# teat size



## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Another one of my 'new to milking' posts: 

One teat is big and full - the size of my thumb or bigger. The other teat is short and small - the size of my pinky. 

Is this okay? Will they even out? The small size is hard to milk.

Tonia


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## SMaxwell (May 20, 2012)

They will get better with time and the more the kids nurse. I have one doe that is 5 years old & is still lopsided, but produces good milk on both sides. One teat is smaller though so the kids favor that side and the other side I have to milk right away. As they get older the kids start drinking from both.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Take a picture if you can. Could be an slight extra orifice. But without knowing her history, like commented, she could even out or that could be left over from raising a single kid at some point in a previous lactation. Its hard enough to keep an udder even without a doe trying to raise one kid.


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

I started milking just a little bit on the side the kids aren't nursing and that is helping. I guess I just need to be patient. It is hard to 'wait' when I read about milk fever and mastitis causing serious problems quickly.

The teats are evening out and both sides of the udder and looking more and more similar. We aren't even and that is okay.

I'm horrible with pictures so by the time I figure out the picture thing, it is 5 days later. Sorry.

Thanks for the replies!

Tonia


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

It seems to have been 5 days or so so you should be ok to start milking normally without the fear of milk fever. Id still hold off on stripper her out totally right away and just work into that over the next few days. Realistically you can milk em pretty normal after just 3 days but being new to it, its always better to take your time and learn as you go. One thing you do wanna keep away from is letting the udder get to tight. That can cause its own mess (edema). I tend to make things sound harder then they are but its just better to error on the side of caution when learning for the first time. Then as the years go by and you get a feel / understanding of it, you develop your own methods and things that used to be worrisome will hardly even enter your mind  But sounds like you are doing great!


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