# Dumb Question - please don't laugh



## PattiXmas (Jan 1, 2010)

I have posted pictures of my girl, Snowy, with the huge lopsided udder. She isn't due until March, and this will be her first time. I have instructed the kids that when they feed them, to pet them, play with them and touch their udders to help get them used to it. 

Well, I was out there yesterday and I was messing around with Snowy's udder, just barely touched the huge lopsided teat and out came an almost clear liquid with a milky hue to it. I would assume it's the colostrum. Should we just leave everything along and not mess with her?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Not laughing at all.... no question is dumb... never feel that way here... :hug: 

Does her udder feel hot ... ?

is it discolored at all?


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## PattiXmas (Jan 1, 2010)

To me, it feels hot (or warm) to everyone else it feels fine. No discoloration present, she's eating fine, pooping like a gumball machine and is her usual annoying (j/k) self.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

She may be a precocious milker... her udder is developing early.... that is why ...leakage can happen.... 
Is her udder tight?

Some does ...do this even not being pregnant....

AS long as ...she doesn't have a continuous flow of milk you are fine. I wouldn't mess with her anymore.... to prevent leakage.... What you are seeing is regular milk it sounds like to me...... she hasn't produced the colostrum just yet....as she has 2 months or so to go... colostrum is... really thick ....as milk is watery/ white... :wink:

Just keep an eye on her... :hug:


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## PattiXmas (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks again! Udder is nice and tight! We will refrain from touching her udder until she kids.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Your welcome... :hug: :thumbup:


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## SterlingAcres (Oct 19, 2009)

Hey, no question is a dumb question! 

"AS long as ...she doesn't have a continuous flow of milk you are fine. I wouldn't mess with her anymore.... to prevent leakage.... "

A question about this... Are you to leave her alone because milking triggers contractions? At least in humans. Perhaps goats are the same?


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## Idahodreamer (Sep 19, 2009)

I don't think it triggers contractions. I think the colustrum horomone gets 'turned' off if the udder is milked 'before' the colustrum horomone can even be turned on . . .in other words, no colustrum for babies when it's kidding time . . .
 I don't think I explained it right but . . .that's kinda how i see it.


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## nutmegfarm (Dec 23, 2009)

Don't mess with it!!!! I had pregnent girls that people buy and they always bag early so they try to milk them (even though its not milk) and they always get mastitis, which isn't something to fool with. Its good that you asked instead of going and trying, no question is dumb with goats!!


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## Idahodreamer (Sep 19, 2009)

oh, really? interesting. 
is that the main reason why your not suppose to?


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## nutmegfarm (Dec 23, 2009)

Sorry if I worded that wrong. I shouldn't say always, I just ment for my lines since they are heavy on milking genetics. It is common though. I had a lamancha that had an early bag and it was practically streaming out of her, I sold her and told the new owners not to touch it, they didn't listen and tried milking her, when she did freshen, one side was full of mastitis, and the other was fine, (they messed with one side) and they were mad at me! I do reccommend just leaving it alone though!


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## Dover Farms (Oct 16, 2007)

You just touched her udder and she leaked? Or did you squeeze the teat? Because just touching the udder shouldn't cause her to leak. Is March her only due date? Her udder shouldn't be tight just yet.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> A question about this... Are you to leave her alone because milking triggers contractions? At least in humans. Perhaps goats are the same?





> I don't think it triggers contractions. I think the colustrum horomone gets 'turned' off if the udder is milked 'before' the colustrum horomone can even be turned on . . .in other words, no colustrum for babies when it's kidding time . . .
> I don't think I explained it right but . . .that's kinda how i see it.


No not at all.... it just makes them bring more milk... If you milk her later in gestation you risk taking away precious colostrum from the babies....

She isn't in the stage of colostrum.... unless the due date is wrong....in which the way.. that the leakage was described... is way to thin... to be colostrum....colostrum is sticky ..thick ...light yellow in color...... it is a hormone ...that is triggered to produce colostrum.... the last few weeks before kidding occurs... :wink:



> oh, really? interesting.
> is that the main reason why your not suppose to?


nutmegfarm does have a great point...by having the plug out of the teat orifice...there is a risk of bacteria getting into the teat creating mastitis..... :wink:

Hope this helps... :grouphug:


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## Idahodreamer (Sep 19, 2009)

. . .Someone told me a long time ago that if you milk them when they start bagging up early in gestation they don't produce colustrum at all. :shrug: old wives tale? 

