# Milking a first freshener



## redwingfarmer (Feb 9, 2011)

One of our nubian does just gave birth to a beautiful little boy--it's her first birth. Unfortunately she is rejecting him but we're putting her on the milk stand and letting the little guy nurse, hoping she'll come around soon and accept him. He was born yesterday morning. Her udders are pretty full, even after he's nursed. I am thinking about milking her a little in order to relieve the pressure, but not too much because obviously I want to make sure there's plenty for the kid. Can we humans drink the milk this soon, 1 1/2 days after birth? Thanks!

Christopher Fielden
Red Wing Farm
Swannanoa, NC


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

The milk itself won't come in fully for a few days and even then it may not taste as good as it would after a week or 2.
She'll make as much as is taken from her so each time you put him on her to nurse, milk her out completely and be sure she's getting a good quality hay along with grain and water to keep her production up.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Liz is it still colostrum and would you save and freeze it?
I know that human moms produce the colostrum for 5 days or so.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

They will produce colostrum for a few days, but it will slowly turn to real milk. I don't think it is unsafe to drink, but won't taste good. As long as it is thick and off-white to yellow I would freeze it and keep it for future kiddings in case you need the colostrum (such as a doe kidding with no udder, dying during kidding, etc.)

I wouldn't worry about there not being enough for the kid as long as she has a nice udder. As long as the kid's tummy feels full he is getting enough, and if the doe is producing more than the kid can eat she can become initially uncomfortable if it fills too tight, although her production will start to drop without you milking it out because her body will tell her she is making more than is being used.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Go ahead and milk her..even a first freshening dairy goat usually makes way more than enough to feed one kid. I would milk her out completely at least once a day after the kid has nursed...she will have plenty of milk for him to nurse again within a couple hours. 

And, yeah, you can drink the milk...it might taste a little funky for a few days until all the traces of colostrum are gone.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If anything....... I'd milk her enough to where... she won't be so sore...that may be why she is rejecting her kid...after you make her comfortable...I bet she will allow the baby to nurse..... :wink:


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## HorsehairBraider (Mar 23, 2011)

If a birth was in any way difficult or painful for the doe (I mean, worse than a normal easy birth is) it's normal for her to not "mother up" because she is in pain. Letting the kid nurse usually cures this, most goats will mother up in just a day or two and you'll see the kid nursing on his own. 

In one extreme case, and this was with a Jacob sheep, she had twins but rejected one. I was determined that I would not have to bottle feed that lamb until she was weaned, so I put the ewe in a stanchion where she could stand up and lie down and drink and eat but could not turn her head around to stick the lamb with her horns. It took almost 5 days - but by the end of that time, she accepted both lambs no problem, and in the meantime I had accidentally taught her to halter and lead! So just stick with it, she will get over her pain and come around.


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## redwingfarmer (Feb 9, 2011)

Thank you, everybody, for your replies. I'm happy to say that the mama goat has accepted her kid and lets her nurse! And we're getting lots of delicious milk now, too!

Christopher


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

:dance: Glad to hear that!


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