I have a sannen/nubian cross doe. She is approx. 1 year old and never been bread. She has an udder now. I mean she just in the past few weeks developed it. And my little girl said she has milk in it? I do not know the milk part for sure, but she says she squeezed it and milk came out of it. The folks we got her from assure me she has never been with a male.They say she maybe has a precosicous udder? She is producing milk on her own? Without being preg.? Is this possible? What do I do about that?Is this ok? What is going on here? This is something I never expected.

-- Bonnie (starjosabo1@aol.com), July 22, 2001

Answers

Yes, precoccious udder is possible, though not common. Finely bred dairy animals need to produce milk and if you don't breed them soon enough, their genes may tell them to go into milk production anyway. It shouldn't be a problem and I think that you can go ahead and milk her.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 22, 2001.

Hormonal if it is maturing on both sides, probably mastitis if it is just one side. Very bad idea to let your daughter squeeze the teats without teat dipping afterward, as leaving the orifice open will introduce bacteria into that side. Just leave her alone and get her bred this fall. Watch her carefully and report back if it truly is just one side. All my Nubain yearlings are maturing their udders right now, though they do not have milk in them. There is a normal waxy substance in the teats of dry does, this keeps material from going up into the teat. You really don't want to disturb this unless you are going to milk the doe. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 22, 2001.

I wondered about that. When I first milked the momma goat I had to remove that black waxy plug first. This doe is matureing on both sides at once. Not just one.I never had one mature or come into puberty before. Didn't know what to expect. I assumed she was just comeing of age so to speak. I am totally ignorant about it. Well thanks folks.

-- Bonnie (starjosabo1@aol.com), July 22, 2001.