My milk goat had babies 5 months ago. We left the babies on her for a couple of months and then bagan milking her. Just recently I noticed her bag is becoming hard at the top. She never has given very much milk. What can we do for her?

-- Renee Green (timandrenee@juno.com), November 18, 1999

Answers

It could be mastitis but usually the whole udder is affected, not just the top. Is she off her feed?, running a temp? Does the milk look unusual? If so then she may have mastitis.

Could this always been there and you didn't notice it because the kids were nursing? If so she may have had mastitis in the past or injured herself and her udder is damamged.

If not then her udder just may be caked. I would advise warm compresses, but then usually this occurs when she first kids. Sorry I can't be of more help, but that is all I can think of.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), November 19, 1999.

Mastitis and congested udder generally cause hardening of the entire udder, or a vertical half. A hard bag is one symptom of CAE, have you considered having her tested?

-- Kendy Sawyer (sweetfire@grove.net), November 19, 1999.

The only reason I can think of,other than CAE,for this,is that maybe you are not massaging out all the milk.After her flow of milk slackens off,do you gently massage her udder,working from top to bottom? Is the milker being gentle enough with her? If she were uptight and the milk wasn't massaged out and then milked until she was empty,it could maybe accumulate and eventually lead to mastitis. Alternately,are there other goats in the herd, maybe horned goats,that are butting her around ? It upsets a doe to take her kids off after they've been nursing,and she might not be letting her milk down very well.Time,patience,and good managment should help her through it.

-- Rebekah Leaf (daniel1@transport.com), November 25, 1999.