My Zy is milking like a banshee.(12 to 14 lbs, I have cut back some on grain, but she still is really producing) She's a first freshener and her udder is really large. It is chafing on the insides of her thighs. It looks a little sore and red. What do you think? Will the skin there toughen up? Should I put some powder after milking in there? It doesn't seem to bother her, but it looks tender. Thank you!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002

Answers

well, first answer is no powder, it can give her mastitis (this as a former nursing mom), i would use some udder balm, for the red areas, yes it will heal ,and "toughen up" , but right now i am sure it hurts, and she will appreciate it, just rub some in , and then wash it clean and re- apply every milking.

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.

Hi Doreen, first don't back her off her grain. She will catch up to her milk supply quickly, and she needs all the grain she can eat to produce this much without taking more body reserves. Challenge feed her, unless you get soft poop. Do not use anything wet under her legs. Udder balm and the like can give a breeding area for staph in our weather. They have the spray in the catalogs called liquid bandage or something like that, you could protect areas that break with it. But just leave her alone, yes it will toughen up. Important to keep her on a good milking routine right now, that much milk will break down her attachements quickly, even milking 3 times a day. Might want to think about letting bucklings nurse her next year to keep her from engorging like this, unless you need the milk. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.

She is in really good weight and a serious eater. You can feel her ribs, but you can't see them and you have to push to feel them. I just weighed the grain for the first time tonight (just got my scale last week:), she is gettting three ounds per day. Is that sufficient? This is the same doe that had the bloody bits in her milk earlier this spring. She is 7 weeks into her first lactaion. No areas are broken open, it's just a bit irritated looking. I will get some of that spray in case it opens up.

Thanks very much from both of us!!!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002.