 1 year. If she didn't clean properly you will know it due to the rotten smell. It is not uncommon for a doe to discharge intermittently for as long as 2 weeks, sometimes more. She may have no discharge for a few days, then suddenly start discharging. Is she eating? Acting normally except for being overly vocal? Have you tested her for mastitis using the California Mastitis Test? Some first timers are extremely vocal following kidding, others are not. The vocal ones usually settle down in a week or so. Based on the picture you posted, I would say she does not have a retained kid. If in doubt - glove up, see if her cervix is still open and check or talk to your vet. The left teat is a bottle teat, and it will get worse with each subsequent kidding. Bottle teats are due to poor udder structure and are about 25% heritable, so this does daughters have a high chance of having bottle teats, as well. I would be willing to bet the kid wasn't nursing it because he couldn't due to the size of the teat.


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## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

So as of today, probably with my constant milking, I have managed to eliminate all the lumpy ducts from the udder. Thank goodness! Now I'm thinking of taping up the tiny teat/or separate the babe for a few hours so he can learn not to favour one side. I'm wondering as you say, if the bigger teat is being ignored, thereby causing more engorgement, thereby causing the teat to enlarge, etc etc. I was going to grab the test today, but now with all lumps gone I'm feeling safe to hold off...the bottle teat confuses me, her lines are nationally acclaimed dairy saanens...I would think the breeder would have disclosed, no?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

He probably just didn't know. I've had does with bottle teats out here and 1 daughter develops them, but the other doesn't. Gidget, Gizmo, and Madison are all full sisters out of a doe with bottle teats. Gidget has not developed bottle teats, whereas Madison had them first time out and Gizmo developed one her 2nd time around. I'm not sure I would tape the little side because it could made it difficult or impossible for baby to nurse. Rather, I think I would keep milking out the bottle teat and then help the baby nurse that side until he gets big enough that he can get the bigger teat.


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## Sydmurph (Jun 4, 2013)

So do you think I should start milking her for production and to even out the udder/teats? The small teat side is always emptier, looks like a week before she kidded. No exploding udder or hard full teat like my does in milk.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

That is your best option. It will make your doe more comfortable, as well as reduce the possibility of her developing mastitis. The small teat is 'emptier' because that is the teat her kid can latch onto to nurse. As he grows he will most likely move over to the bigger teat. Right now his mouth is too small to allow him to be able to latch on and nurse from that side.


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