 Thanks Pam, great job clearing that up!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Patti...I am going to throw this out there only because it is a possibility. Have you ever seen Snowy pulling on that teat or even sucking?
I recall a post you had made with pics of your girls and her lopsided udder before, the clearish milky type "milk" that came from that side puts me in mind of when I dry my girls off before breeding, once their udders go down I have checked for emptiness and this is what I get from a near dry udder. If at all Snowy has a form of precocious udder and she is stimulating herself this could be a factor, if indeed she is suckling on that teat, she may continue once she fully bags up or she won't. Don't touch that teat and since the natural plug to stop bacteria from entering the orifice is gone, you may want to dip it in some gentle iodine and keep an eye out for infection. I'm sure she'll be just fine though and you may find yourself with an extremely capacious milker come March.


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## PattiXmas (Jan 1, 2010)

liz said:


> Patti...I am going to throw this out there only because it is a possibility. Have you ever seen Snowy pulling on that teat or even sucking?
> I recall a post you had made with pics of your girls and her lopsided udder before, the clearish milky type "milk" that came from that side puts me in mind of when I dry my girls off before breeding, once their udders go down I have checked for emptiness and this is what I get from a near dry udder. If at all Snowy has a form of precocious udder and she is stimulating herself this could be a factor, if indeed she is suckling on that teat, she may continue once she fully bags up or she won't. Don't touch that teat and since the natural plug to stop bacteria from entering the orifice is gone, you may want to dip it in some gentle iodine and keep an eye out for infection. I'm sure she'll be just fine though and you may find yourself with an extremely capacious milker come March.


We haven't caught her sucking on it, but then again they are up and running the minute we walk towards the barn. They must have super duper hearing! I will dip her teat in iodine and we will NOT touch it. What the heck am I going to do with an extremely capacious milker???


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

LOL....Learn how to make cheese!! Even with 3-4 nigies in milk I end up with more than just me n hubby can drink, I make all kinds of good things that my family enjoys...cheese, ice cream, yogurt and soap.

It was just a thought to consider, I did battle for a few years with a doe that was a self nurser, I finally won though and we reached a truce with a collar to prevent her from doing it.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Someone told me a long time ago that if you milk them when they start bagging up early in gestation they don't produce colustrum at all. :shrug: old wives tale?


 I can tell you ...that it isn't a good idea to milk at all ...when they are starting to bag up....it isn't smart.... and ...is risky in alot of ways.... If it.. is a wives tale or not....I am unsure....but...I do know ...I was told... it isn't a good idea...that is for sure....

The doe... that is leaking ...has ...a form of colostrum starting...but ...it hasn't thicken up yet.... being a precocious milker...means she is producing at a earlier time... so the consistency is not as thick... :greengrin:



> Thanks Pam, great job clearing that up!


 No problem... :wink:

Liz may be right.. she may be a self sucker.... when you go in the barn...check to see if.. her teats are wet or really clean looking... :hug:


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## Idahodreamer (Sep 19, 2009)

thankx pam.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> thankx pam.


Your welcome... Talitha... :hug: :greengrin:


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## PattiXmas (Jan 1, 2010)

Ok, back to this odd side of Snow's udder. The odd side before she kidded was the one that was leaking. After she kidded, we did catch her sucking on it. We have been unable to get only a few drops out of the other side. We have done the steroid shot from the vet on Saturday, have been using warm moist rags for 10 to 15 minutes on the side, massaging it, given her penicillin daily and we can still only get a few drops out. What the heck am I doing wrong? The other side is wonderful, she just gave about 20 ounces from the one side. How can I get this other side to work? We need her milk for Eve. When we saw that she wasn't producing Saturday morning, we did pull Eve and gave her the powdered colostrum. We have been slowly introducing Snow's milk into the colostrum. I need help bad. Anyone? My vet that has treated the goats in the past was less then helpful, my dog vet was the one that prescribed the steroid and penicillin. He said to give her a few more days. Snow doesn't have a fever, she is eating and drinking like a pig, normal bodily functions other then this one side of her udder. Anyone close to Eaton Rapids that could help?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

is it hot and hard? have you had it tested for mastitis? 

if its mastitis she needs the mastitis treatment "Today" check your farms stores to see if they carry it.


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## PattiXmas (Jan 1, 2010)

I'll check the farm stores for the product "Today". I wish I would have known what my vet actually "knew" about goats before letting my kids get them for 4H. I wish I would have known that our 4H leader didn't know nor like dairy goats...

Thanks for the adivse


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I raised goats for years without a vet - thats why friends are so important. 

I now have become the Atco resident goat expert LOL so find someone in your area who is willing to be the "goat lady" and help out when there is a need.


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