# First freshening



## yvette (Feb 9, 2013)

Our Saneen doe kidded today two healthy bucklings, yeah! However, she is a first freshener and she barely milked anything. Her udder is pretty hard and not very big. Is it possible she has mastitis? Fortunately, I have another doe milking but I am very worried about her. Her udder is super firm but there is not heat or any blood in the milk. Thoughts? We are new and I don't have a kit to test for mastitis until I can get something fed ex'd.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I would hot compress it and massage it 2-3 x a day.

I had one this year that rejected her kid. She sounds kinda like your girl.. It was just a little congested for a day


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## canthavejust1 (Oct 12, 2012)

My ff had a congested udder too, I rubbed a cheap imitation vicks type suave in it twice a day and massaged and milked her 4 times a day for about 3 days, then 3 times a day for 2 now a week after kidding her udder is soft and pliable and i can milk her just twice a day(I'm bottle feeding her kids)


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Take a deep breath.  I was exactly where you are a couple weeks ago. 
This was my first time kidding.
I was a bit 'freaked out' when my girls udders were hard as rocks after kidding and was VERY worried about mastitis... But the Udders being turned out to be a 'congested' udder. I had that with both of my girls. I milked them 3 times a day, wiped/rubbed the udder with a rag and VERY warm water to loosen up the congestion, and DEEP-TISSUE massaged Vicks Vapor Rub all over the udder for about 10-15 minutes at a time (I didn't have 'peppermint oil' as was suggested, so I used Vicks, and it worked beautifully!) After a couple of days, you will feel the udder softening, and maybe feeling a bit 'lumpy' at first. With both of my girls, their udders were VERY hard after kidding, and soft as butter a week later.
When it comes to the milk quantity. One of my girls is 1/2 Saanen. The day she milked (her 2nd freshening) she milked out about a quart and of colostrum, and even less than that of milk 8 hours later. With consistent milking, she is now milking about 2 GALLONS a day (3 weeks after kidding).
Last year she only gave me 1/2 a gallon of milk a day. I am still new to goats myself (had mine for a year now), but I was told by many, many people that the first time a doe freshens she won't milk as much as the freshenings that will follow...
I wish both of you the very best!
Keep up updated!


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## yvette (Feb 9, 2013)

Thank you all for your help! I will let you know how it goes!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Been a few days, how is everything going..???


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## yvette (Feb 9, 2013)

Thank you for asking. She is getting a bit softer in her udder. However it is a little slow going and she is a bit bit aggravated with my massage..... But oh well! Ugh I just want her to be comfortable and let some milk down!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

It will take a bit. We are also going through the same thing. The going's slow, but steady  I would add vitamin C to her diet until it clears up.


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## yvette (Feb 9, 2013)

Thank you! How much vitamin C would you give a girl who is about 130 pounds?


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## eggrookie2010 (May 20, 2013)

Im so glad to find this thread! Im a new goat mom and my doe is a new mom too! Healthy buckling is now 4 days old and has ONLY nursed on the right teat. The left side of udder and teat are very firm and HUGE. Not hot...she is acting normally. Should I milk her and massage as you said in the thread or leave her alone to let her body balance it out?


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

eggrookie2010 said:


> Im so glad to find this thread! Im a new goat mom and my doe is a new mom too! Healthy buckling is now 4 days old and has ONLY nursed on the right teat. The left side of udder and teat are very firm and HUGE. Not hot...she is acting normally. Should I milk her and massage as you said in the thread or leave her alone to let her body balance it out?


I would milk and massage. And keep milking. If the buckling is only nursing off of one side, consider 'taping' the teat, so he will nurse from the other side too. But make sure to milk her out from that side twice a day as well. 
Good luck!


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Yes, milk her out! If you don't, she may get mastitis, or at the very least she will start drying up, and if you are intending to milk her, you have less milk from that side, or none at all.


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## Texaslass (May 15, 2013)

Last post was to eggrookie.


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