# Milking a Do With Kids On??



## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

So I have read, seen, and heard all different kinds of things. Can you milk a doe that has kids on currently? One of the does I am getting today seems to have a lopsided udder, just slightly. Maybe they favor the one side or one kid doesn't drink as much. I do use the milk but have concerns that I would be taking from the kids. She has a doeling and a buckling on currently. If milking was involved I obviously don't want to milk her out as the kids need milk too. Just leave it be or is light milking possible? I'm curious because I hear so many different things. I know some suggested taping the one teat so they have to drink off the other side also. She has a rather large udder from what I can see. I'll get better pictures hopefully when she is home <3


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If she is lopsided, I would at least milk to make sure the milk is ok on both sides. You can milk once a day though.


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

How do I know how much to milk or do I just milk her out completely that one time a day? I haven't seen her stand still yet long enough for the kids to get a drink. The one baby is much smaller than the other and is kind of lethargic. He was disbudded and the other hasn't been yet. He's kinda hunchy too. I took video of the Buckling that's kinda pitiful at the moment.


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

Some udder shots, I'll see how she does on the stand here in a little bit, I'll just milk a bit and see if its normal, she seems sore when the babies try to nurse, she just scrambles away and her udder looks engorged to me but then my other girls udders are so bulgy.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would milk her out. She will produce more.


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

I might have to make hobbles for her! She freaked out just a bit LOL so I might not be able to milk into anything the first few times cause she jumps and kicks all over the place. I do want her to get used to it though so it'll take time


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

She may be sore being too tight, check the bigger side and make sure it isn't mastitis or congestion.
I agree milk her.
If the kids are nursing on the one side, that may cause this, so grab one kid, the same kid every time and teach that kid, there is another side for that kid and the other kid can nurse from the other.

That little baby, get a temp on it ASAP.
If low, get it to at least 100 degree's, then make sure the kid gets mama's milk. 

Has the kid pooped? If not, try a warm water enema. 

Let us know what the temp is.


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

So I milked her out today, and you can tell it was painful. Milk was fine, white and smelled normal but her teats are more leathery than my other girls, they have very butter soft skin. Her right teat seemed to be plugged and was hard to get milk to pass, once it did come it was just a little thread of milk and after a feel squirts it seemed to open up. She was thrashing around the whooooole time. But after that the kids went to nurse and she stood for it. I got 850 CC out of the right teat ALONE. That is almost how much I get from both Madeline and Cavatina in one milking!! Poor girl!I hope I gave her a little relief after the stress milking might have caused, I'm sure she'll get used to it after a while. Is there anything I can do to safely soften up her udder that won't make the kids sick, udder balm?

Baby "Aero" Update, he is springy and goofy again today. I'm wondering if he was just stressed from the move or the new ladies rutting him every now and then. They were racing around on the playground this morning. I took his sister down the road to a goatie friends house and we disbudded her. When I brought her back I watched and they both nursed off different sides of the udder this time! YAY! Also is there a way to help keep that side open? Do I need to put her on the stand in the evening and just give it a squirt to make sure?


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

These goats also game with Lice as well, the babies have clusters of eggs under their eyes. Its just crazy looking.






At the moment I just have the injectable ivermectin.

and a video of the silly babies this morning lol


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Holy moly that girl needs to be milked out!  Lol

Put her on the stand once or twice a day and milk out as much as you can (no need to leave any for the kids). She should be making plenty for them. How old are they?
I do this for each of my girls, even when their kids are 4+ weeks old.

I start separating kids overnight at 5-7 days old. I've found that this way, everyone gets used to the routine quicker and there is less stress/crying on both sides. People who bottle feed stop night feedings when the kids are 4-7 days old, so it doesn't hurt to do the same with dam raised kids. I do this with all of mine now and all of the kids are growing very well.

Since you just bought them, plus the stress of the move, I would wait at least a week before doing overnight separations (if you were planning on doing that). But for now, definitely milk her at least once a day.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

Wow, that udder is huge! If she gets that engorged when the kids are on her 24/7, just milk her all the way out! She’s making more than they can take, so now it’s yours. She’s constantly making milk, so there will be more for the littles soon enough. I separate kids from mom overnight at 2 weeks old, and they are fine.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

Oh, and when they are engorged like that it’s super painful at first to be touched, so they kick the kids or humans off, but it won’t get better until you milk her out. Once the pressure is off, as you saw, they often have no problem being milked again by kid or human because it doesn’t hurt anymore.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I have a lot of heavy milkers. I start milking from the first day, as they produce too much for the kids. Sometimes once a day, sometimes twice, depending on the doe. I don't need to milk as much as the kids increase their intake as they get older, usually once a day. Do get a fecal on the kids. Stress and their age can be a ripe situation for cocci/worms.


