# lumpy udder



## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Another new to milking post:

Several posts ago I mentioned a doe that had a lump in her udder. It was rather large (racquetball size or so) last August when she had no udder.

Now, after kidding her udder (both sides) feels very lumpy everywhere. We milked a little to help with one side that was 'very, very full' and then when you feel her udder, you can feel lumps all over - high, low, in the front, in the back. Is an udder supposed to feel lumpy? She milks okay on one side. The other side (where the original lump was) hardly gives any milk. 

I've thought of going to the vet but what are they going to do? Our vet is okay with goats, but I'm not sure how much of a 'different' thing this is that the goat might not know.

Tonia


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

It may be scare tissue from a previous mastitis, milk clots or something else entirely. I did some research online and it just doesnt happen enough for a concrete answer Im afraid. The best I have heard is trying to massage the lumps away if it is milk clots. But I dont know.

And now, there are typically 2 kinds of udders. First one being (when milked out) soft with very little tissue inside the udder. The second being an udder that is still soft but with more tissue. Tissue just meaning the inner "meat" of the udder. An animal with less tissue will typically milk more and when milked out there will be very little udder left to see. While the later can often times not even look milked out when they are. Other then quantity of milk, there is not much difference. Lumps of any sort are not normal.


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

I think I would put warm compresses on her udder. too loosen it up before milking her out. 
Could be developing mammory glands.

Found this conversation on a lumpy udder.

http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f183/no-cae-no-mastitis-but-lumpy-udder-122384/


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

I stopped by and spoke with the vet. We had the lump tested last fall and it was thought to be a benign tumor by the pathologist at WSU. The vet thinks the added stress of pregnancy, kidding, and making milk could have caused the tumor to multiply in her udder. 

I guess it is one of those, I'm not made of money and will never know and luckily she only had one kid and produces enough milk for that kid.

Thanks for the replies. The goat spot has some good posts.

Tonia


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Okay, so a month later I'm writing:

I told the goat lady where we get most of our goats about the lumpy udder thing and I was thinking of putting the goat on craigslist. Maybe someone with more experience and more time would be interested in her. The 'goat lady' comes over before my next milking and wants to milk her by hand. She milks her by hand and milks her completely out. No more lumpy udder, just the small original lump is left. (So, the vet was wrong about the tumor spreading.) The hand pump that we were using wasn't working. We would use the hand pump and it would work for so long (we could get a gallon or more of milk from the other doe) but the pump would stop like the goat had no more milk. So, we had a choice. We could spend money on a milk machine or get rid of the goat. The 'goat lady' said she would buy back both does. So, we decided to do what was best for the family and sell her both does. Now, the does live a happy life at her house with her herd and they are milked correctly twice a day!
Being that this was our first milking experience I wasn't sure if we were going to keep having kids. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a machine to only use it for a year. My husband isn't physically able to hand milk and our lifestyle, especially for our human kids was not okay for the sake of 2 milk does. How do you explain to your human kid that they can't go do something (like play t-ball or softball) because of 2 milk does? We enjoyed the birthing, kidding, being a new mom process, but decided to just have the kids and packgoats and we'll go from there. 
Thanks for all the tips and replies. The "another post from a new milker" is now done. Now, I'm back to my "I haven't had kids in a few years and I need some refreshers" posts.

Tonia


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Sounds like a tough but good choice. And to ease your mind more, milk machines of any kind cant milk out a doe fully unless the psi is turned up past the point of it being safe. Granted it would get alot more then your hand one but if the psi is right on a machine, you would still need to finish by hand to totally milk her out.


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

It was a great experience and not totally out of the question in the future. We are just trying to balance all of life and it is hard. 
Tonia


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