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

I have Corid on hand but I heard recently that it my not be good for kiddos, what should I have on hand for the kids?


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

I milked her just now and only had a 1/4 cup come this time so I think she may have just been very very backed up. Poor Girly.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Yes, poor thing! Now when you know, do go on! In older times, the Swedish goats were brought to the hill farm during the summer, where the kids (and calfs and lambs) were separated from their mothers during night. In the morning, the hill farm maids milked all the mothers, and let everyone out in the forest to graze. In the evening they (hopefully!) returned with empty udders.

For the udder health it is important that the udder is empty when you are through milking. It takes ≈30 minutes for the teat channel to close after milking. I do not know, but I THINK that the saliva of the kids contain something that helps the udder to close out hostile bacteria.

And do try a "crossword" before hobbles!

(I can not see films today.) (Edit: Better word order)


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Everyone has great advice.

Good to hear the kids are doing great, they are really cute. 

I would test for mastitis in that one side you seen the little thread of milk, just in case.
Keeping her milked daily helps, but make sure her kids get their share as well. You may be able to cut back on her grain so she doesn't produce as much. 

How old are the kids?
2 weeks and older, they can get worms.
I use corid all the time for prevention for my kids, starting at 1 month old. 

They may have lice, ultraboss pouron is safe for all, along the top line.

Mites may be possible as well, but you will need a different treatment for it. 
Hard to see what is going on around the eyes. Is it scabs? Eye goobers? You cannot see mites, but the scabs they leave behind. 

You can see lice if you part their hair and look.

Teat being leathery, bag balm may help.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Some milk breed goats do go on producing with less food, and get sick. I understand that people avoid milking, but it is not for ever!


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I would milk her completely out once a day, to prevent this from happening again. When the kids get a little older they will start keeping her drained, so you will probably not have to do it for long,


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

I have been milking her out once a day so far and I usually get about 200cc and she nurses better or seems much more patient. I need to pick up a small enema kit to have on hand. I have yet to see these babies poop but they are lively and they have a good appetite. Pretty sure they have Lice, whether it is biting or sucking I can't tell yet. The kids were born March 16th so not quite a month yet. How often do you give Corid for prevention?


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

If they are lively, they do get enough energy, most probably from the milk. (From where else?)


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

Now I just have to treat everyone sucking Lice!The kids are covered in eggs and lice  poor babies


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

For coccidia prevention, give Corid for 5 consecutive days, repeating this process every 3 weeks until they are weaned.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad they are being treated for lice.

Corid prevention, do the 5 days, 1 x a day when you do the prevention, the same as treatment. 
I do prevention to the kids until around 7 to 8 months, depending. 
Every 21 days.


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

Starting Prevention tonight or tomorrow morning for 5 days!

Also update on Lorraine (momma), with 2 x a day milking, kids are still full and lively, pooping and peeing! Lorraine's udder hasn't been even close to engorged anymore, on average I get 75-100ccs from her per milking. It comes much easier and the kids nurse much much better and she stands for them to nurse 300% better! So happy with this  

AND that first time I milked her, her udder was leathery/almost plastic bag feeling texture wise. I think it was from being so engorged for a length of time. Now that she's been milked out and isn't stretched beyond capacity all the time it has softened up a ton and isn't so tender.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

That's great news!! So the buckling is back to normal now?


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

Since I've only known the little man for a few days its hard to really have a base for behavior but he is active, climbing and tasting everything constantly like most kids. My order on Cylence was delayed and they finally shipped today so Hopefully in 2 days I can finally treat the lice and I'm sure that'll make them all feel loads better as well. I gave him and his sister 2 nights ago 2 pumps of Nutri drench each, Andromeda (doeling) had just gotten disbudded and the little guy I didn't think it would hurt. Both are nurses well, are nice and fleshy and emptying good too


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## FoxRidge (Aug 26, 2016)

A quick video of the munchkins <3


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cute!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

So cute, glad things are going well.


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